Parenting Uh-Oh

Friday afternoon I was driving home from picking the kids up at daycare.  I called Tayler on my way to tell him that I hadn't planned dinner and had nothing to cook so we were going to go out.  I told him I was thinking either Habana Grill or Sweet Tomatoes.  He said he preferred Habana Grill, I agreed, and we thought we were set.  I hung up the phone and heard a commotion coming from the backseat.  It was Mason saying "Sweet Tomatoes!  I want Sweet Tomatoes!"  To which I said, "No, I talked to Daddy and we decided we are going to Habana Grill tonight."

I thought that was the end of it.

We got home and went in the house.  Tayler got home a few minutes later.  When he said hi to Mason, Mason's reply was "We're going to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner."  When Tayler told him that no, we are going to Habana Grill he said "NO HABANA GRILL.  SWEET TOMATOES."

We got in the car and start driving.  I suggested we just go to Habana Grill.  Mason instructed us that we could "pass by Habana Grill" but that we are going to Sweet Tomatoes.  As we were driving Tayler told Mason that we had to go to Habana Grill because Sweet Tomatoes is closed.

When we got to Habana Grill's parking lot Mason started screaming and having a fit.  He told us that Habana Grill was "closed" and that we had to go to Sweet Tomatoes.  We couldn't take him into the restaurant acting the way he was.

So we drove to Sweet Tomatoes and ate dinner there.

Mason - 1, Us - 0.

After some Monday morning quarterbacking, I think we probably should have just driven home and not gone out to eat.  It wouldn't have been fair to other patrons at Habana Grill to take him in there, so there was no way for us to win.  But we probably shouldn't have let him win either.  Hopefully I'll remember that next time.