"How about Red Robin?"

So, we loaded up the van and traveled down the rain-soaked road with N and J last Saturday to attend a baby shower. My girl was very well-behaved and we left early enough to get to the mall and go to BuildABear for her birthday. She was one whole year old on Tuesday, and it's just so hard to believe.

Don't know what happened to this picture, but it's at least halfway decent. Get it, HALFway.

We made her a monkey. His name is monkey, and he's a boy. Says her father.

After we left the mall, we hit the Babies R Us for a few minutes to gather some last minute gift necessities.

Then we hit the shower where my wonderful husband proceeded to fall asleep with our child and snore so loudly it could be heard across the room and momentarily interrupted the opening of gifts.

I did manage to sneak over and get a shot of the snore-er though. It was pretty sweet.

Throughout the day, we wondered where we could eat on the way home. N was the only one who ever offered a suggestion: "We could go to Red Robin, it's on the way."

On down the road heading toward home, but what day out would be complete without a tasty meal. Now, please understand that we have not been out to eat with my girl for several months. We weren't trying to hide her away or anything, we just got busy and so now she's probably socially stunted. I'm counting on daycare to even that all out.

So the search for food begins; you know the drill: "where do you want to eat?" "I don't care, what do you want." N pipes up and lets us know that "Red Robin is close by, we could go there." So continues the discussion and looking around. I had no opinion, neither did J or my man, and my girl will eat almost whatever we put in front of her.

So we drive a little farther and get to the area with all the good eatin' places...Olive Garden, some steakhouse, some mexican somethin or other. I thought OG would be too quiet for a squealing (almost)one year old, and we drove slowly checking it out. N then proceeds "Red Robin is up here. They have good burgers." Uh huh, uh huh. What else is around?

"We could go to Red Robin, it wouldn't be too quiet in there."

What's that N, you want to go to Red Robin. Really? Sorry we took so long to catch on to your hints.

And then I didn't put my girl's snacks in the diaper bag.

And then we met our waitress....oh my.

She was one of those bug-you-until-you-are-ready-to-order-and-take-away-your-plate-while-you're-still-eating types. N saw the look I gave her when she came to see if I was finished with my bottomless fries; he said he was afraid I was going to stab her with my fork. I didn't. But I threw daggers with my eyes.

All ended well and the drive home was peaceful with my girl sleeping most of the way. Altogether a good, but tiring, Saturday outing.