Scallops And A Side Eye

A recent dining experience got me thinking about at what age parents or caretakers should bring young children into restaurants...or public, in general.

As a single woman, a lover of children but mother to none, I smile at kids on the street, wave to them in stores and restaurants, and enjoy being silly with them. That being said, I think there are some places and in some situations where it's better to keep them at home.

I recently went to a local restaurant with my father. We were seated at the front of the restaurant with a great view of the quaint street and the passers-by. It was an Indian summer night so the windows were open. It was lovely.

Unfortunately, our conversation about work, recent travel, and the upcoming holiday season was interrupted by the sound of plastic toys hitting the wood floor and sliding across the room into the legs of other tables. I couldn't understand why the mother would get up, pick up the toys, and hand them right back to the young boy...without any reprimand. Her doing that, obviously, turned this into a game.

For several minutes, this went on with a side of childlike, bloody-murder screams. At one point, I turned and gave a side eye to the mother.

Once they finally left the restaurant...many toy tosses later, I said to my dad that that type of behavior NEVER would've been tolerated in our family in the early eighties. I grew up with a healthy amount of fear of my parents. My parents never would've allowed me to behave that way in a nice, softly-lit, quiet restaurant.

I can understand how hard it must be to marry parenthood and being a human who enjoys leaving the house. I sympathize with you...really.

On behalf of singles and parents on a rare date night country-wide, if you bring the youngsters out and they are not well behaved or well trained, we'll gladly accept a free round (or more) of drinks as an apology.

Into A Million Pieces

Something happened to me this week that has changed the course of my life forever. Everything that I have ever known about myself and what makes me tick has been turned on its head. I have one person to thank for this revelation. Let me explain.

I've always been a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup super fan. I remember even convincing my younger new-to-trick-or-treating brother that chocolate was different from candy, and that he liked candy. I did him the favor of switching out Reese's and Milky Ways for Smarties and Mike & Ikes.

Peanut Butter Cups are my ice cream topping of choice and I stock up at the holiday egg and tree times. (The ratio of chocolate and peanut butter is ideal at the holidays.)

This was a truth in my life until Monday.

I was reintroduced to Reese's Pieces by a colleague. They blew my mind. I loved the crunchy candy shell more than I thought I would.

Have they changed over the years or have they always been life changing?