Tip Tuesday: Issue With Eating Out

I've already written about poop...more than once (oye). So what else would I have to write about? Well, sometimes with kids, what goes down, does come up. As a fair warning, this article contains puke. If you've got a faint stomach, turn back now. You've been warned. :)

I've been finding some great coupons for eating out. And seeing as it's been as warm as it has been lately, I honestly don't feel like cooking.

But it seems that we can't go out to eat without Sean (the two year old) getting sick. I don't know if he's just excited about eating out, excited about the treat of a different drink (chocolate milk, orange juice etc) or just the fun of being someplace new. But the last two days, he's gotten sick at the table...twice.

Sunday we went out for a buy one get one free breakfast. And Sean puked at the table. I was sitting next to him which meant that I was the lucky one cleaning him up with baby wipes.

He acted okay, not like he was sick or anything...so we just assumed that he had too much orange juice before the meal. It was just too acidic for him.

On Monday, after Liam's "meet the teacher" night, we celebrated with taking Liam (and the younger two) out to dinner. I had a coupon for free kids meals at Chili's and, along with the Two for $20 meal for me and daddy (and the free chips and salsa with the foursquare check in) it was going to be an inexpensive meal.

Once again, I was seated next to Sean. I didn't think anything of it. My mistake.

He, once again, chugged his drink. Chocolate milk this time. We were enjoying our free chips and salsa as well as our texas fries that came with the 2 for $20 deal and I (thankfully) had a napkin in my hand. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sean gag and before I even knew it, I had my hand (and napkin) under his chin catching puke.

It wasn't much...more like a spitup compared to an all out puke. So we withheld the milk from him until he ate a little dinner. All was going well and dinner was done when Baby B decided to fill his pants. Hubby decided to evacuate with baby and big brother while I signed the check, loaded up the leftovers and got ready to leave with Sean. And then he threw up. ALL OVER. He got himself, the table, the floor. It was horrible. I yelled to the husband, who had just made it to the hallway. I was gagging, the lady at the next table was gagging. It was bad.

Husband handed me the baby and told me to head out to the car while he took care of the mess. That's a bonus about being married to a medic. He can handle all bodily functions without losing his meals.

Now, home clean up is my job. The car seat liner (along with his clothes/shoes included) are in the wash. Between the baby's bad diaper and the toddler getting sick two days in a row, it makes me wonder if we don't have a bit of a bug in our house. Hubs is chalking it up to all of the fair food from Saturday, but I don't think it could be still causing problems. I guess we'll wait and see what tomorrow brings.

That being said, I've learned a few more things. ALWAYS ask for more napkins. When you first sit down, get napkins. When the server takes your drink order, get napkins. When you get your food, get napkins. And have a few extra stashed in your diaper bag. Because you never know when the puke fairy will bless your table with her presence.

Tip Tuesday: Eating Out!

We were gone again this last weekend to visit family. When we do go north it seems like we eat out at a lot of restaurants. On certain occasions, eating out seems like a chore with a toddler... Wipe down the high chair, wipe our hands, stick the place mat down, get out the Sippy cup, and dig out the fork and spoon. No wonder my purse/diaper bag is heavy! To say the least though, having these items allows easy dining without all the fuss.

Even though it seems like a chore to get seated at a restaurant, having the tools of the trade help make for a more smooth and enjoyable meal out with the family.

What do you need when you go out to eat in a public setting?

• Place mats - We like to use a disposable, adhesive place mat for the table since we still make a mess and eat off the table at times. You can also purchase chalk place mats for doodling and ones that can be taken home to wash.
  
• Cutlery - We always carry a spare fork and spoon since most places have very large utensils that are not conducive for kids' hands.
  
• Bib - Often times we have a plastic bib in our bag. For those times we do not, we use clips to tie on a napkin or washcloth. You can also tie each end of a shoelace to mini binder clips with a napkin for a bib as well. These tuck well in your bag.
• Cup - Most times we bring along a cup from home just in case the establishment does not have sealed cups. Also, we store straws in our bag for those just in case times.
• Wipes - We use sanitizer wipes to clean down the high chair as most places do not clean them between uses. Then we use baby wipes to wash our hands, eliminating germs.
• Travel High Chair - Keep a travel booster seat in your trunk for those places you may need to use it when others are being used or smaller kids need them.
  

Other tools of the trade that come in handy at times include the following:

• Disposable pads to change diapers on.
• Small, durable, and washable toys for play during long waits.
• Hand sanitizer for mom's hands.
• Snack to help pass the time.
• Disposable bags for dirty diapers, clothes, or toys.
• Extra change of clothes for spills.
  

So the next time you go into a restaurant, lessen the out-to-eat mayhem by adding these items to your bag! And enjoy your meal for a change!