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.
