But holy crap, I do want to avoid her screaming as if I am beating her.

Another week come and gone...a good one because the week started with an Easter dinner, everyone remained healthy and there were no snow days that created chaos in the scheduling.  While I feel unscathed, the following is my prized moment of the week where I thoroughly doubted my parental abilities.

(Wavy lines, wavy lines...going back to Wednesday night.)

Ching was particularly busy this week preparing slides for a presentation.  Since I forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner (just standard pork chops), I thought it would be an opportunity for me to take the girls out to dinner.  Ching could either stay later at work or come home and work in peace.  He seems to do this frequently for me and I have realized that I rarely do it for him.  I am trying...look--growth.  (I am later rewarded with the stench of White Castle cheeseburgers that he has microwaved as dinner.  He failed to open any windows and I swear my coat in the next room absorbed some of the stink.)

So I pick up the girls and the first issue is where to go to eat.  I know Laurel would want to go to McD's.  I wanted to avoid that and Rachel doesn't really like their food.  She tends to have a couple of fries and the apple slices--that's it.  If McD's would consider putting a McHot Dog on the menu for her, it would really help me out.  I suggested Bertucci's because while the girls do like their cheese pizza, I like the lovely things that they do with prosciutto.  They vetoed me in a sec and then Laurel suggested a small restaurant that is popular where we live--it's like Friendly's but it's not franchised.  She suggested it because it has both grilled cheese for her and hot dogs for Rachel.

I agree but since I am alone with the two, I have this twinge of anxiety.  The twinge is really from Rachel not Laurel.  I can guarantee that Laurel will not throw herself on to the floor in a puddle of tears screaming in tantrum.  I cannot guarantee that with Rachel.
 
We sit in a booth and order.  Both of my girls want their particular item but not with fries but with applesauce. I know I should be proud but I think it's kind of weird.  I brush that thought aside.

Before our dinner comes to the table, I specifically tell them that they must finish all their dinner before they get dessert.  I also have to tell them that my phone goes back into my bag during dinner.  Rachel doesn't like that and she looks at me with that look that says, "Oh lady, I am so watching something on your phone during my dinner."  And to stress this, I swear I see her eyes slightly glisten with these tears that she can flip on like a light.

Our dinners arrive and true to form, not only does Rachel get my phone (because she let out a wail in a very crowded place with a single tear rolling down her cheek) but she doesn't eat her hot dog.  Laurel is dutifully eating both her apple sauce and her sandwich but Rachel won't even eat one bite.  Isn't this the reason why we chose this place?

Oh shit...now what am I going to do?  I can't imagine giving Laurel dessert and not Rachel.  Why should I reward Rachel?  But holy crap, I do want to avoid her screaming as if I am beating her.  This would be much easier if Ching were here.  I am trying to be rational about this even though the Rueben that I ordered is awful.  I swear this isn't corned beef but thinly sliced baloney..smothered in too much sauerkraut.  God damn, I wish I were at Bertucci's.

I cave and I let them both have dessert.  Laurel gets raspberry sherbet and Rachel gets a cookie.  I curse myself and my parental weakness while I inhale a dish of coconut chip.  Laurel doesn't comment on the inequity and while I appreciate that, I do know that it will come back one day to bite me in the ass.

Rachel has no problem finishing the cookie.  Yes, her dinner was two bites of apple sauce, a chocolate chip cookie and some milk.  But at least it was white milk...