Today was a busy day. My mother and stepfather were coming up for the day so we could go to the Angus Barn to celebrate my mom’s birthday, so after Daniel got up at 6:30, it was time for me to clean a little more after I had shocked my system with copious amounts of pumpkin spice coffee. Litter! Toilets! Floors! Oh my! My mother and stepfather were originally supposed to arrive at 10:30 but didn’t actually arrive until noon, giving us time to play outside before lunch.
Practicing his letters
The young artist
The afternoon passed quickly. Daniel had lunch and then “quiet time,” which is anything but quiet. Jimmy and my stepfather worked on a house project, and my mother and I chit chatted. Before long, it was time for us to get ready to go eat.
He has nicer clothes than I do
We are big fans of the Angus Barn but alas, tonight it didn’t live up to its reputation and our prior experiences there. The service was very slow. We had made a reservation for 5:30 to ensure we were able to get home reasonably close to Daniel’s bedtime and to ensure that my mother and stepfather were able to get on the road at a decent hour since they couldn’t spend the night. We didn’t leave the restaurant until after 8. The food was just OK, and we were frustrated by the slowness.
We’ve eaten there many times before and 9 times out of 10, the experience is top-notch. I know that any restaurant can have an off night but it was frustrating that it was tonight of all nights. I worry that it made my mom’s birthday dinner seem less special since the meal was expensive but may not have been worth it tonight. Everything seemed a little off.
The bright spot was Daniel. He was wonderful. He was charming and sweet the entire night. Despite being tired and hungry, he behaved beautifully and we resorted to videos on my iPhone only as a last resort when we were waiting for the entree and he began to fidget. We didn’t get home until almost 9, an hour past his bedtime, and we still managed to brush teeth, read stories, do the starfish chart and the bedroom routine without any meltdowns. That little boy was out within minutes of his head hitting the pillow.
Daniel and his adoring public
Daniel and his adoring mommy
May we all sleep well. I know I’m looking forward to a very quiet day tomorrow.
How is your weekend so far?
Family Building With a Twist 
Sorry bout the bad service but at least you had your boy to brighten things up! We have been very lazy this weekend doing nothing.