This second night was without tears.
ThAnk GOD.
She slept through the night, and I did too, but I woke up at 6:30. I betook myself to have the hotel breakfast and let daddy and daughter sleep.
THEY got up about 8. Then it was zoo, and lunch. We left the zoo for lunch, and I wanted a nicer place to eat. But we couldn’t make up our minds, she was starting to be sleepy, and so it was del taco in the hotel room.
She took a long nap, though, and everyone rested during the afternoon. We decided to act like civilized people and not do anything strenuous. We all love shopping, so we went to a mall with plans to eat at a sit-down restaurant for dinner.
The mall was fun, and they were home to a Red Robin burger joint. We went in, and sat down in full view of a carousel horse that was part of the decor.
A horsey! A wooden horsey with a saddle to ride and everything! We visited the horsey several times throughout our stay. I had to repeat that it was for looking at, not for riding.
When I was able to sit down, I told Chris that there was a Red Robin in Anchorage.
“It was a spot that the churchy people would go to. A hangout spot for young adults and in particular the singles group.”
“We had one near Fullerton when I was going to University too. I avoided it,” he said.
“Well…I remember not being very fond of the one in Anchorage either…Did you have a time like that? When you were discovering what kind of places you would like to go to as an adult?”
That was the time in my life, trying things on because I picked them and not someone else. It turned out I didn’t really like Red Robin. I never understood the appeal. If it were up to me, I would have gone to the Java Joint (oh I wish it were still there…) or to a 24 hour diner. The 24 hour places never felt like they had to entertain you or be anything other than open.
Open was enough. Give me some food, and all the coffee refills I can drink until past midnight, and that’s what I want.
Until, of course, I got old enough to be more sophisticated and have some FAHNCY restaurant choices.
Tonight, fancy was sitting down and having a waiter bring the food. So Red Robin was perfect.
But Veronica didn’t like sitting still. We had to visit the horsey AND the bathroom multiple times.
The last time we went pee-pee, we emerged to wash our hands with some very decked out teenage girls.
These poor teenage girls at their version of fancy–Red Robin.
I felt pretty frumpy. But still…THey were VERY decked out and made up.
“What’s the occasion, ladies?” I asked, while leaning over Veronica to assist with the washing of hands.
“PROM!” they all said, slightly embarrassed.
Oh my. This was as time to be supporting and admiring of their efforts.
“You look lovely,” I said. Then i turned around to give Veronica her paper towel for the completion of hand-washing. It occurred to me to take it a step further.
“Look, Veronica! There are princesses here in the bathroom.”
She looked up at them with big eyes. They giggled. And because I was stuck between teenage glamour and three-year-old values, I said “Princesses have to go to the bathroom too. Everybody poops.”
While they laughed a little harder, Veronica repeated the statement with great seriousnes,
“everybody poops.”
“she’s so cute!” the princesses said.
“Okay, Veronica…Let’s go tell Daddy you saw princesses. Say bye-bye Princesses!”