Monday, September 3, 2007

Our weekend family lunch

We share my parents car and this Saturday they needed to drop someone off at the airport so we decided to take the opportunity to head out for lunch in our own unit of 3 (actually it was more like I refused to cook and couldn't stomach the idea of a greasy pan pizza).

I couldn't take pictures but here's how our weekend family lunch went.

12.30pm - Squiggles has been fed and burped. DD is trying to put her to sleep before we head off and while I get ready.

1pm - She has just snoozed off. I decide to wear the baby carrier and hold her in it so that we don't disturb her when we head out. (Umm...the pram is in the boot of my dad's car but we don't let that deter us). DD goes to get ready.

1.40pm - DD has taken only 40mins to sort himself out but we're finally ready to leave. Squiggles is snoozing away in the baby carrier. I then realise how smart DD is to have gotten me to wear the baby carrier before he got ready. There is no way I can pass Squiggles to him without waking her up. Humph.. so I head out with my bundle of joy while DD is just trudging with NOTHING in his hands (I think this clever piece of maneovering has to do with the fact that he has been to the gym and has been complaining about his arms aching ever since. Men!).

1.50pm - Squiggles is awake but quiet. We find a cab almost instantly and give him directions for a Mexican restaurant that we've seen from the outside but never been to.

2.05pm - We reach the restaurant only to find it closes at 2pm. Great. Squiggles has fallen alseep so we decide to do some exploring before we head out to find another restaurant. There's an interesting looking deli nearby.

2.25pm - After some clever piece of sales by the deli owner (comments like 'your baby is so cute' are always good for sales), we head out with a loaf of onion bread and eggplant and orange jam (DD's idea not mine).

2.30pm - We hail another cab and head further east to a place where we know there are a number of chain restaurants which are likely to be open through the day. The clouds have started looking ominous and it's quite likely to start pouring soon (and yes weather does change that dramatically in Singapore).

2.45pm - We're near the restaurant but there's a slight problem. It's pouring and we don't have an umbrella or anything to protect Squiggles except her blanket (yeah we're really organised with stuff like that). DD asks the taxi driver to take us to the parking so that we can enter the restaurant without getting wet. We promise to pay him extra to cover the cost of entering the parking area.

2.50pm - After some hemming and haawing I choose the restaurant (there's a bunch of them in the same place). We head in and it looks really cheerful and is very busy with people lunching even at this late hour. Our stomachs are rumbling.

2.52pm - We settle ourselves in the booth and decide not to take Squiggles out of the baby carrier (she's now awake). I open the menu and oh.. the food looked so yummy. Now I am a foodie and I love reading menus and always find it difficult to decide.

3pm - I've almost chosen what I want to eat when Squiggles lets out a tiny whimper. Oh.. I quickly chose my main (while still keeping the menu open in case I change my mind in the 5 sec it will take DD to tell the waiter his choice).

3.01pm - The whimper has turned into loud crying (which is polite for screaming). We're both looking at each other.

DD: Do you think she can stay quiet for the meal?
Me: I don't know. Maybe she'll quieten down in a bit.
At this point Squiggles is wailing and flaying her hands.
DD: Does she need milk?
Me: I don't know.
Like why should I always have all the answers here?
DD to the waiter: Is there a feeding room here?
Waiter: No.
Me: Should we do a take away instead (there's nothing to eat at home).
DD: Ok. (starts ordering)
The wailing is now amazingly loud.
Me to the waiter: How long will it take?
Waiter: 10-15 mins.
DD and I look at each other and decide to bail out.

We hail a cab to go back home but then decide to pick up the car from my parent's home which is enroute. With little persuading we find ourselves eating at Chez Mom.

Rewind back to 12pm.

Mom: Why don't you guys have lunch with us?
Me: No Ma. We're really not interested in eating the same ghisa pitta (boring) food for lunch. We're really not in the mood. You should have made something more interesting. I can't eat Indian everyday... blah blah blah.

Need I say more?

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh dear....*muffles a chuckle*...that is irony in your face!!!!
btw..since am new to ur blog, is squiggle's pic the one which is put up in yr blog?

Cee Kay said...

I can definitely remember at least one occasion when something similar happened to us (i.e. it was too late to find food anywhere so we had to come back to leftovers).

I just realized one thing - Squiggles is just 3 days younger to Baby M!!!!!

Squiggles Mom said...

Random Vignettes - Welcome! Yes, Squiggles is right up there on my header. You will find other pics in some of my previous posts.

gettingtherenow - Welcome! I'm glad that we're not the only ones to run around the country and return without food :). And you;re right about the dates... hope you're now fully recovered.

Swati said...

Ohh ..I feel so sorry for you..these things are so common with babies.They make sure to cry at the wrong place.

The new banner looks great.

timepass said...

Poor You...Hopefully, Squiggles will soon start to enjoy outings and let her parents dine in peace...

Just Like That said...

hahaha! talk about eating your words...

you know, you should have just fed her there.. and continued with your menu meal (laughed at how you kept the menu open)

I didn't either the first 6 months, but after that, I was quite bindass about opening up, provided there was an obscure corner.
A dupatta/towel flung over whichever shoulder and there you go! :-)

Squiggles Mom said...

Swati - Thanks for commiserating.

Timepass - That may well be wishful thinking!

JLT - I have fed her in restaurants before but only if it's really quiet. This was way too busy. But she wasn't cranky for milk because she quietened down as soon as we left the restaurant and didn't start up until much later at mom's.

Choxbox said...

:))
there is a saying in gujju which roughly translates as 'those who will not heed anyone will be made to do so by their stomach' (okay it does not make any sense when translated - stomach = progeny)

countless number of times this line has echoed inside my head. when my older sis had her first kid i went to my mom's place to see the baby. it coincided nicely with some work i had in that city. the baby was v cute etc and i cooed over it like a fond maasi.
however the fun started when he woke up at night and howled off. i actually marched up to my sis and asked her why she had a baby if she couldnt handle it and i needed to sleep as i had an important meeting in the morning etc. yeah that was me - the meanest pig in town. sweet thing that she is she just shrugged it off as silly kid sis behaviour.

exactly a week later guess what happened - we found out that i was pregnant.

Squiggles Mom said...

choxbox - despite knowing that it's better to keep mum, we keep going don't we?

Mystic Margarita said...

Such things happen - but I'm sure Squiggles will get used to such outings pretty soon. :)

david mcmahon said...

Ah, Chez Mom .... Best cuisine in the world.

Squiggles Mom said...

Mystic margarita - I don't think so. Just today I had to return from a friends place because she was whimpering. Guess what? The moment she get's home she's happy and smiling. How infuriating when everyone else is enjoying chicken tikka and I get to eat leftovers at home :((