Monday, October 20, 2014

A Date With My Son

It seemed like the entire state of Oklahoma was at Golden Corral.

The parking lot was full. I had never seen it full before.

I managed to find a spot and as I parked, two gigantic busses pulled up in front of the entrance.

"What the f*ck?" I said and then quickly added, "Sorry. Don't repeat that."

Because my twelve-year-old son was in the backseat.

We were on a date. I dropped off Natalie at Kid's Night Out at her gymnastics place. For $20 you get 4 hours of peace. I use that time to take my son out because he is not a fan of his sister. She's too noisy for him. He loves her, of course, but he'd rather not have to deal with her.

"Hurry. Let's try to beat the bus people," I said, scrambling to get out.

I did not want to wait in a long line.

Tommy and I rushed inside, right on time, because a long line of men began to climb out of the busses. Football players. Ugh. Why can't they go eat in the football field? I abhor football, so I was not pleased or excited to see a bunch of burly men approaching.

Golden Corral was already packed as it was. Tommy and I managed to find a table and then we grabbed plates and rushed towards the food because hello, two busses FILLED with football players. Who like to eat.

Seriously, these dudes were everywhere. Scooping up all my food. They ate the last of my sweet potato casserole. I watched in horror as someone else scooped up the last of the fried rice. In five minutes, a lot of the food was GONE. I kept bumping into a football player, because they are so big and because the room space is not the largest.

A lot of people in Golden Corral seemed happy to see these guys.

"Football!" a lot of them said. "What team?"

I think they said Henderson? In Arkansas?

I didn't care. I was miffed that they were EATING ALL MY FOOD.

As Tommy and I were scooping some white rice on our plates, new fried rice was placed out. So yay, we had food!



Eating with my boy is always fun.

I asked him if he talked to people in school. He really doesn't talk to people. He's worried they'll laugh at him. "Should I tell people I have Autism?" he once asked. I told him it was his choice. "If they knew, maybe they'd understand me," he continued, and it made my heart squeeze a bit.

"I say hello to people," Tommy answered. "Why don't girls play video games? There are beautiful girls but they don't like video games."

Tommy loves video games. He probably tries to talk to girls, and they aren't really interested. He says he doesn't bother talking to the boys, because the boys are loud and rude to the teachers. He doesn't like that.

"I only want intelligent friends," Tommy told me seriously.

I wish he had more friends. I worry he's lonely. He says he's not. He says he'd prefer to go about his day, get his work done, and come home and play video games.

"I have a question," Tommy said and I worried it was going to be something awkward like the time he asked while we were at the store, "Why do black people say 'homie' a lot?". But thankfully he went, "Why do people fall asleep in class? It seems rude."

"It is," I agreed.

"Some of my teachers have to wake kids up. Every day," Tommy said, astounded. "And some boys won't be quiet in class so the teacher has to yell, which I don't like."

"Some people have no manners," I sighed. "How about we get dessert?"

We loaded up on dessert. Thankfully the football players seemed to still be shoveling in regular food down their massive throats. So I could grab various slices of cake, fruit from the chocolate wonderfall, and my banana pudding.

I don't hold back at buffets.


I love going out with my son. I hope he'll always want to come out with me. He'll be thirteen in March so I cherish the time I have with him.

I'm lucky.

I don't have a kid who falls asleep in class and he has manners.

Plus he appreciates desserts like I do.

He rocks.

23 comments:

  1. He is awesome. My heart squeezed a little when you said you wished he had more friends. I hope you have many more date nights with him. And man... Golden Corral brings back some good memories!

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  2. Tommy seems like a great kid! I hope you guys have many, many more date nights together because those are important!

    I have not been to Golden Corral in ages! I use to go with my grandmother because it was one of her favorite places to go.

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  3. Golden Corral is definitely one of my very guilty pleasures, haha. It's so awful because I eat so much, but it's just glorious all the same. Glad you guys beat the football team in there for the most part and were able to have some good conversation! :)

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  4. I think its awesome he wants intelligent friends. He seems awesome! My daughter struggled with people treating her differently before and early into her dyslexia diagnosis. She would ask me all the time why people treated her "like a mental patient" It broke my heart.

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  5. Aw, what a sweet post. So glad you got to spend this time with your son. It's important to carve out this time, because it goes by all too fast. He'll find his intelligent friends one day, I'm glad he's holding out for the best.

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  6. Despite the age difference, I think Tommy and Jayce would be good friends. They could talk video games and Minecraft all day long :)

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  7. Tommy is a sweet boy, and he learns a lot just by observing. He and Augie could probably be good friends, too. His mom asked him to invite friends to his birthday party, and he said no, just family. "I'm a solitary kind of guy, Mom." He's seven.

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  8. So awesome that you had a date with Tommy! I need to do that more often with my kiddos. There was supposed to be more one on one time this year because of their extra-curricular activities, but it just didn't work out that way.

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  9. Tommy sounds like a super cool boy!!!
    My oldest (Jordan) is similar in that he would rather just walk from one class to the next - no need to chat with people, he can't stand when people are rude and disrupt class and he is content with just a couple of good friends.
    Love that y'all had so much fun at dinner!!!

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  10. What a sweet boy! I bet he loves date night with his mom. My son had ADHD and was a lot like that with the video games. He had a tough time making friends. At 24, he's still into video games but has come out of his shell a lot over the years and now actually socializes on his own accord.

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  11. I just moved from Oklahoma to Alaska. This post makes me miss my little brother back home. He's about the same age! Enjoy your mannerly boy!!

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  12. He is awesome! He sounds so much like a more mature version of my son.

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  13. Loved reading this. You're a great mommy with a great kid :)

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  14. What a fun date! I love those times when they open up and really talk to you. Your son is a great kid, and I love his smile! Love the Golden Corral too (best place in the world to take bottomless pits...I mean teenage boys!)

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  15. I got all teary eyed reading this. He seems like a sweet kid. I hope he finds some friends who like video games as much as he does. I know my sons fit the bill, but we live on the other side of the country.

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  16. Your Tommy is very cute! He sounds a lot like my 10 year old. He too likes buffet desserts and intelligent friends! I would worry about those kids who don't....

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  17. Did they ever replenish the sweet potato casserole too??
    I'd love to go on a date with you to Golden Corral. I love buffets like no one's business. Drool.
    And Tommy is a special kid and he's lucky to have you as a mom.

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  18. Sounds like a great day with your son. My two boys are only a year apart, and it's rare that I do something with just one of them. Those times are special :)

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  19. It is awesome that you have dates with your kids. And football? I don't like it either and I think I would hate it if football players took over my food! Thank goodness you got dessert first!

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  20. Sounds like you've got quite the guy! My 15 yoa son and I are still real close and we hang out a lot. I cherish the times. It's been a while since I've eaten at Golden Corral.

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  21. Aww, this is so wonderful. Love it. I gotta take my son on a date too... he will be able to actually talk to me without his 2 chatterbox sisters around.

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  22. I like your son a lot. I love that he picks up on rude behavior and immediately decides he doesn't like it. I had a good laugh at the homie comment. LOL I'd say that was one successful date.

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Thanks for the comment!

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