The weekend had begun with a funeral,but as the best china was packed away and the buffet leftovers were being sealed and wrapped our minds turned to Saturday. Hubby RC was doing a fine job making sure that one of the bottles of red didn't go to waste and seemed happy to go along with any restaurant that was suggested.The original plan had been to have my birthday a day late, go shopping and have a meal. However youngest son has a lot of exams coming up this week and needed study time. So it was decided we would do just the meal and postpone the shopping till Wednesday when my daughter has a day off of college. A clever strategy on youngest son's part as he hates shopping.
Saturday the weather was a lot milder than we had seen for a while. We set off a little after lunch to the restaurant hoping to have missed the rush. The roads were very quiet for a Saturday on the way there and we thought how great it would be if the restaurant was quiet too. Alas,all the drivers missing from the roads were parked in the car park. It was the busiest we had ever seen it, but we hung in there lounging in the bar,until our table was called.We really only eat out on special occasions such as birthdays, so as the restaurant periodically changes dishes on the menu, there ensues great debate and turmoil over what to try. Unable to choose just one thing RC decided to go for the Ultimate Mixed Grill.A new accompanying sauce had appeared since last time, so he was quite enthusiastic to try this maple and whiskey sauce.
I like to come to this restaurant because I have some foods that I am unable to eat since an operation a couple of years ago.They give substitutes instead of fries,creamed potates etc I can get fragrant rice, no matter what the dish. Also, the bread rolls are cooked on the premises throughout the day, I can only eat bread that has been very recently cooked. So if the rolls are just coming out of the oven, I can have rolls.Pasta is not something I think I would eat in a restaurant unless they made it themselves fresh. Dried pasta is like trying to digest concrete. Fresh pasta is perfect. (thank God for RC's culinary skills.) I like to have chicken with my rice and chose a dish that also gave me a couple of ribs.Cicely and Ira chose steaks. Ira being a fourteen year old boy, decided on a twelve ounce steak, I think it goes with the whole primal meat thing that RC often talks about. Some sort of passage of manhood thing.
The meal was lovely, sitting chatting and laughing, catching up. I love to watch RC try something new, I feel that sometimes he should be jotting his thoughts of each mouthful down on a notepad for later contemplation.He pauses as he slowly gives each mouthful his full attention, analysing each different cut of meat's compatability with the sauce he has chosen.My son Ira, who is anti sauce on anything including ketchup on hot dogs and burgers, somehow was persuaded by RC to try the maple and whiskey sauce with his steak. He actually liked it and will apparently be having it the next time we go.This is a major milestone for him.RC was still slowly working his way through his meal when we had all finished.
Drinks replenished, the task of choosing dessert. This is an easy one for me. I am not a great lover of desserts, profiterole with ice cream is about as mixed as I like things. Ira was beaten by his steak and opted for a coffee. Cicely and RC are cream junkies. RC chose one of those massive disgusting desserts with meringe,cream and berries built up in layers. Cicely's was all shortbread, caramel and chocolate. I love when we are together like this, RC and the kids goof around, Cicely laughs at everything and Ira delivers fantastic one liners that have us in fits. When eldest son,Arthur is there we pretend to be the serious ones and roll our eyes at them. This sends Cissie ino fits and makes RC even naughtier. Arthur will sit there and say,"Which one is the adult did you say?" pointing across the table at the three naughty children, one of whom is 49. This just sets Cissie off again and we leave in a happy, chattering mass to go outside to wait for our taxi.
I've learned through experience to treasure every moment with my children. I sometimes sit back and take a mental video image of moments like this, saving them to my memory. I try to absorb details,smells,sounds so I will forget nothing. I hope they realise how much I draw strength from watching them so happy,relaxed, knowing they are loved by their parents unconditionally.
Hah, it's a good thing I haven't spent my blogging years trying to cultivate a serious rep out there :-)
ReplyDeleteAh but it's part of what makes you so sweet and adorable. Now you'll have to do a barbeque and start chanting fire,meat,woman in order to claw back your serious manly rep.
DeleteIndeed! Maybe even film and post it! :-)
DeleteWhat a wonderful follow-up to a funeral filled birthday! We rarely go out with ALL the kids at once, but occasionally we make it a point to do so. And when we do, it's so fun that it makes me wonder why we don't do it more often! Especially now that they are as old as they are. (My youngest is 14 too.) Humor and sarcasm go over so well now!
ReplyDeleteYou can tell RC I eat BBQ (smoked meats) the same way he ate this meal. I savor every bite and compare the tastes depending on which sauce I use. Then I compare it to other BBQ I've had. But you can only eat like that once in a great while.
Keeping a blog about your experiences with the kids is a great way to savor those times as well! Plus, we like to hear about them! :)
This has been like having a chance to go back and write the diary I found it too painful to write when Sophie died.Also keeping these moments that we now share with the other children. I hope that one day they will read them and remember Sophie a little better and gain a better understanding of what happened to their sister.Also to see how much we love them.
DeleteI wish Mr. RK wanted to cook more often (or learn how.) It's more likely that he'd chant around a fire, "Cook, woman!"
ReplyDeleteI know how lucky I am to have a husband that cooks, especially one that wants to do it.I so look forward to Saturday night when RC takes over the kitchen.
DeleteIt sounds wonderful and not because of the restaurant or the food, but because of the way you soak up these bits of time with your family and recognize how important they are in the grand scheme of things. As my kids have grown up, I've gained that sense too, that the simple things are really the big, important things in life. I'm so glad you have such a wonderful memory to attach to this birthday!
ReplyDeleteI've become absorbed in their progress through life. My younger son loves that I am fascinated with his beard and how much fuller it is than his older brother. He shows me profile updates on the development of his adam's apple and his biceps now he has discovered weights.I am fascinated in seeing my last baby change from the little chubby toddler he was into this tall slim man with shaggy golden hair and beard.He doesn't even mind when I still call him "Honey Bear"(as long as his friends aren't around)
DeleteSounds like you had a lovely meal and a wonderful time with your husband and children. I admire the lad's skill for evading shopping. Good qualities. However being a master sauce connoisseur, I am disappointed the lad doesn't partake in condiments--my favorite row in the supermarket. Well accepting the maple whisky sauce was a step in the right direction. A-1 steak sauce on veggies! Oh heavenly. Tonight was sweet and sour and soy sauce on a stir fry. Sauces civilize the food (and gives you high blood pressure from all the damned sodium).
ReplyDeleteIndeed enjoy your children and happy times to the fullest. Lovely post.
Sauce does indeed enhance a meal and we partake of them at every opportunity.This is why I have never understood my son's aversion to them.Still one sauce is a start.I think that as he gets older he will get more adventurous.
DeleteWell the steak chefs will love him. I had a buddy that went to an expensive restaurant the night he got engaged. He likes ketchup on his steak. Call him a barbarian but the guy like ketchup on his steak, so what!
DeleteThe chef comes out and chews his behind out for ruining his masterpiece. My buddy comes up out his chair and gets right in the chef's face and asks him loud enough for the entire dining room to hear "Who the hell is paying for this steak?" The chef backed off. Hell of way to have an engagement dinner.
Here is my favorite steak story...true story with a guy a work:
http://navfin.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentines-day-story.html
I'm still reeling from the part when you said that they got back together. That's incomprehensible.On seeing that he intended to stay and finish his steak instead of seeing her safely home, I think she should have covered his whole car in sauce and written her overnight bag off to experience.
DeleteAhhhh, this read like I was sitting just at the next table, watching you all as you laughed and chatted and gorged yourselves full on all your favourite dishes - sounds a simply perfect way to unwind and relax, and celebrate your birthday, especially after enduring such a stressful week as you all have. We don't eat out as a family often either, but maybe that's part of what makes it so special when we do?
ReplyDeleteFor a long time money was a big problem for us Sophie's illness left us in a lot of debt. Gradually through really austere measures we started to get things under control.Then my dad left me some money and we were able to be debt free with money to boot. The one thing I insisted on was a family meal out when there was a special occasion.It is great to chat and laugh together in a different setting.We see families who go out all the time in the restaurants and they are not even communicating.The whole point to us is to do it together.I love it so much I even thought of making up special occasions just so we could do it again.
DeleteWhat a great time with the family! I've got people in my extended family whose main goal since having kids, it seems, is to ditch the kids. They don't understand me at all. YOU obviously get it!
ReplyDeleteThe moment Sophie was born I told RC that she had now become the most important part of our relationship.We loved having children and our whole lives were planned around them. As time went on,we were being told that,our friends regularly needed time without their children,because they found parenting stressful. They started using phrases like "me time"and "quality time".They didn't get us either and spent ages telling us we were spoiling our kids,that they would be clingy,needed to learn to be independant.
DeleteOur kids grew up happy,confident,strong minded knowing mum and dad would always be there for them. Over the years they have brought home a rag tag of friends,all with problems who felt their parents didn't spend any time with them,communicate with them or want them.Some of them were the people who told us what we were doing wrong.
When a problem arises for our kids, they tend to not worry as they know there is a solution and generally work it out for themselves.They've had our support in the past and draw on that as guidance for how to deal with things.I never understood the them and us mentality approach to parenting. In our house it has always been us.
It sounds like a great time with the family. Great way to wind up a super busy and hectic weekend and enjoy your birthday. Love how you are able to capture the meal and everyone's perspective. That is how I envision we should celebrate life with our loved ones. I know those times out may not be as frequent as we would like, that is what makes them memorable.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great time and does not happen enough but that is part of what makes it so special, you're right.I'd love to pull the excuse of Mother's Day for another trip out but it falls only 9 days after my birthday this year, so that would be a bit greedy. Still RC said he would make fresh pasta on Sunday so it will be like going for Italian and I get to see it made. That never gets old.
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