Eating out!

Growing up eating out was a huge treat! Even fast food was so so special! Elliott has been spoiled. He has been eating out regularly since he was eleven days old - hey It was new year's eve! (with exceptions of when we lived in Provo and were on a student budget!)

During the first four months of his life he ate out more than I did in the first ten years of life (or so it seemed) Steven was doing an internship and at the time he was traveling a lot. Elliott and I went with him and enjoyed the 20 dollar breakfast budget and nearly 50 dollar dinner budget. Most interns being young and foolish spent their dinner budget on consuming alcoholic beverages. Steven managed to feed his family of three (one serving for Steven and two for myself!) quite nicely. Elliott would fall asleep on the car ride to the restaurant we would tuck him under the table enjoy a nice meal at a fine restaurant and then remember to take him! People around us were shocked to see the baby leaving with us!

Now a days when we go out my purse is filled with food for the picky toddler. Fish crackers, apple crisp, raisins etc. Just lately we have be beginning to look at the children's menu as an option. Last summer we would order an adult meal and children's meal and then Steven and I would split them both, as Eman would turn his nose up at the strange food and fill himself with crackers and snacks.

Saturday we decided to go out, as a family of three once again. This time we choose chili's. Their on their children's menu they had Elliott's new found favorite food. Mac and cheessse! The menu was in picture form and as soon as he saw it he could think of nothing else. He also proceed to request white milk as his beverage. We told him he could order as soon as the server came.

Elliott is a man of few words. I speak his lingo because we are together all week. Steven is also picking up on Elliott lingo quickly. Yesterday Steven interpreted for me that Elliott wanted his strawberries on his cow plate (it sounded something like sta moo). Elliott will speak even less around strangers. Imagine our surprise when the server comes and Elliott jumps up and says "Mac and cheese a lot!!! and milk" (a lot has replaced 2 as his new favorite number!) As a side we ordered him corn on the cob. He will eat it on the cob just not off???

We then proceeded to wait and wait and wait for our food after we waited and waited to put in our orders. I just thought servers knew you see a toddler on the table and you move things along- QUICKLY. Lucky the food came about t-1 minute before total melt down.

Elliott ate the most he has ever eaten away from home (with the exception of eating a grill cheese sandwich from In and Out) We were impressed. He also had to use a big fork as I didn't bring his little ones. He loved that and after a few minutes I stopped worrying about him poking his eyes out.

When done we left with Elliott skipping out of the restaurant! (wait a minute.... ugg now he will expect mac and cheese from each place we go... that could make for a long vacation of eating at chili's~)