Monday, June 6, 2005

The Further Adventures of Mighty Mo

So, twenty of us staying at the resort decide to go to Outback Steakhouse for dinner Saturday night. Mighty Mo was full of vinegar and causing all kinds of ruckus while we waited fifteen minutes for the table to be ready. So I did the fatherly thing and went to the bar to buy drinks for everyone.

One of the other gals, took Mighty Mo for a walk around the parking lot, giving Mistress a much needed break to drink her El Patron Margarita. Then around the restaurant to look at decorations. By the time we sat down he was doing better.

thirty minutes later as food arrives he decides its a good time to act two years old and wants out of his high chair and to sit on someone's lap, so Mistress and I pass him between us. Again he decides being a two year old is more fun and begins yelling/screaming at the top of his lungs. But he has a huge smile on his face so its hard not to laugh (Sidenote: Yes I was an adult who cringed at screaming kids in public until I became a father. I still cringe but its different.)

Mistress decides its time for Time Out, so she take him from the table and into the curbside server's area for his Time Out. (BTW, his Time Out is standing up against the wall with his hands on the wall like being frisked by a cop) After a short Time Out they come back to the table for a few minutes. Well, I looked at him and he looked at me, he smiled, I got out one, "Stop!" before another scream. He then gets off my lap and runs around the corner and gets back into Time Out. A new server is wondering why a kid is waiting to be frisked. Oh his legs are spread out, his arms high, head turned around to look for me. So he and I leave.

Now I could be mad, I was mad, but as we walk out the curbside door a couple is walking towards us. Mighty Mo, looks at them and says, "Hi guys!" The woman looks down and then turns to her friend and says, "He has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen on a baby." To which Mighty Mo without missing a beat says, "Thank you" How can you be mad at that?

After a short walk, we come back in time to pay the bill and Mighty Mo decides its time for smoozing with the two elderly couples at the table next to us and he is all flirt and charm and giggles. A perfect little gentleman. Then the customary "Bye" that he must say to everyone which takes another five minutes. He even gets people to say 'bye' back to him that he's never met. It's almost like "Norm" from Cheers. He just yells, "Bye" to the room, waves and smiles and like a dozen people say bye back to him. He then has to be taken over to them to acknowledge their comment. Its so sweet but its every single time we go out.

Then its the goodbyes to the inadament objects like, "Bye, bye table...bye, bye chair...bye, bye door, etc, etc, etc"

At least he has a positive attitude.


4 comments:

tarheeltri said...

I have a two-year old as well. We do time outs in the car when out. Asking her to say bye bye is the only way we can get her to leave!

Wil said...

How cute! We have a 3 and a 4 year old so I really identify with this. We make up voices for the table and chair to say bye-bye with, the toothbrush asks to get "all the yuckies off of their teeth..." wow, it's a regular inanimant object society around here!

Nancy Toby said...

I can relate! Try twins - we sure don't get many uninterrupted restaurant meals! We feed them first, then go to the restaurant when it opens and few people are there, and try to finish up before lots of other people get there and/or meltdowns start happening.

tri-mama said...

When people ask me why I started this tri hobby all I say is 3 in 4 years and 4 in 6 pointing to my kids-they all nod and smile as flashbacks of their own parenting at restaurants, church, theatres, stores flash through their minds-yea I would run too. Darned if those little smiles don't pop up when I'm training -cue music- I love dinasaurs, but now they are extinct..-preschool theme for the week-kids just bring a whole new perspective-and what a cutie Mo is.