< Things I Can't Say: An easy trick

This Page

has been moved to new address

An easy trick

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
body { background:#fff; margin:0; padding:40px 20px; font:x-small Georgia,Serif; text-align:center; color:#333; font-size/* */:/**/small; font-size: /**/small; } a:link { color:#58a; text-decoration:none; } a:visited { color:#969; text-decoration:none; } a:hover { color:#c60; text-decoration:underline; } a img { border-width:0; } /* Header ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #header { width:660px; margin:0 auto 10px; border:1px solid #ccc; } } @media handheld { #header { width:90%; } } #blog-title { margin:5px 5px 0; padding:20px 20px .25em; border:1px solid #eee; border-width:1px 1px 0; font-size:200%; line-height:1.2em; font-weight:normal; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; } #blog-title a { color:#666; text-decoration:none; } #blog-title a:hover { color:#c60; } #description { margin:0 5px 5px; padding:0 20px 20px; border:1px solid #eee; border-width:0 1px 1px; max-width:700px; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#999; } /* Content ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #content { width:660px; margin:0 auto; padding:0; text-align:left; } #main { width:410px; float:left; } #sidebar { width:220px; float:right; } } @media handheld { #content { width:90%; } #main { width:100%; float:none; } #sidebar { width:100%; float:none; } } /* Headings ----------------------------------------------- */ h2 { margin:1.5em 0 .75em; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#999; } /* Posts ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { .date-header { margin:1.5em 0 .5em; } .post { margin:.5em 0 1.5em; border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc; padding-bottom:1.5em; } } @media handheld { .date-header { padding:0 1.5em 0 1.5em; } .post { padding:0 1.5em 0 1.5em; } } .post-title { margin:.25em 0 0; padding:0 0 4px; font-size:140%; font-weight:normal; line-height:1.4em; color:#c60; } .post-title a, .post-title a:visited, .post-title strong { display:block; text-decoration:none; color:#c60; font-weight:normal; } .post-title strong, .post-title a:hover { color:#333; } .post div { margin:0 0 .75em; line-height:1.6em; } p.post-footer { margin:-.25em 0 0; color:#ccc; } .post-footer em, .comment-link { font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } .post-footer em { font-style:normal; color:#999; margin-right:.6em; } .comment-link { margin-left:.6em; } .post img { padding:4px; border:1px solid #ddd; } .post blockquote { margin:1em 20px; } .post blockquote p { margin:.75em 0; } /* Comments ----------------------------------------------- */ #comments h4 { margin:1em 0; font:bold 78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#999; } #comments h4 strong { font-size:130%; } #comments-block { margin:1em 0 1.5em; line-height:1.6em; } #comments-block dt { margin:.5em 0; } #comments-block dd { margin:.25em 0 0; } #comments-block dd.comment-timestamp { margin:-.25em 0 2em; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } #comments-block dd p { margin:0 0 .75em; } .deleted-comment { font-style:italic; color:gray; } .paging-control-container { float: right; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; font-size: 80%; } .unneeded-paging-control { visibility: hidden; } /* Sidebar Content ----------------------------------------------- */ #sidebar ul { margin:0 0 1.5em; padding:0 0 1.5em; border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc; list-style:none; } #sidebar li { margin:0; padding:0 0 .25em 15px; text-indent:-15px; line-height:1.5em; } #sidebar p { color:#666; line-height:1.5em; } /* Profile ----------------------------------------------- */ #profile-container { margin:0 0 1.5em; border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc; padding-bottom:1.5em; } .profile-datablock { margin:.5em 0 .5em; } .profile-img { display:inline; } .profile-img img { float:left; padding:4px; border:1px solid #ddd; margin:0 8px 3px 0; } .profile-data { margin:0; font:bold 78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } .profile-data strong { display:none; } .profile-textblock { margin:0 0 .5em; } .profile-link { margin:0; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } /* Footer ----------------------------------------------- */ #footer { width:660px; clear:both; margin:0 auto; } #footer hr { display:none; } #footer p { margin:0; padding-top:15px; font:78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { }

Thursday, February 12, 2009

An easy trick

I'm linking up an old post for Try and Tell Tuesday.

When it's cold and nasty outside and you get truly desperate to get out of your house with your children, you might get tempted to head to a fast food joint with an indoor play area for lunch.

I have to be truly desperate to do this, but it happens occasionally.

Let's not even talk about the nightmare that the play area can be, let's talk about the logistics of getting your food.

When I'm there with no reinforcements to help out, I have one four year old who, though he's pretty good at staying by my side when I tell him to, still doesn't have much patience or tolerance for standing in a long line and might take off for the play area or a table that looks like a good spot to sit or even the potty. I also have an almost 3 year old who definitely will take off for whatever happens to catch his eye...probably some kid's juice box that is sitting on a table across the room or possibly right out the door into the parking lot because he spotted a shiny penny out there. Then there's the baby, usually in his infant carrier. He's not really much of a problem since he can't get out...but he can start to fuss and annoy everyone around us, plus it's hard to have to hold that carrier. So, basically, I have the carrier in one hand and a death grip on my almost 3 year old, standing in a long line, waiting for "fast" food. Heaven forbid if I need to do something like reach into my pocket to pull out my debit card. Then, I have to figure out how to herd all of us plus a tray full of food to a table without losing any of the children, dropping our food, or knocking into people.

But, really, it's not that hard. The simple solution is this: order your food from the drive-thru before you enter the restaurant! You can decide what everyone is having while you are still in the car, do all the waiting in the car, and then shove everything that you need into one bag(with the exception of the drink for yourself...the kids should have juice boxes or sealed milk containers so that you can throw them in the bag). That way, you just have to bring a food bag in with you and the kids and can go find a place to sit right away.

I did this this afternoon with my boys. I even got my four year old to carry our food bag for us and my lemonade was wedged in the baby carrier so that I could hold hands with my almost 3 year old across the parking lot(4 year old holding his other hand).

When I settled us all into the table, another mom of three sitting nearby dropped her jaw and said to me, "I never thought of that!"

So, just in case there are others of you out there who never thought of this, there you go. It makes things much, much easier.

Though, if you have any tips on how to get kids to stop acting like zoo-escapees when they are in the play area after they are done eating....yeah...'cause I can't help you there.

9 Comments:

Blogger Momma Bear said...

this is such an excellent idea. i will only do this for now on. thx.

February 12, 2009 at 10:12 PM  
Blogger Lois said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

February 16, 2009 at 3:43 PM  
Blogger Lois said...

Holy Cow, that's the best idea I've ever heard!!! You must be some sort of "mommy genius". :) I to have 3 children, ages 3, 2, and 9 months. There have been times when I would have liked to take them out for some reason, and thought, "there's no way I can do that." But, thanks to your brilliant idea, I can now take them in without my husband if necessary.

February 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM  
Blogger Kim said...

Where was this when my little one was a little baby?
Thank you so much for linking up. No triple dipping? lol! Just had to tease you about that. ;-)

February 9, 2010 at 8:53 AM  
Blogger Kirsten said...

Smart!!!
That also eliminates the "But Mommy, I want THAT toy!" problem, when standing in line next to the toy display.

February 9, 2010 at 8:59 AM  
Blogger annies home said...

I love this idea I am going to share it with my sis n law who has3 small children

February 9, 2010 at 10:44 AM  
Blogger CM said...

Great idea! Now if Subway had a drive-through!!! :-)

February 9, 2010 at 10:49 AM  
Blogger Sidnie said...

That has to be the best trick EVER! Will have to remember that.

February 9, 2010 at 3:41 PM  
Blogger Vanessa said...

I love this! I only have one right now, but hopefully, I'll be in need of this tactic one day. :)

February 9, 2010 at 9:19 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home