Wine & Dine

On Tuesday some good friends called us because their daughter has been accepted to the same school as Ruby, and they wondered if we wanted to go out for dinner to celebrate. They suggested one of our favorite places, so it didn't take much convincing before we were getting in the van and on our way.

Upon arriving, however, we discovered that it was a busy night at this restaurant, and a table for all 8 of us was going to be a trick. The wait-staff suggested breaking up into groups of 4 as it would mean getting seated a bit sooner. We were hungry and it was a school night, so we agreed. How did we split it up? Grown-ups at one table, kids at another.

The children were seated together at a booth. Their ages are: 9, 8, 6, and 5. The moms talked through the menus and the kids decided they would be able to order for themselves and then told us to be on our way. A short while later the grown-ups took their table, all the way on the other side of the restaurant.

Save for a couple of check-ins from the parents, the kids ordered, ate, and managed the dining experience all on their own. I should note here that the other children are terrific kids and exceptionally well-behaved, but it still felt like a risk to put all 4 of them at a table without any adult supervision. They handled it beautifully, and everyone enjoyed the meal.

As the grown-ups were finishing up their meal (the kids finished ahead of us and went to the courtyard area to play - don't worry Linda, they were in full view the whole time), a woman approached our table. She stopped and said, "I just want you to know, they did a great job. I heard lots of please and thank yous. You should be proud."

And we are. The end.