Dinner at Denny's

     We don't go out to eat very often.  First of all, it costs a lot of money to feed 6 people at a sit down restaurant.  Second of all, it's far more embarrassing to have dinner fights in public.  Fights at dinner are very common at our house.  They used to be about who got to sit by Daren (I think I've mentioned how they're all daddy's girls), but now they are about who gets to sit by Kelsey.  And of course a few other random fights during dinner.  And the usual, "Ewwww, this is gross, what else can I have for dinner?"  Well, we decided to combine some lessons about fasting with some lessons about good manners.  We told the girls if they could behave properly at the dinner table, in public AND at home (that would be the hard part), then we could go to a real sit down restaurant once a month.  We would go out the day before fast Sunday as a good start to fasting.  Fasting has been the hardest part for Natalee now that she's 8 years old.  We only have her fast for one meal so far.  But we thought that this could help her look more forward to fast Sundays.
     I took a few pictures of our first pre-Fast Sunday sit down dinner.  It was June 5, 2010.  We chose Denny's because it seems to be pretty kid-friendly.  Although it was painful to have Haylee order macaroni and cheese.  It even brags in the menu that it's Kraft.  We tried to talk her out of it by telling her it was the exact same stuff we make at home for 75 cents, but she was determined.  The girls had great manners.  They all liked what they ordered.  Haylee even had some leftover ranch dressing from some carrots she decided she didn't want and she gave it to Mackenzie.  Mackenzie ordered chicken nuggets and of course used all the ranch dressing that came with them.  I thought it was very thoughtful of Haylee.  Poor Natalee was still a little hungry after dinner.  I think it's time for her to stop ordering from the children's menu.  But all in all, we had a great time and we're looking forward to making it a family tradition.

Haylee and Mackenzie-it's always nice to get a picture of them cuddling up together.

Somehow Kelsey figured out she could make the spoon hang from her nose without anyone even showing her.  I know, not good manners, but so stinkin' cute from a 2 year old.