A Fantastic Report Card

Kindergarten report card. A great report card. A rewarding dinner out at Erica’s choice of restaurants. Naturally, she chooses Red Robin, which has been voted, for several years judging by the award plaques they have on display in the waiting area, best family restaurant. We get there pretty early, around 4:00. It’s Sunday, and we haven’t had lunch in anticipation of a big, fat, juicy burger.

The “hostess” (or should I neutralize that to just “host” so the female isn’t offended?) seats us next to a booth with another family with children. Rowdy children. Normally I don’t mind, but why is it assumed that I’m okay sitting near rowdy kids just because I’m here with my kid? I try very hard to keep Erica from tossing her French fries into the hanging planters. Not just for my own pleasant experience, but for the consideration of others, I stress the importance of using her inside voice. Not long after we sit down, the kicking of the back of my seat quickly stops they are off to cause havoc somewhere else.

I’ve acquired the “picky seat” attitude from my waitress mother (who, by the way, would never want to be called waiter, or server). She laid out the plan for the best place to sit, and it was not near the kitchen door (if there was one – Red Robin is an open grill sort of place) and it was not near the front door, and it was nowhere near rowdy kids. Take a booth if given the choice, she would say. Mark thinks I’m just being picky….

Oh, back to the best family award for Red Robin. I’m actually thinking that this is a bit out of line, since as a family restaurant they don’t have accommodations for small children in the bathrooms. The same goes for McDonalds, Fuddruckers, and a few other kid places. In a place that the kids are the main focus - and really who would go to McDonalds unless you have a kid – where are the lower sinks and soap dispensers where a kid can actually get to them? When Erica was about 3 I had back problems (if you have ever felt the pain of a sciatic nerve gone astray, well you have my sympathy) and getting her up to the sink and holding her while trying to wash her hand was a holy sloppy mess. If there was even a step stool it would have been a whole lot easier. I can feel for the little people in the world who deal with this their whole lives.

We topped off the day at Coldstone…. Mmmmm ice cream….. I got cinnamon with pecans and chocolate chips…… heavenly! Any day with that kind of ending is good.