Day nine

This one is actually a few days old, but when I finally downloaded the crappy Nikon camera to get yesterday's picture, I found this one. The Nikon is my purse-camera and I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love it when I don't think I have a camera and I reach in my purse or diaper bag, and THERE IT IS! I love this camera! YAY! I don't love it so much when I download the pictures and they are crappy. I hate it when I am trying to take pictures and I don't have a viewfinder and the flash and shutter goes off whenever it wants to instead of when I push the button. But, whatever. I wouldn't have this picture (or many others) if not for the handy little Nikon.

So, here we are at A&W. There is something about A&W - I won't eat hambugers anywhere else (except a small town skating rink) but I love A&W Teenburgers. So now and then we go there for a quick lunch when we're on the road - and it never fails that SOMEONE has to gawk at our table like there is something weird about us being out with three little girls. "Oh, what a nice little family! Three little girls! So much fun..." Yes. Complete strangers are so struck by this scene that they feel they must come over and comment. EVERY. TIME. Its like we're a basket of puppies or something.

(Most kids would dip their fries in ketchup and then just lick off the ketchup, but Annique doesn't fool around. She uses a STRAW)

On this particular day a woman stared at us for so long I was feeling uncomfortable, like maybe she knew me or something. Finally she saw me catching her staring at us, and she started rambling about how her dad had three daughters, too, and she was the youngest.... WHAT IS IT ABOUT A&W that compels people to share these things?? The nostalgia? Old fashioned burger restaurant atmosphere and vintage photos everywhere of perfect 50s families out for burgers, something about a dad and three daughters just strikes a chord? OR, perhaps it is that the food is so good that my children are quiet and well-behaved, and people can't help but notice? Whatever it is, I can pretend to be annoyed at people butting into our business and disturbing our meal to tell us how cute we all are - but you know, I don't mind at all.