Wednesday, March 22, 2006

How do you spell relief????

We decided last night to go out for dinner (I've been cooking more than usual so it was a nice change) so going out for dinner was a good idea. We decided to bring along our two youngest children ( 14 year old girl, 13 year old boy, the last two still living at home) bad idea! I was quickly reminded why we stopped taking our children out in public with us! lol

When they were all younger (all four of them), people used to go out of their way to come to our table and comment on how well behaved our children were. I would smile politely and say thank you and secretly say to myself, "You bet they are! They were warned over and over all the way to the restaurant...act up and it's a trip to the bathroom and it's not to see if we something stuck in our teeth or something!!!" lol

I was raised in strict military fashion....to act up in public was a death wish....I wanted to live, I had big plans....I wanted to see them come to fruition! Now I was smacked a lot with deadly precision from the front seat by my Father while either in route to or home from somewhere and he didn't even have to see which kid it was or where exactly we were sitting in the back seat....his aim was dead on!

My kids were raised to be "perfect" children while in public and they are, they are good while in public, they are good in school at home they are lil chits! But if I had my choice and they were to act up, I'd rather they do it at home anyway.

Little did I know that my children are quite good at looking perfectly composed while getting their point across. Very much like I do when I need to smile and threaten at the same time, a technique learned from my parents and passed down from generation to generation. Otherwise known as "The Look." It could stop me dead in my tracks when I was a child or silence me instantly or I'd pay for it later! lol

Ok, so why was taking the children out to dinner with us a bad idea? Well, indigestion is a good word for it.....that and having to explain over and over to my 14 year old daughter why we can't just put her  annoying, 13 year old younger brother "To sleep" like a rabid dog!

Yeah, life is good.............anybody got a Rolaids??

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL.  love this entry!  It's a relief that mine is still young enough to stop talking immediately when she sees 'the look' :)  

~Bernadette
http://journals.aol.com/quartrlyfecrysis/OrJustTheStirringInMySoul

Anonymous said...

Everytime we take the kids out to eat, I am overly optimistic that it will go over well........ after all it worked for Ward and June, didnt it.........
So many car rides home chanting the phrase..........
"We will never try this again"..........

Anonymous said...

lol...i knew i liked your 14 year old !!!!  Her and I could do some MAJOR damage together.....IF it works for her, I have a list !!!!!  :X

Anonymous said...

Aww, teenagers.  I have a lot of trouble all ready from my preteen Nicholas age 11 soon to be 12.  He just goes from acting mature and above his years to as if he were about 8 years old.  It's an odd stage.  The worst is I've failed to teach him NO.  I've always been the softie and dad is the tough guy.  I do have to promise to get tougher.  Sometimes I amaze myself and the immediat discipline rolls right out... other times it's just like I'm too overwhelmed with the 5 & 7 year old to even handle the 11 yr old.  We will survive, right?  
Hugs,
Lisa

http://journals.aol.com/randlprysock/AdventuresFromFlorida/      

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Anonymous said...

I have to admit that regardless of how horrible my kids act up at home and in the privacy of our vehicles, they are amazingly well behaved in public.  Even now, as pre-teens and teenagers, its not uncommon to get comments from fellow diners as well as the staff at the restaurants we eat at about their wonderful manners.  It does this mama's heart proud.  Of course, that leaves me looking bad because nobody believes me about how rotten they are at home!

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Anonymous said...

LOLOL!  Too funny! ;)  C.  http://journals.aol.com/gdireneoe/thedailies