TGIF

Long week - good to be done with a long weekend to enjoy (though weather is supposed to stink for at least first half).  Seems funny to think that I started the week only a few days ago in Nashville and Birmingham!

For better or for worse, we decided to take Noah out to a family dinner tonight.  He was actually pretty good, despite the fact that we got kind of a late start. He typically likes going "out to dinner," and he got pretty excited when I proclaimed that that would be our plan tonight.  We tried to hit up one of the local places in our new town's center that we've heard good things about, but the place was pretty packed by the time we got there.  So, we eventually ended up at the Ninety Nine.  No offense to anyone who likes the Ninety Nine, but that place is terrible.  Hastily thrown together, low quality food is my best description...we won't be returning anytime soon.

Perhaps the only redeeming factor - other than the large Sam Adams I did truly enjoy (hard to mess that up!) - was the popcorn they gave Noah to snack on...as mentioned, we got a bit of a late start and we had to drive around a bit and I stupidly hadn't packed him a snack (we usually do when we go anywhere).  So, by the time we got there, not only was it late, but he was hungry!  Anyone who knows Susan, or certain of her relatives to remain nameless here, knows that she doesn't do well when she's not been fed....Noah, I believe, has inherited that adoring quality.  So, he was becoming a bit snarly!  Thankfully, as we waited the few minutes for our table to be ready, they gave us a rather large bowl of popcorn to snack on as is customary at the Ninety Nine (as I understand it).  Susan and I were also somewhat hungry at this point, too, but Noah decided this was HIS snack!  No one would be allowed near his popcorn, and between the time we got there, were seated, ordered and they brought out his grilled cheese he actually managed to eat the entire bowl himself!  Susan and I tried sneaking a couple of pieces, but he was like a mother hen protecting her eggs!  We learned quickly that this was his - and it was quite a feat!  On the bright side, it did allow us to have an otherwise nice dinner without causing too much of a scene (except when he caught Susan trying to sneak a kernel!)...small victories, right?!

No sure if this a good or bad sign to start the weekend - we may be trapped inside with rain all weekend and a very opinionated two-year old....crossing our fingers!