Love for Wendy's

I am a good Mom. My girls are well behaved and civilized. We CAN eat at a fast food restaurant and not have it end in tears or a tantrum of some kind. Ahhhh, thank you Wendy's!

I do love that McDonald's and Chic-fil-a have the fun activity centers for kids. . . I plan to utilize this in the future for cheap birthday parties or a cheap 'field trip' out of the house. But they do not seem to be very parent friendly at this stage, at least not for me.

Our most recent attempt to take the girls out to lunch at one of these places was so frustrating for all of us that I vowed to myself that it would be a long time before I tried it again. We had gone to Chic-fil-a, one of MY all time favorite fast food places, although definitely not the most cost effective. They had a play area that the GIRLS loved but I hated! It was a lot taller than it was wide, so it had many, many, many levels up. I couldn't see the girls, couldn't really hear them when I called out to them to see if they were OK or even still breathing. My other complaint was that they did not allow parents to bring their food into the area. A few weeks prior, we had gone to a McDonald's that had a large play area and tables outside for the parents to eat (and to entice the children out of the playarea with the smell of fries dripping in grease and sugar filled drinks sure to keep them bouncing off the walls, as if they needed the help). Chic-fil-a, on the other hand, did not. It also did not help that there were at least 10 other little girls and boys running around through the thing, much to the delight of my VERY SOCIAL children.

Jordan decided to camp out up top in the play gym/maze/parent's worse nightmare, and decided she would rather live up there I guess. Eventually, my wonderful husband had to use our Love and Logic training and we were forced to leave said Chic-fil-a in tears. . . and with a lot of stares watching our every move and departure. Thus my vow.

However, this week has been very HECTIC and I have not been able to spend as much fun quality time with my girls as I would have liked. Last week was filled with coloring, reading, snuggling, baking, building, dress up, etc. This week, not so much. And tomorrow we leave for what will be a very fun weekend for THEM, visiting with grandparents and cousins, but hectic still for Gregg and I. We will be driving home to New Orleans for his long awaited graduation from Tulane's MBA program!!!

But, as exciting as that is, I was still needing some Mommy/Daughter time. Unfortunately, I knew I needed to go grocery shopping and more house cleaning that didn't get done all week with said hectic-ness (is that a word? ) What can I do? On route to the grocery store, I realized it was getting close to lunch time. There is a Wendy's right by the Kroger's Grocery store we were going to and I noticed that Wendy's is "old fashioned" in that it didn't have a play area! Knowing that this could go either really well or really badly, I decided to roll the dice and try an adventure.

We pulled into the parking lot. We walked to the door. We walked up to the counter. No stroller -- will the girls stay up front by me while I ordered, or will they start running around and screaming? They stay with me!!! They stay quiet and smiling!!! They put the food on the tray for me and I realize that I can't carry it and hold their hands, so I ask the girls to hold hands and walk in front of me. Will they listen? Will they NOW run and scream? Will they demand that they sit in the open chair next to the nice couple, or the big group of men eating? I watch as they calmly and quietly walk to the back of the restaurant and sit down in a booth. I put the tray down and sit across from them, anxiously awaiting my Wigglie Willie Cali to get up and start running around. Why didn't I put her next to the wall instead of the aisle? I watch in amazement as they both start eating and smiling. I, too, begin to eat and realize that I forgot a straw and ketchup. Here it is, the breaking point. I ask the girls to stay seated as I quickly walk up front, knowing that they will either run behind me or get up and start talking to the lovely couple next to us. I walk back and sit down, still in awe at their calm smiling faces. The girls BOTH eat. Jordan comments on the music and they both start "chair dancing." We talk about Magic School Bus and the trees outside. Then Jordan asks for a straw, too. I so should have that of that! She is in the 'straw drinking' phase. I walk back to the front of the store to get the straw, still unsure of how this will go, but walk back smiling at them as they sit and eat. I finish eating. Cali finishes eating. Jordan realizes her half-eaten cheeseburger has mustard on it and she decides she doesn't like mustard, but she just asks to not have to eat it anymore... no yucky noises or anything! I gather all the trash onto the tray. Here it is. Again, I can't carry the tray and hold their hands. I ask them to hold hands and walk in front of me. I walk smiling as I follow my calm, sweet children to the front of the store. They wait up front as I throw away the trash, I hold Cali's hand, and the three of us walk to the van. SUCCESS!!!

Yes, thank you Wendy's for giving this exhausted Mama a fun meal full of smiles, laughter and good conversation. And for giving me the experience of walking out of a fast food restaurant with a feeling of contentment, and of knowing that I have sweet darling little girls!! And, in case you think this story ends in a BUT, they STAYED calm and singing the entire time in the grocery store! WOO HOO!!!