An Evening at Fudruckers

This evening, we drove into Katy. One of my congregation members gave birth, and as customary, I went to welcome the new tyke on behalf of the church and give thanks to God with the family. I had called Dawna earlier and asked if she and the kids would like to go with me since it was late afternoon and the odds of me getting back before supper were not good. Dawna thought it would be a good idea.

We drove down to Katy to the hospital, and I made my visit. Afterwards, we debated where we should eat. Kiera chimed in that she wanted, "Cheese." That's code for cheese enchiladas. Dawna and I weren't exactly in the mood for Mexican, so we did some more thinking. The choice came down to Friday's or Fudruckers next to Katy Mills Mall. Both of us thought Fudruckers sounded really good, so Kiera was going to have to settle for a hamburger.

As luck would have it, it was raining when we pulled up to the restaurant. Now, try getting three kids, one being an infant, a juice bag, and a diaper bag all into a restaurant relatively dry with only one umbrella. Not easy, but finally managed.

Then ordering and finding a table was fun. It usually takes us five minutes just to get everyone settled into their seats, get drinks distributed, and make sure no one can touch anyone else. Finally, everyone was in place, including Kevin, Jr. this time. Yep, Kevin finally joined the rest of us at the table. Up until this evening, he had always been confined to his carrier, but since we got the new car seat, we knew that there would be a change.

We put Kevin in a high chair along with one of those things that go in high chairs/grocery carts to prevent kids from getting germs (yeah right!). It propped him up perfectly, and he really thought he was hot stuff! He played with a straw and ate french fry guts throughout the meal. Kiera polished off her entire hamburger and some french fries. Kaylee ate just a little of her chicken nuggets and fries, but she pigged out on her fruit cup.

Of course, Kiera had to go potty, so Dawna had to take her while I jumped into Dawna's chair to ensure that Kevin, Jr. would continue to receive his french fry guts. Then, when Dawna and Kiera got back, Kaylee said she had to go potty (yeah right!). But Dawna took her anyway: don't want to discourage potty training.

By the time we were finished, the rain had stopped, and we loaded up the Yukon with no trouble. I jumped into the driver's seat and thought about the days when it was just Dawna and I and how uneventful eating out used to be. Life is so much different, but it's so much better. I felt so blessed to be a father and a family man. I'm proud of my wife. I'm proud of my kids. Other folks may think eating out with a car-full is a chore, but it's a wonderful family adventure to me.