Trading in Hubby's Kids for Duck Babies!!!!

Happy Father's Day!!

Hubby and I are always on the hunt for a reason to celebrate (translation: go off our diets!!!!), so, like Mother's Day, we did the day up in style. First off, was a trip to Cracker Barrel for breakfast--YUM!!!! If you've never been to this fab little restaurant--go now!!!

We discovered this chain when the kids were babies while on a road trip to North Carolina. I told Hubby to buy stock, but alas, he didn't listen. Anyway, back to why this place is so great, they have Southern cooking that tastes just like you've been slaving for hours over a hot stove. As a bonus, they also have country stores attached with all kinds of cool vintage food items, clothes, housewares and gifts. In the winter, they have a gigantic fireplace with a crackling fire making the place feel way better than home!! LOL!!

Now, ordinarily, Hubby and I have a delightful time, because we make it a point to go without HIS kids. (I'm not sure where they came from, but as bad as they've both been lately, I had nothing to do with their creation!!! LOL!!!) Yesterday, being Father's Day and all, we thought it would probably be a nice gesture to take the kids with us. WRONG!!!!

Hubby leaves for work by 6:30, and there are lots of mornings I'm up working by 5:00, so to avoid the holiday morning rush, we figured why not go early? If, say, you moseyed in at ten, there'd be a forty-five minute wait. Okay, so at 6:45, I round up the kids, Hubby tramps off to feed the duck babies (more about them later), and we agree to rendezvous back at the front door in ten minutes.

Lucky me, both kids must've stayed up till 4 AM, as they both seemed to be in comas. I finally got them upright and dressed, but they weren't pleased. As for wishing their dad a happy day, all he got were a few grumbles.

At the restaurant, Son perked up nicely, but then he'd just given Hubby a new video game. Coincidentally, one that he'd (Son) very much wanted. Hubby and I later had a laugh over that. Well, the fact that Son had a gift and Daughter had forgotten, sent Daughter into a classic teen hissy. From then on out, the meal rocketed downhill!!!!!

Hoping to steer the conversation in a lighthearted direction, I introduced the topic of their upcoming birthday, for which we always have a blow-out party. (My pregnancy with them was HORRIFIC--including seven months of TOTAL bed rest, plus, I seriously damn near died delivering them, so considering how hard I worked to get them here, we always celebrate the day they finally popped out in grand form!! LOL!!!)

We talked party themes. Luau? Nope, did it last year. Pokemon? I got double sets of eye rolls. Strawberry Shortcake? Stone silence. Cowboy? Double glares. At this point, I switched to the topic of guest lists, and how this year, seeing how they have such different friends, I plan to introduce the veto rule. Daughter may auto-veto two folks on Son's list, then he will have the same right with hers. Oh, that went over real well.

From here on, while the kids launched WWIII over potential guests, Hubby and I consumed as many calories in white gravy, butter and cheese as humanly possible, yelled at the kids for not touching their meals that'd cost $40.00 bucks with all their fancy side-orders, then packed up the kids and ran!!!

Next stop, naps!!

Around one, we faced a new dilemma . . . Neighborhood pool or movie? I balanced the checkbook, and seeing how aside from snacks, the pool's free, we went that route. Only again, the troops dissented, as neither kid wanted to go. In the end, we forced them into the car. They both pouted and glared for a good thirty minutes, but Son then had two mystery girls fawning over him, so he perked right up, begged cash for a Coke and Frito Chili Pie, then we never saw him again. Daughter slept while listening to her I-Pod till it was time to go.

Oh--but she did briefly wake to again discuss party themes, and we got one!!! Toga! Toga! Toga!!! Seeing how Hubby and I met at his fraternity's annual toga party, I concurred.

Back to the duck babies, behind our house is a huge pond (I think there's a pic posted at my old eharlequin.com blog), and all year we wait to see if we get any babies. This year's been dismal, until last week, Hubby said he'd spotted two. Sure enough, I finally saw them, too, and they're DARLING!!! The size of fluffy tennis balls!!! If Hubby's kids continue on their hateful streak, I'm thinking we should boot them out of the house and adopt the ducks!!! LOL!!!

P.S. Does anyone know how to post pics? I followed what I thought was the procedure with formal-wear pics, but they vanished!!!