Dining out with a toddler

Yesterday we decided that we weren't going to cook dinner. Hubby suggested take away but I wanted to go out as I'd just cleaned the kitchen and didn't want to clean up again.

I had a function on at one of the organisations I'm involved with - someone talking about Asylum Seekers and the global issue of refugees. So I had to be someone by 7.30pm...

I was reminded of the last time we went out for dinner with Master 2. Lovely Indian restaurant with the 3 of us and my mother - small monster tearing the restaurant apart and having tantrum after tantrum and refusing to eat. "Are you sure you want to go out with him???"

"yeah, it's a kid friendly restaurant - they give the kids pizza dough to play with and it's early. We'll be OK"

I was to be reminded of this comment time and time again last night.

So it's about 5.45pm and I call the local pizza place to make sure they are open - table for 3 in 15 mins... no worries. It's more like 30mins by the time we get up there.

We arrive, only to discover that we've been beaten there by a party of 20 teenagers accompanied by father/scout leader/coach or the like who had the attention of the only waiter and couldn't decide what to order. It took us about 10 mins to get a menu and at that point the waiter asked if Master 2 wanted some pizza dough to play with. "Yes, please" was our response as we then put in our order asking for Master 2's pizza to come first as an entrée.

10 mins later the teenager's entrée arrives. A good sign I feel as we ordered straight after them that Master 2's pizza wasn't far away. Another 5 mins passed by, the kitchen was incredibly busy with take away but still no sign of promised pizza dough. I asked the waiter if he could have it and she said "sure".

Master 2 is getting a little tired of playing with trains and hubby says "I did tell you this would happen" reminder no 1.

15 mins later (we'd been sitting there for 40 mins by now) and still no sign of the pizza dough. Master 2 has been drinking water out of a big glass, begging for some of "Mummy's drink" and playing with his little train and plane that we brought along to keep him amused, but his patience is wearing thin. Hubby asks a different staff member again for the pizza dough and it finally arrives.

Too late it seems to keep our boy amused. "Pizza, Pizza" he yells (literally) and we get filthy looks from someone at the take away counter. By this point we'd been in the restaurant 45 mins, and I don't care how long or how loud he yells, the teenagers have all finished their entree and still no sign of Master 2's food. It's 7pm and WAY past his dinner time.

Reminder 2 - "who was right?, I did tell you this would happen"...

I ask about his pizza and the owner says "Sorry about that, we were going to ask the waiter to apologise, it's just gone in, should be done in 5 mins". He says he's working on our pizza's now (45 mins after we've arrived - and we didn't order entrees), I told him that we could cope but it's a bit hard to explain to a 2 year old.

Finally the much anticipated margherita pizza arrives - too hot to eat and Master 2 gets his food.

The teenagers get their mains and the owner indicates that our pizza is on the way as well.

Then the waiter comes over with 2 medium pizzas - and explains that the kitchen made a mistake and that instead of making hubby's pizza with the 2 extra ingredients he's added to a meat lovers - they made him 2 pizzas. One plain meat lovers, and the other pizza just with the 2 extra ingredients. But that of course they wouldn't charge us for the second pizza. They had also forgotten to make my pizza.

By this point it was 20 mins from the start time of my function, so I told the waiter to tell the kitchen that if they hadn't made my pizza not to bother cause I had somewhere to be and couldn't wait. She offers to make me a salad, but I just eat a couple of pieces of margherita and we get the 2 other pizza's boxed up.

Hubby takes Master 2 to the car and I wait (quite patiently given all that's happened) at the til to pay our bill.

It's 7.25pm. My function starts at 7.30pm.

Finally one of the staff members tells me that my pizza is in the oven and will be ready in a minute if I can wait they will box it for me - and they aren't going to charge us for our meal "not at all?"
"no"

I'm pleasantly surprised - for the first time that night.

The pizza's are boxed and I take them to the car - drop hubby and master 2 at home then drive like a maniac to get to the function. I arrive 10 mins late. The gates are about to be closed - I'm lucky to make it.

The function was great. I had some food in my tummy and don't need to worry about cooking tomorrow night.

I think that Master 2 was very well behaved given the circumstances.

Despite odd looks from hubby, I'm determined to try eating out with him again. Not sure about the restaurant - do we go back?

That's still up for discussion.

Today is a holiday for me, our union picnic day.

Master 2 is at day care, hubby is at work. A rare day of indulgence.

I go out for lunch with my Mum, do some window shopping, and get my hair cut. Lovely.

I'm off to Adelaide for work for a couple of days. I have time to pack my bag in peace before I pick Master 2 up from daycare.

The best thing is that my regular day off is mid week, but I'll be in Adelaide, so I get Friday off as well. Another child and hubby free day - what to do???

Any ideas welcome.