The Daily Snack: Adventures in Babysitting (Day III)

This morning we heard Luke humming a song John taught him (Bruce Springsteen's Pink Cadillac) and saying Uncle over and over again on the baby monitor. What a cute way to wake up! He was happy to see me first thing and is such a sweet, jovial baby in the morning. John took him out for a quick walk with the dog and Luke was lucky enough to see the trash truck in action. I should mention there aren't many things more important in his world than tractors. Trucks, lawn mowers, large cars, and some random objects with wheels count as "tractors." Anyway, Luke stood there in awe and as the truck driver picked up on that, he honked his horn. It pretty much made his morning. And this afternoon we took a short walk around the neighborhood and we saw another "tractor." It was actually just a riding mower, but still required us to stop and discuss its awesomeness.

Tonight we ventured out to dinner and it was funny to watch us prepare. John asked, "Do we need to bring diapers or something?" We have never taken Luke out and about alone, always out with Keenan and Monte or babysitting Luke at home. Luke was excited about our dinner adventure and exclaimed "Yay!" after we told him we were going to have a pizza party. That's what he always says after you mention a pizza party. John and I found a nice table to sit at, pulled up a high chair, and ordered dinner. The table definitely wasn't baby proofed and we tried to get to everything before Luke did, i.e. metal plates, silverware, etc. Then he decided he wanted to stand up in his high chair, so I kept catching him trying or giving me the side-eye. Every once in a while, he let out a screech or did something crazy. It's hard to keep a toddler entertained until the food comes out! John looked at me and said, "Do you think these people think we are bad parents? Do you think all new parents feel this way?" I think we definitely felt under the microscope, but in all honestly I know we weren't. The restaurant was a family place, many kids around, and Luke fit in perfectly. I almost think Luke sensed our apprehension and thought the new environment equals new rules. The older ladies in the restaurant loved him and stopped by the table to say goodbye. Luke befriended everyone on the waitstaff. Throwing his arms up in the air and grinning ear-to-ear as they passed might have had something to do with it. He loved the pizza and definitely ate his fair share. We needed to wrap things up at the restaurant because Luke was full and getting delirious. That equals crazy slap-happiness. At the first sign of this we asked for the check and jetted out of there. I have to say it was a really fun experience for all of us! We love showing Luke off and were happy to share a fun evening with him. The pizza party took its toll and Luke was ready to crash when we got home. He walked himself to his room and drifted off to sleep so easily. We are looking forward to another fun-filled day with him tomorrow!