Opa!

I’m a single mom of six children which means the only time I get to leave the house is when I’m watching one of the kids’ hockey, baseball, softball, or football games.  Or when I’m running them to the store at 9:00 at night to get posterboard for a project they’ve had three weeks to complete and is due in the morning.  Or when I’m going to the grocery store because we’re out of food despite the fact that I went shopping two days ago.  (For some reason, my kids like to eat.  Every day.)  Or when I’m taking one of them to the ER because he thinks he’s Tony Hawk every time he gets on his skateboard.  (He’s not.)  Or when I’m picking them up from school.  Or when I’m driving them to the mall or the movies or a friend’s house.  Or when I’m simply hiding out in my van on the driveway, scarfing down chocolate so I don’t have to share it with them.


Don’t you hate getting caught eating chocolate?

“What are you eating, Mom?”

“Nothing.”

“Yes, you are.  What do you have?”

“It’s a fiber bar.  It’s yucky.  It’s diet food.  You wouldn’t like it.  It tastes like onions.”

“Why does it smell like chocolate, Mom?”

“NoItDoesn’tDoYouHaveAnyHomework?”

The quick change of topic almost always saves the day.  Keep that in mind.

Anyway, I very rarely get to go out by myself for any reason so it was a huge treat this weekend when my sister took me out to dinner for my birthday.  We went to a Greek restaurant where I had a great time!  I randomly called out names in an attempt to get the attention of our waiter.  ”Gus, Peter, Bill, Dimitri, Spiros. . .”  When I got to “Nick”, half the restaurant turned around.  At one point, belly dancers came out and gyrated around the tables.  I threatened to suggested we join the dancers.  I snapped random pictures during dinner, but in my defense, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.  I mean look at it!

Elmo likes dancing! Elmo wants to kiss the belly dancer!

A strategically placed Elmo is gawking at the belly dancer.  Now how often do you see something like that?

My sister may never set foot in public with me again.  But I say, when your outings are few and far between, you need to make the most of each one!