Wonderful evening...

I had a wonderful evening with my nephew tonight. I received a call about 5 to come babysit but he didn't want to leave the house because he was mad that his parents were going shopping without him and he wanted to stay home and pout. Shortly after I arrived but before they left he was spanked and put on punishment. I was thinking this is going to be a fabulous evening. In fact it was.

I decided to redirect his bad energy. I started rattling off places to go and things to do. All of them were met with NO. Then I asked what we were going to do for dinner. He informed me that I could cook him something in the freezer. I redirected this to going to get hot dogs and making Pigs in a Blanket. That was met with a NO. Then I asked if there was anything he wanted to make. Then he left and came back with his Paula Deen Children's Cookbook. He flipped and flipped and stopped. He wanted to make pasta with homemade cheese sauce. I checked the cabinets. They had ingredients that would work. I put him to work. He was happy and content. He then was so excited that he called his parents and told them he had a surprise. Well in the past his surprise was some concoction like soap, pepper, salt, oil and anything else he throws into a bowl. Tasty, huh. No he does not eat it either. They were very skeptical. He invited his Nanny over and had turned the living room into a five star restaurant and he was the waiter. He put a table cloth over the coffee table, laid out silverware and put a candle in the middle.

I had called and told them to bring some chicken and biscuits because I knew they would not be satisfied with just pasta and cheese. They arrived and had to wait in the hall while I took the chicken and turned it into plates for him to serve. He finally seated them. Oh I forgot to tell you that he also got out the Dirt Devil and vacuumed. He was so excited. I made their plates and he served them. Then he came running in for some paper, he had forgotten to take their drink orders. He then came in and presented my mom with a to-go dish for his B-Bob (Grandpa). My mom always gets a to-go meal for my Dad when we eat out. We had forgotten about dessert. He went through his snack drawers and found his Little Debbie snack cakes and served them. He was so proud. They were proud also until they received their bill. Their chicken was $35.04 and the biscuit and fixins were $40.04. My mom's bill was $39.45 for her chicken and $10.04 for her biscuit and fixns. He knows how to make a profit, I do believe. He then tried to present me a bill but I told him that I was the owner of the restaurant and co-cook so I did not have to pay. He really did make the pasta and cheese but with assistance.

When I was leaving, I noticed a sign on the front door. It said, CLOSED. I asked him when do we reopen. He responded with the next time his parents go shopping that the restaurant will reopen with Sloppy Joes.

What started out as a bad evening turned into a wonderful evening. His parents at first really wanted to go out to eat and to somewhere without worrying about a child. Thy came in with great attitudes though they do like to eat out. The chicken was probably cheaper than a meal elsewhere. Oh and the memories.....They are priceless.