The Fun of Eating Out...

Today was definately a day of eating out, as is usually the case on the weekend when the hubby is off work and we try to make the most of our time together as a family. So as soon as we were all up and dressed this morning we piled into the car and hit the road for a 'fun family day out'! We have many of these 'fun family days out', where we head off in the car grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of fun and laughter whilst frollicking in the sunshine...but in fairnesss it usually turns out to be a couple of hours wandering around in the rain trying desperately to find a cafe that accepts buggy's, has a high chair, and isn't crammed to the rafters with 'polite people' who spend the entire time scowling over their tea cups at the noisy children.

However today was a pleasnat surprise, partly down to the fact that we went for simplicity instead of  extravagance (McDonalds!), and partly because the kids were just in such a good mood, I was flabergasted to find they were actually holding hands in the back of the car, I just had to take a pic (see below!), rather than the usual whining that one or the other had hold of something that the other just so desperately had to have right that second or they may just explode etc, they were actually expressing their subconscious love for one other!

So yes breakfast at McDonalds was a relaxed affair and the kids devoured their pancakes. In fairness to McDonalds they've picked themselves up over the last few years and I don't feel as guilty as my health visitor would insist that I should do for allowing my children to eat there. They have after all recieved awards for their fight against child obesity and providing healthy options for all of the family, including Happy Meals for kids which now include fruit and fat free milk (that my children love of course, ahem). I'm not trying to promote McDonald's as the answer to difficult meal times, but I don't believe the odd trip to McDonalds will turn our children into insolent fat lazy littler computer addicts over night, even though the health professionals would have us believe it.

Following our naughty but delicious breakfast we hopped back in the car, loading our full happy tummies in beside us...or that could have just been me! and off we went to Chester for yet more family fun with my dad (Grandad), his girlfriend Elaine (who we are just in the process of getting to know but who seems very lovely indeed, my dad's smiling again so what could be bad about that!), my sister Nikki (Aunty Nikki), and my nephew Michael (Cuz Mikey).

The children were coy as we approached Aunty Nikki and Michael, and so were succumbed to silence in their bashfulness, which continued as we met Grandad and Elaine, and the unearthly silence continued as we strolled through Chester, so much so that I would have forgotten that the children were there if it wasn't for the fact that I was pushing a buggy!

In spite of our late breakfast we were peckish again so we went on the hunt for a half decent cafe that met all of the requirements listed above, and without too much trouble we stumbled upon a fabulous Italian restaurant on Lower Bridge Street called La Fattoria, and I hugely recommend this place for any family. They almost felt like a newly opened resteraunt because of their keenness to please and hospitaltity, but the service and food proved them to be a well established and well run business. They helped us in with the buggies, folded one down and hid it away for us, quickly surfaced a high chair for us, and cooed at the kids for a minute before leaving us to make our food choice.

During our meal I looked across at a young family who were struggling with their two toddlers, I empathised with them completely as it was like looking at a mirror image of a usual Saturday Harding-Smith outing, all red faced and flustered the mum was trying to hush her tantrumming toddler, when a lovely 'easy on the eye' Italian waiter flounced over, grapsed the little girl's hand and asked her to walk with him round the empty tables next to the family. The little girl was stunned into silence and so thrilled at the attention she was recieving that she walked around those tables with that awesome waiter for a good 15 minutes while the rest of the family finished their meals. If there is one waiter in this world that deserves a tip it's him!

And so we enjoyed a relatively stress free meal whilst the children amused themselves with toy phones, Aunty Nikki's real phone, and bits of pasta and garlic bread, ooh and ice cream of course, to the point where we actually managed to hold a converstation that didn't consist of 'put that down', 'don't do that' 'ssshhhh' or 'For God's sake let's go home'. It was lovely to catch up with my dad, and to have a giggle with him too, and to see my sister and nephew in good spirits too.

We were still smiling as we gathered ourselves to leave and the kids were sent on their way by the lovely child friendly waiter with a lolly pop each (which I promptly removed from Ethan's death grip and put away, never to be seen again! Megan was allowed to hold her lolly on the condition that the plastic wasn't removed, daddy must not have heard this rule and the second my back was turned the lolly was released from it's plastic wrapper and stickyness ensued...which I ignored to the best of my ability. The sticky mess caused by those tiny sticks of sugar are enough to send me into a OCD frenzy that could destroy the whole day!)

A stroll along the riverside and through the park to see the squirrels completed the day, and the sun even broke out from behind the clouds for a while, the day was definately on our side. So before anything could ruin it (the children were beginning to yawn and frown in indifference to the continuing festivities) we said our goodbyes and headed back to the car. The children slept the whole way home giving me and daddy time to talk and reflect on what a beautiful family we have and what a darn good job we're doing...what a contrast to the 'fun family day's out' where we huff all the way home annoyed that we couldn't seem to get to grips with the whole happy family situation, and that it must be down to our poor organisation and communication skills..some days work and other's don't, that's just one of the unpredictable adventures of having children, they decide if you're going to have a good day or not!

Thanks for the great day kids, don't worry, we know you're still the boss around here!

My sister Nikki with Megan

My dad and Michael with their matching Mafia style hats!