Okay, since it's Mad Monday I would like to post my gripe.
My husband is an amazing man who loves to have Family Fun Days. Now, I would love to have Family Fun Days if they were actually fun, meaning, that my kids would actually get along while we were having said Family Fun Days. Sometimes I think a swift stab to the eyeball with an ice pick would be less painful but I know he wants our family to be together before our oldest moves off to college this fall (I do too but I'm a skeptic). I smile, say "that's a great idea," and pray for the best. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my family but when you get us all together, someone is bound to be unhappy and they share that unhappiness with the rest of the family because, if they are unhappy, shouldn't everyone be unhappy?!
We had that Family Fun Day on Sunday while San Diego enjoyed a lashing of rain and cold temps (San Diego is probably the only place in the country where you will find it's inhabitants jumping for joy at the sight of rain - we get very excited!). Anyway...we finally got out of the house after 12 for our Family Fun Day and headed out for some Thai food first. Our youngest hadn't eaten yet so she was beastly until she finally got some food in her stomach. Our lunch seemed to take FOREVER - slow service always seems to be on the menu when you are surrounded by angsty children. After lunch we decided to go bowling and possibly rock climbing. As we headed to the bowling alley, my youngest's left overs (crab fried rice) was sitting by my feet in the car. I may as well have had a rotting crab sitting on my lap with the smell that wafted up to my nose. The smell was nauseating. I begged to throw it out but my husband and daughter told me that it was a $14 entree and we shouldn't throw it out (sweet of my little one to be sensitive to the financial waste of it all but I was wondering how anything that can smell that bad can taste even remotely good). I sat with my jacket over my nose and gagged a few times (for effect). I can't even tell you how putrid the smell was - I think I almost threw up. Anyway, I digress. We get to the bowling alley and the parking lot is full. I don't think that lot has ever been full. The next available lane wasn't until 7:30. What else is there for San Diegans to do on a rainy day? We find another alley and wait an hour for a lane. So, once we get to our lane, we notice the very rowdy crowd next to us (taking up at least 4 lanes). There are adults and kids (of the very young variety). The adults are drinking pitchers of beer and the kids are not being watched as they move from lane to lane and throw their balls haphazardly. I am a big one on bowling etiquette (yes, there is such a thing). When going up to bowl, wait for those on either side to finish their turn before you go up and throw your ball. This way, you are not distracting the one bowling. Once you are done, get off the platform, etc. You know, common sense stuff. Well, these kids were all over the place! They were walking in front of our lane while we were trying to bowl, wandering around and into our area, etc. This went on for most of our time there. The parents?! They were drinking and not paying much attention to the kids. There was a toddler who would continuously roam - he could have walked out of the building and I don't think they would have noticed. I think the parents were worse behaved than the kids. And then, when they left? They left behind a huge mess with food and trash everywhere. It took the poor guy who worked there at least 20 minutes to clean it all up. Let's not forget that they were drinking before they left and placed those kids in their cars. I just hoped those driving were sober.
I am all for having a good time and if these were just adults without kids, I wouldn't be so worked up about their behavior, but they did have kids and they were being rather irresponsible. Yes, sometimes it sucks when you want to be a crazy adult but have the kids to contend with but that's life. If you bring the kids, watch them! Don't expect the people around you to worry about your kids while you have a rip-roaring time. Be responsible! And for heaven's sake - clean up your mess!
As for our Family Fun Day, it ended with us all in our bedroom watching Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day where we laughed - all of us! We all had a fun day, even if some of us were resistant at times. I'd like to thank my wonderful husband for that - pushing us to be a family, even when everyone wanted to do their own thing. Sometimes it just takes a swift kick in the ass to get us going! And I apologize that this blog post has two messages - my brain is a little unorganized today - it's Monday!
Part of their mess
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