Bar Hopping with Toddlers

Disclaimer: one doesn't need to consume alcohol to sit at a bar. Apparently they don't even care if your age is still in the single digits! (Read on for further details.)

Wednesday, after the lake, the kids and I headed back to Grandma and Papa T.'s house to get ready for dinner. (We were staying with them for the week in Redding.) The Redding Fire Department was doing a fundraiser at Logan's Roadhouse for the local hospital's childrens' wing. Specifically for kids with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Needless to say I wanted to go. (Any chance I have to go help the RFD or kids with cancer, I'm there. The bond is pretty close to my heart.) Tiger, Mom and Grandpa Bob all rode in our car to join the festivities. It was a lot of fun to watch my kids' excitement with something that was common place to me as a kid. They got to climb and take pictures on the ladder truck. 

I got to visit with one of the firefighters that helped save my dad's life 8 years ago. And we all got to visit with Rotary friends. It was great to see so much support for the cause, especially in this "struggling economy". The firefighters were waiting on the tables and all the tips were going towards the hospital. Because of the enormous crowds the wait was a little too extreme for our party, it had been an hour and it was at least 1/2 hr more, and after everyone had enjoyed a few drinks from Logan's bar, (the kids and I enjoyed our Shirley Temples), we decided to go next door to Applebee's.

Papa T. went to the bar to order a drink and Livi and Aaron clambered right up the barstools 

in front of him and proceeded to order. This time they got a virgin Strawberry Daiquiri. We were all laughing that we were taking the kids bar hopping in Redding. The other patrons at the bar thought it to be somewhat comical to see a 5 and 3 year old downing the drink, sitting at the bar. The bartender got a kick out of it and didn't mind. He kept handing Aaron more napkins. (Those of you who've had the privilege of seeing him eat will understand this.) 

Well, we finally got to our table and what did we discover...

I was dying! I could not believe that out of all the tables in the restaurant AND the fact that we hadn't even started at that restaurant, AND that we were with their Dad and Grandfather!!! Bryan happened to call while we were sitting there with Tiger trying hopelessly to convince himself that it wasn't HIS BOYS. (Yeah, cause there's SO many "Bob and Bryan" pairs out there. Bob and Bryan are Tiger's twins who like to..."spice" things up a bit.)Bryan of course had no recollection and later that evening when Bob called, all he could do was laugh.

Being with you guys is always SUCH A BLAST!