Birthday with Grandpa

BIRTHDAY WITH GRANDPA

I don't really see them all that much. I have always worked a lot and frankly I never had much of a role model to know how a grandpa is supposed to act.

This year since the youngest is 7 and oldest is now 10 I decided I was gonna do something different for birthdays. I decided that instead of a present I would come and get the birthday monster and just the two of us would go to the store of their choice and they could pick out their own present. I had a limit for the present, which is generous for a poor retired feller. After the shopping we would go to the restaurant of their choice and have meal. It has really been working out great and I am getting to know the kids a bit better. I am getting as much fun out of it as anyone.

Today was my grandson Ben's turn. Ben is the type that is rather fussy about his eats. He is the one I wrote about that puked twice in his parents car on Mother's Day when he smelled the dog crap :lol

On Tommy's birthday, he is Ben's older brother, I talked him into going to MY favorite restaurant. Taiwan Buffet. Now I just love those places with all the choices and all I want to eat. The chance of talking Tommy into it was almost non-existent but I used a great approach.

I told him that we would go in and I would tell the waiter that he wanted to look at the food and if he didn't like the looks of it, we would leave with no questions asked. I told Tommy that if he took something and he didn't like it he could just leave it and go get something else. Well his eyes got big as saucers and agreed. He just loved it! I admit that he didn't really try the Chinese food but it was a start.

Today was Ben's turn and he was a far harder sell. That is an understatement. He wanted to go to a Coney place. He just loves chili fries :shrug. The thing was he wanted National Coney and nothing else. Heck there was not one around, plenty of Coney's but no Nationals. I drove all over hell and finally told him that he had to pick somewhere else.

He said the Texas Roadhouse. We drove by, in horrible traffic I might add and I told him it did not look open. Oh he was sure it was and I finally got there and it was closed :(

I had been dropping little hints about my favorite Chinese Restaurant and finally he said that it would be ok to try there.

We walked into the place and he was amazed at how big the place was. They walked us to a booth and we sat down. I asked Ben what he wanted and he just looked at the place mat and asked, "Is this the Menu?" with a funny look on his face. I finally got him to tell the little gal that he wanted Coke and she walked off. Again he asked me if it was the menu and I told him no it was not. A look of relief came to his face. He said. "I was wondering." I looked down at it and it was one of those things that help you see what year you were born in. The year of the Monkey, the year of the Rat, the year of the Cat and I guess Dog. No wonder he was concerned.

Now I gotta admit that Ben has no clue what talking quietly means. He has a high pitched voice and everyone can hear him. I kept quieting him down a bit but he is determined.

We went up and I walked him around so he could get a feel for what was available. I saw his eyes light up when he saw things he recognized. Some little wieners and chicken and such. He started saying that he didn't know Chinese liked that kind of food. Now he had no clue as to what Chinese ate but he sure didn't think is could possible be anything good.

He went his way and I went mind, selecting what we wanted. He was excited as we got back to the table. He kept telling me that he was sure glad I took him to a Chinese restaurant and those Chinese sure know how to cook- like the kid was eating hot dogs wrapped in a little biscuit.

During any meal at least 2/3 of the patrons are Oriental. The place is very popular with them. Ben said, "I sure am glad that the Chinese decided to put a restaurant here, grandpa!" and a lady setting behind him, smiled and said she was too. We all laughed. People around us were getting a kick out of his enthusiasm.

The topper was when he said, in all innocence, "Grandpa! Chinese can cook as good as humans, can't they?" He did not just say it but said it in the voice he had been using all day long. He does not yell but has a caring voice that penetrates. By golly it penetrated today :lol :lol

I almost spit out a whole mouth full of cat about then and started a gagging and laughing and trying to sush the boy down. He must have realized what he had said because he then said that they could cook as good as English people. I am not sure if he caught it or just honestly thought that the Chinese could cook as good as Humans and Englishmen.

I explained to him that he was talking a bit loud and he quieted down for a minute or two. Maybe less.

I had a ball and one heck of a great meal. He too enjoyed it and as he hit the door, at home the first that came out of his mouth was, "Hey mom!Guess where we ate??"

Ain't they a ball??