Honey Mustard Sauce

One of my goals as a mother has always been to teach my children how to behave in a restaurant. I expect them to have good manners, sit patiently, and act appropriately. Usually they live up to my expectations and we are able to dine out on a regular basis.

The kids are all expected to clearly give the waitress their order, as well as say please when asking for something and thank you when it’s delivered to them. Again, they all typically do a good job.

Tonight, Matthew was using his manners loudly and clearly and I was feeling so proud of him.

After we were all done eating and in the process of paying the check, he announced that he needed more honey mustard sauce and wanted to know who he should ask. I pointed out our waitress, and as she walked by he yelled out, “Hey YOU! Can I have some more honey mustard sauce, please?”

I almost fell out of my chair. The shock of him calling her “Hey You” after being so polite was funny, as was her inability to understand what he was asking. I couldn’t interpret for him because I was laughing too hard. Finally she understood, and thankfully found it amusing as well. We immediately told him the correct way to address the waitress and asked him to practice saying, "Excuse me, may I please have some homey mustard sauce?"

Here’s the thing that really makes this story special; the reason that the child needed more sauce was that he had eaten all the first cup full…with a straw. Literally. Sucked it right up. He still had a plate full of untouched nuggets, which is why the request for more sauce seemed reasonable, trumping the memory of the straw in the cup from minutes before.

The really awful part? He takes after his mother. While I cannot admit to drinking sauce, I will tell you that sometimes the only purpose of a cracker in my hand is a vehicle for some yummy sauce.

This story reminds me of a picture that I had intended to share with you last week. Now I’ll have to track it down.