Rob's Day Off

Because Owen had a dentist's appointment in the middle of the day and work's too busy bastardizing my work to care if I'm there, I took the day off with my oldest son.  But, before the fun could begin, there was work to be done!

As I get older, I get more meticulous about keeping things straightened, which is odd since I don't think I cleaned anything growing up until I was an adult.  Still, as part of the "keep my kids from making the same mistakes" racket, I made sure Owen understood that he would need to clean up his toys in the basement before we could go on the whirlwind of fun activities I had planned.

And what were these amazing activities that would prompt a four-year-old to clean up with abandon? Why a trip to a brand new International House of Pancakes, a hair cut, and a movie.  For whatever reason, my son sees television and movies as the pinnacle of any day.  Though we don't watch a large amount of TV, the poor child certainly isn't starved for electronics.  Still, I like TV and I like clean floors so it's always a bit of a win-win.

Once organization reigned over my house, we started out on our grand adventure, starting with a hearty meal at the brand new IHOP in Northborough.  Now, we've had an IHOP within 30 minutes of us since Diana and I moved in together, but Diana's blah attitude towards IHOP and the somewhat lengthy drive and large crowds, we rarely pay the breakfast anytime establishment a visit.  So, when a new IHOP opens less than 10 minutes from my house and in one of the more upscale shopping areas in Worcester County, you bet your sweet bippy that I'll be there ASAP.

I should have ordered that

Though a full review of the experience deserves its own post, we were both very happy with the experience, this new IHOP being much larger and more accommodating to crowds than the old.  While eating, no less than three waitresses came up to our table to complement Owen on his good looks, and two of them weren't even working at our table! Always nice to know that despite my face, I've got some fine genes somewhere in me.

Following a harrowing drive in circles around Northborough, we came upon Owen's dentist, a swanky place that follows the guidelines of cater to children as much as possible.  With bright decorations and cutesy names for all of the tools ("Kids, meet Mr. Drinky"; guess it sounds better than Mr. Sucky), this place was to dentistry what Snip-Its is to hair cuts.  And they take my insurance! Owen was perfect during the cleaning and I asked just enough questions to sound more intelligent than usual in a doctor's office.

Post-hair cut.

Since we still had time to spare we got Owen a haircut and passed into a Best Buy.  I'd gotten it into my head that I needed a copy of Jaws on Blu-Ray owing to the reportedly meticulous restoration job done on the print.  I'm trying not to purchase too much non-digital media but I figured owning a copy of the first blockbuster in American cinema was a worthwhile endeavor.  In return for the stopover, Owen traveled to the Disney Store ("the Mickey Mouse store") where he spent 15 minutes running back and forth between the various costumes and toys, labeling each excitedly as he went.

Finally, the grade finale, a trip to the movies to see Para-Norman.  We had the rare enjoyment of an empty movie theater which meant I could jot down thoughts on my phone without feeling like a jerk.  We chose a seat about halfway up and relaxed for a peaceful 93 minutes.  I had heard from the Quarter to Three Movie Podcast that Para-Norman was somewhat rote and uninspired but, while I understood some of their points, I found it to be a very entertaining, often funny, and overall good experience (I like reviews so expect to hear more soon).  I think Owen liked it too.

And that was it, our day off together.  Over dinner Owen called it the funnest day ever, and I'm glad he thought of it that way.  As we drove home from the movies, my son drowsing in his car seat, I thought about how wonderful it was to have this day.  Then I thought about all the times that other parents told me how quickly the time would pass us by.  When they were babies I'd usually joke that it'd be fine with me if they could grow up a little faster.  But now that Owen isn't a baby, I realize that my children are growing up and that the problem isn't just that time is passing by but that it's accelerating.  I know that we have many more such day's off to enjoy together, but they are limited and will probably be over sooner than I realize.

But, for now, I just had the funnest day ever.