Are the pancakes that good?

My sister called me today, and informed me that it was all you can eat pancakes at Tex and Shirley's for only $1.09 today. So, we all decided to go there for dinner. I email Randy because he has my phone, by mistake from earlier on in the day, and tell him the place and time.

I wake up the sleeping baby, who hasn't had a good nap all day. We get in the car, and actually surprise surprise get there on time! At 6:00.

I see a blue Toyota van, and think to myself, "Good, she's already here, so that means we don't have to wait for a table." I drive over and park near the blue van.

I unbuckle both kids from the car seats and walk in carrying the babe on my hip, and the 3 year old holding my hand.

I walk through the crowded restaurant, looking for my sister and the 3 blond boys who would be easy to spot at a table. No sister, no boys. Keep looking, while baby is trying to squirm out of my arms. Go back up front, thinking, "Maybe i just missed them." No sister, no boys.

Go get in line at the "Please wait to be seated" sign. Get up to hostess, and say, "A table for 8 - 5 children, 3 adults, please." She says, "Where's your party?" clearly seeing that it is only 1 adult, and 2 children at the moment. I look up at the clock on the wall, now showing me that it is 6:05, and say, "They'll be walking in any moment." She says, "We need to wait for more of your party to come before we seat you." "OK" I say hesitantly, while everyone around is looking.

Still waiting in the hostess line, because to get out of line, I would have to go all the way to the back of the line, and there are lots of people coming in. People who have "all of their party" with them are being sat, while I'm still waiting.

"Oh, what a pretty girl!" a lady says to my daughter. "Are those brown eyes with blond hair? Wow! And look at those blue eyes!" she says as she looks at my son. I thank her for the compliments and continue looking back and forth from the baby to my little girl to the door to the clock.

More people coming in, now at 6:10 so I give up my post in line, and retire to the lobby with my antsy baby trying desperately to move around, and my daughter getting in the way of all the families coming in and wait staff milling around. Remember, no phone, so I can't call, and say, "Where the heck is everyone?"

I move back into the line, hoping that by the time I get up to front, this time, everyone will be there. No chance. The only thing I get is an elderly lady saying to her husband as she looks at me and my children, "She's so young!" I turn around to see her looking over my outfit, and then giving my hand an obvious glance to see if I have on a wedding band, and YES, lady, I'm married! She then says in an irritated tone, "Are you waiting in line?" I answer with a frank, "Yes, I am." She and her party of 2 get sat.

Hostess sees me, and smiles.

6:15, I finally see the real blue van pull into the parking lot. I readjust my 9 month old for probably the 16th time, as my 3 year old gets scolded for not staying with me.

From the front of the line, I yell to my sister and her boys to come up and join me in line. We get sat.

Turns out, the baby is tired of the applesauce I brought to tie him over until we get pancakes served to us. And he doesn't want to sit in a highchair. He wants to crawl around on the floor, and jump out of my arms, and eat food that he finds off the floor.

My daughter wants to drink the creamers, and blow bubbles in her chocolate milk, and get down and go see her cousins, and read books over on the hearth of the fireplace near our table. My husband gets there at 6:30, as the pancakes are getting to the table. I didn't know that he had to get something from home, so he was going to be late. I tear a pancake into little bites for the baby, and then shovel mine into my mouth, so that I can somehow keep the baby contained while everyone else finishes their food. I remember seeing everyone, and drinking luke warm coffee, but I couldn't tell you what our conversation was about. All I remember thinking was, "Are these pancakes really that good?" As we were walking to the car, my husband said, "Maybe next time we can make pancakes at our house." I give him a smile, and say, "Yeah, that'd be good."