Ahh, the joys

Luke had to leave on Sunday for work this week so Will and I took the opportunity to head down to Bloomington to spend the evening and night with my mom. As is Sunday night tradition, she had dinner plans with the Thompsons. Ron was out of town so Sandy, my mom, Will and I decided to take advantage of the incredibly beautiful weather and went to walk laps around the IU football stadium. We had a great time, Will loved it, and we walked up an appetite! So we decided to head over to Chili's.

We got there and were greeted by a less-than-friendly (I'm guessing) male college Attitude. I could hardly hear what he said and I felt like I should apologize for the inconvenience when I asked for a booster seat. Anyway, we sat down and began a fun dinner together. Before long our food arrived and we were about 3 bites in when it happened. I look across the table and Will's face is beet red, tears in his eyes, and he is gagging. Amid my panic, I tell Sandy to slap him on the back. She just had surgery on her hand closest to him so she is trying to get her far hand around and was uncomfortably and quickly trying to accomplish what I was shouting at her. (poor Sandy!) Finally the troublesome fry dislodged and the screams began. Not only was he screaming, but I know Will well enough to know what was likely going to come next. As fast as I could I raced around to the other side of the booth and attempted to get him out of there ASAP. Alas, I was not fast enough. I saw the gagging begin again so I turned him around and he threw up all over the seat and Sandy's fleece. (poor Sandy!) I grabbed him and tried to make a beeline for the front doors. We had just gotten into the entry way when I glanced at him and saw it coming...again. This time he threw up all over my shirt and all over the entry way floor. At this point I was running for the door, as he is continuing to throw up. I got him outside where he threw up one final time in the bushes.

Ok. There was NO WAY IN THE WORLD I was going back in that restaurant. Once he recovered, and was asking me to go play football in the parking lot with some boys who were running around, I decided that I needed a plan. Fortunately our booth was located right by a window near the front. So I made my way through the landscaping to the window by my mom and Sandy. I knock on the window to motion to them that we need to GO. They think I'm just hanging out in the bushes by the window to say hi, so they are smiling and waving. Finally I guess my red-faced shouting and motioning to COME OUT HERE NOW relayed my message that I needed to tell them something. So my mom comes out, I tell her what happened and that we need to go. So my mom and Sandy pay the bill, get a bag for Sandy's fleece (poor Sandy!) and pack up our hot dinners in To Go boxes while Will and I sit on a bench and reflect. By the time they came outside Will was back to his chatty self, tears long gone, and I was flicking bits of thrown up fries off my jeans.

The funniest part of the whole thing (maybe the only funny part?) was the facial expression on that guy who was seating people. As I was rushing my vomiting toddler through the entryway, the look of pure horror on his face was just priceless. If he had an attitude to begin with, I can only imagine what this little episode did to his spirits.

Before I was a mom I heard stories about things like this happening and I wondered what in the world would I do if something like that ever happened to me? How mortifying! But you know what? I couldn't have cared less. As long as my little boy is ok nothing else matters. Not the vomit on the floor, not the stares, not my soaked shirt, not any of it. And fortunately my mom and Sandy have been there done that so they couldn't have been more understanding about the situation. I think they even got a small kick out of it because about 30 years ago someone else had this same sensitive gag-reflex and I guess what goes around comes around. :)