Going Out With Woodjie

Sad to say, he'd never been to a restaurant before. Ever. I might have taken him along when he was in the baby carrier, but that doesn't count. So last night, I got brave.

Well, not TOO brave. I took him to a buffet and paid first so I could scoot if I needed to. No sooner had we gotten in the door when Woodjie asked, "Ot dah MELL?" (What's that SMELL?) He's a polite one, he is. I guess Chinese food smells funny to him.

Brought him over to get a plate but he took off running. "ISH!!" he hollered. "Wook A ISH!!" Had to have the waiter move our table so that Woodjie and I would be near the fish. He spent most of the meal stimming and commenting on the behaviour of the various fish in the tank, what they were eating and what their names were.

Woodjie loved serving himself fries and other foods from the buffet. Just this once, I didn't worry about his allergies, though I knew better than to outright give him pudding or ice cream. He kept asking to try all these really outlandish foods, I think one of each. Of course he didn't believe me when I told him he wouldn't like it. (And, he didn't. But he ate plenty of fries and tiny donut holes.)

I just thought I would tell you that Jell-O? Is great. It's awesome. It's fun. But put it near Woodjie's MOUTH, and it becomes frightening! Surely I don't really mean for him to eat it. It's for playing!

Well, he was pretty cute and didn't cause too much of a commotion, and at this age, people still humour his saying HIIIII to them or asking "what doing?" Though at one point he DID try to figure out how the fish tank worked so that he could get in there with his fork for dinner. Okayy, he won't eat Jell-O, but he seemed pretty willing to go fishing with his silverware. Sorry, dude.

Eventually, it was time to go. But first, off to the potty.

"No," he said. "Not yet." Not yet? Never heard that before. Waited around a while several times and asked again. I kept getting "not yet." Finally it was one more minute, then done. He cried on the way to the bathroom, but nothing too awful. He calmed in the hallway before we got to the potty. Here we go into the stall.

"Eew," he told me. "Ee-yucky."

Woodjie, it's just a potty. Sure, it's really grubby in here and the place needs a remodel, but you are a BOY. Boys do not care about things like "cleanliness," especially when they're peeing. So let's go potty.

"No," he told me. "You on't do at." You don't do that, or... in other words... do NOT even try it.

Well. I learned something. This child doesn't say THANKS for the clean bathroom each day, but at least I know he appreciates it AND that he has some standards. Odd that he would classify the bathroom at the Chinese place as too dirty to pee in, but there you go.