Twenty10:176

We ate at one of our favorite local restaurants tonight. It's right on the lake, so the kids get really excited about feeding the ducks at the dock. Eric and I love this restaurant because it faces the sun, so you can watch the sunset and relax to the sound of lake life. Except when your kids are fighting so bad that when the waitress asks for your order, you order tickets to the Dr. Phil show, because you're not sure who else can help your heathens. And when your child is whining so loudly that everyone in the restaurant is staring at you..... wishing you would eat and leave.

But the little ducks were so cute that I almost forgot how miserable of a time we had listening to Jack whine and Kaitlin tell him how annoying he is (over and over and over). Eric and I have gotten to a point where we are on the same team though. Issues with the kids use to cause issues between us. If the kids were unhappy, we were unhappy. But that wasn't working for us, so we've decided to join forces. We will not be conquered!

(Jack was lovin' those baby ducks!)

All kidding aside, I recently blogged about what a great time in our lives this was. Our kids were at perfect ages (no toddlers, no teenagers) and we were really enjoying them. And then we blinked. And those days were over. We now have a pre-teen on our hands, and I'm google-ing Parenting seminars in the area, and praying 24-7 for strength, kind words, and patience.

Our whine-fest ended on a good note, despite the mealtime therepy session with our lovely children. I got some sweet pictures of the kids feeding the ducks, we ate a yummy meal at sunset on the water, and we had a few laughs as a family. But, next time, Eric and I are going alone! (sprry kids, we love you, but your fighting is driving us crazy!)

This picture makes me laugh. I was laughing as I took it, actually. Ducks are ruthless, relentless, rude little creatures. They will hunt you down and demand food like nobody's business. They followed Kaitlin all the way into the parking lot. She was scared, but she was laughing.