Kids change things sometimes

I don't particularly like change. There should be a place for everything thing and a thing for every place and I'm perfectly satisfied if the things and places don't ever change. I'm the same way with family traditions. If my family had been doing something since I was nine, we should keep doing that thing ad nauseum because that was why we have the holiday right? Well when you have kids, sometimes as much as you want things to stay the same, they just don't. This story was the first in a long list of things that had to change once I had kids.

Each spring my mother, my sister in law, all our kids, and I have a little get together while the menfolk attend the Priesthood session of General Conference. We used to go out for a nice dinner and activity. This is why we now stay at home.

At they time there were 3 kids: my poor oldest one (Z - age 3), his sister (Princess - age 1), and my niece (my niece age - 2). My sister in law, Natalie, and I didn't get out very much with the little kids so we decided we would go out to a nice dinner. Now if I ask to go out to for a nice dinner I'll accept anywhere that isn't McDonald's or Burger King, even if it is still considered fast food. Then if I wanted a nice dinner, it was going to be a NICE dinner. A place with cloth napkins and a waiter to refill my glass. For this particular evening we chose Ruby Tuesday--a steak house. I know those of you who live in Utah are laughing right now, because going to a steak house on Priesthood session night is not a fast activity and should never be attempted with kids. But I wanted my tradition and nice dinner too.

After waiting an hour to be seated the kids were getting restless. Because their weren't smartphones or portable video devices at the time, we'd basically been telling the 2 oldest to sit still while we entertained them with various items in our diaper bags. Once we were at our table, the kids weren't all that impressed with their new seats and old distractions, but we were out at a steak house, and I wanted steak (see above about liking things the same). Our food was taking a long time and now the kids were hungry and restless. Because their wasn't enough room in the crowded restaurant for 2 high chairs at the end of the table, my niece sat at the end next to me and my son sat across from me. Princess was in her car seat between my mom and me. Natalie was across from my mom on the other side of Z. I know this is confusing and the order of people makes no sense but this seating arrangement is important.

It started with Princess. She was crying, so I made her a bottle and my mom started to feed her. My niece started to fuss so I was feeding her crackers from the basket on the table. Then our food came, but it was too hot for Z to feed himself so Natalie started to break up the fries and blow on them so they would cool. By now all three kids were not only unhappy but starting to loudly show how unhappy they were, so we attempted to each feed a kid who wasn't ours, and shove our own food into our faces (because we were enjoying it sooooo much), and not have the manager kick us out.

Eventually dinner was over and we left the restaurant. But we were not undeterred by what had happened. We were having cousin pictures taken next week and all the kids needed matching outfits so we headed to Old Navy. At the Old Navy, I lost my contact in my eye. Somehow it got stuck up in my eyelid and hurt really badly. So I pushed my kids towards my mom and ran to the bathroom to rescue the contact and my sight. While I was in the bathroom, my mom was chasing Z around the store while pushing Princess in the cart. Natalie finds that the floor was really slippery and she couldn't figure out why the store wouldn't clean that mess up. Then she looks down and realizes that my niece has thrown up all over herself and that is why the floor is slippery.

Finally I find my contact and leave the restroom to try and find my family. I find Natalie has rushed out of the store with a nearly naked child, and my mom is trying to purchase the outfits that have been picked with a rascally Z and crying Princess. And then we went home.

That was the last time we ever tried that again. I had learned my lesson. You see kids change things. They have their own personalities and tendencies and struggles and sometimes things that worked when you were MWK (married without kids) don't work once you have them. Or things you could do easily as a family of 4, don't work now that you are a family of 6. But in this change, you find new things that are fun to do. And see the strengths of those kids you are trying to raise. Last year we still got together. This time with 7 kids. We ate McDonald's at the kitchen counter and then we took the kids to a park near my mom's house and watched them play. They helped each other up the stairs that were steep and made a 7 link train down the slide and didn't care when it started to rain.

 Though I struggle with change, it really is for the best. I wouldn't trade my little piece of chaos for all the quiet steak dinners in the world.