The descent into mealtime mayhem started with the moldy sippy cup.
We had stopped at Skooters, a 50s-themed diner near the airport. Thomas had just returned from San Diego. Blake was excited to have his father home, and really, really excited about swivel stools, the open grill and the carton of rice milk I pulled out of the diaper bag.
The rice milk container is like a juice box, and Blake has not mastered the art of the straw.
But once the mold on his sippy cup was discovered, I decided to let him practice with the carton. How else will he learn?
Several sucks, squeezes and squirts later, here's what I had learned: Some things are better practiced at home.
Blake disagreed. Screams of "Beaky do it!!!!!!" and "WANT some!!!!!" filled the diner.
It's one thing for our dinner to be disrupted, but the other customers at Skooters had not signed up for this.
Mr. Gene to the rescue.
Gene had cooked our hamburgers and Thomas' open-faced turkey sandwich. He also is a father of five grown children and seemed amused by our situation.
He scooped up our son, with our permission, and sat him on the counter. They talked and pointed to things on the grill, and Blake, ever the attention seeker, was content again.
But the child had to eat, so Gene returned him to our table.
"What upset him?" Gene asked.
I pointed to the rice milk and the straw, which set Blake off again.
"WANT!!! SOME!!!!!!"
Gene was up in a flash, again asked if it was OK, then brought Blake a vanilla milkshake.
Gene is the kind of guy my Uncle Dick would buy a beer. Uncle Dick would also make sure Gene's boss knew what a valuable employee Gene is and ask that Gene get the largest Christmas bonus that could be spared.
Back to that milkshake: The straw was a useless endeavor, so Gene actually spoon-fed the shake Blake.
"So you can eat and enjoy your meal," he said to Thomas and me.
We did.
Should I worry about spoon-feeding spoiling my child? Well, this is the kid whose mother carries around a moldy sippy cup....
Skooters: (860) 623-6100 50 Ella Grasso Tpke, Windsor Locks, CT 06096
