Fine Dining

As parents we try to provide unique experiences for our children, at least once in a while. We think it's the big trips or long-planned events that have the most impact. But last night, my almost three-year-old proved me wrong.

Troy and I decided to go grab a bite to eat for supper at the local grocery store's deli. Unfortunately, it had closed by the time we got there. (Maybe other people have already eaten by six.) So we opted for Plan B which was to stop at the convenience store/gas station to get some sandwiches. We waited for our food and picked out a hot dog and string cheese for Mateo. We were planning to go home and eat, but Mateo spotted the three little tables by the big picture window at the front of the store and really wanted to eat there--dine in, if you will.

As I was sitting there, trying to eat quickly so not too many people would see us, Mateo said, "I like this place. I want to live here." I had to smile. It was not a comment I was expecting to hear. "What do you like about it?" I asked. He scanned the store. I could tell he really liked a lot of things about this particular "restaurant." Then he answered, "I like the big window." As we finished our food, he said, "Can we come here tomorrow?" "Not tomorrow," I said, "but maybe some other time."

Simple pleasures.