The Restaurant of Fancy Nancy

I finally did it.  I made the commitment to eat healthy.  I have been struggling for the last few weeks and today after eating too much for lunch I decided no more!  I was not going to eat again until dinner, and it would be a super low-cal, healthy dinner.  No exceptions.

Approximately 5 minutes later, Jessica came walking into the room.  "Mom, are you hungry?"

"Nope."

"Are you sure you're not hungry?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

I hear her voice start to shake.  "Are you just a little bit hungry?"

I turn around and see her face has fallen.  Apparently, I haven't been paying attention.  She is asking me for a reason.  I can see that now.

"Well, yes-- I am just a little bit hungry."

Her face brightens.  "Perfect!  I'll be right back!"

Five minutes later she comes into my room, in a dress and Sunday shoes and a big smile.  "You have been invited to the Restaurant of Fancy Nancy!  I am here to escort you.  Please come this way, Madame."

Great.

I follow her as she leads me outside.  She seats me at the patio table and hands me a menu.  "Please take a look and see what you would like, m'am," then disappears into the house.

Ok, I have a dilemma.  Remember that I wasn't going to eat anything more until dinner?  And now I have a menu with all sorts of options in front of me.  I decide to at least try and choose the healthier looking options.  I go with fruit salad and toast with apricot jam.  It takes her several minutes to come back and take my order.  It's hot outside-- almost 100 degrees.  I move the table into the shade.

Finally, she comes and takes my order.  She then takes the menu and then hands me a jar with broken crayons and a sheet of paper labeled. "Activity paper."  It has a maze drawn on the front, and directions to draw a picture on the back.

"I'll be right back, Miss!" she says as she disappears inside again.

I complete the maze and turn the paper over.  Then I draw a picture of a cute little blonde girl with glasses and label it, "My Adorable Waitress."

Then I wait.

After a few minutes, I start to add more detail to the picture.  The dress gets colored in.  I draw hearts all over.  The writing gets embellished.

And I wait some more.

I start to wonder what messes are being made inside.  I hadn't put anyone in charge of the littles, so I'm scared to death of what they are up to.  I contemplate going inside, but don't want to ruin things for Jesi.  I add even more detail to the picture.

It's been at least 30 minutes.

I hear the basketball bouncing and call out for Taylor or Parker, hoping they can go in and check on Jessica for me.  Nothing.  I see Sophi smiling at me through the window and try to tell her to tell Jessica to come outside.  She just continues to smile at me.  I think of all the things I should be doing.  I add even more detail to the picture.

Finally, after about 40 minutes, my cute little waitress comes back out.

"Whew!  Sorry about the wait, Ma'am.  I didn't know how long it took to make fruit salad!  By the way, sorry about the toast being cold-- I made it first!"

She hands me a HUGE bowl of cut up fruit and two pieces of cold toast with apricot jam.  Then she stands there as I eat my food.  Chocolate milk to wash it down.  No sneaking some of it into the trash.  I have to eat it all.  I try telling her how delicious it tastes, but that I am beginning to feel full and watch her eyes well up with tears.  Immediately, I change my tune and tell her that there is no way I can be too full for a meal like this one.  She brightens, and I try to tell myself that surely God will remove the calories from this meal.

After I finish, I am handed a map.  "Please follow this to your treasure, Monsieur!"  I decline to tell her that I am not a man.  The map leads me around the yard to various places until I find a leftover Valentine in one of the bushes-- my treasure.

Later on in the day, I decide that I've already ruined my "diet" and proceed to eat a hamburger, countless Milk Duds, a cookie, a yogurt, some almonds, and another big glass of chocolate milk.  I guess my resolve wasn't as strong as I thought.

I love our little Jessica.