Your Children Are a Pleasure

A little over three years ago, Jon and I met our

kids for the very first time.

We were so excited that we had actually been matched

with kids, and even more excited when we got to

visit them.

On our second visit, we took the kids out for dinner at Uno's.

We were so excited to get to spend

time with them.

We eagerly waited to be seated for dinner.

We helped the kids pick what they wanted to order,

sat back with smiles on our

faces and waited for the magic to happen.

We visualized these two children, who would one

day become our children, enjoying a nice

dinner out with us.

That didn't happen.

Instead, those two children were wild. They stood up

on the benches. They waved their drink

glasses in the air while hollering at

the waitress. They crawled under the table, threw their

silverware, picked their pizzas apart.

Doodles opened packets of sweetener and

proceeded to sprinkle it all over her pizza and the table.

We watched as others gave us at first pitying looks,

and then glares as the children got louder and

more wound up. We had become those

people that I used to talk about. People that should

take their children to McDonald's Play Land, or

a park, or better yet a zoo.

I remember how Jon and I would scoot further and further down into

our seats, as the children continued to make a scene.

Discreetly our waitress came to us and said,"Most people with

children don't choose to stay for dessert. They just

pay their check and leave."

I believe that she might have been kicking us out, or maybe

just pitying us.

It didn't matter, we couldn't get out of their fast enough.

After that restaurant visit, we started packing food for

meals that we would share with the kids.

No more restaurants for us. EVER!

Were all kids like this in restaurants I wondered.

It has been three years. Our children are different

than they were then. They go to restaurants with us

regularly. Every time they go, our waiter or waitress

will compliment them on their good manners, good behavior,

and the pleasure that they are.

Hard to believe that they ever could have embarrassed us in public

like that. Over the weekend, we went to a local BBQ joint.

The kids were their sweet and polite selves.

The waitress loved them.

At the end of our meal, she brought them each a BIG bowl

of ice cream. She told them what wonderful children

they were. She looked and Jon and me and said,

"Your children are a pleasure."

I'm still beaming with pride.