International House of Pancakes

 Once or twice a year we make it across town to our local IHOP.  Every time we go a few details never cease to amaze me about it.  First, the food always tastes pretty good.  Second, the staff is always incredibly nice. And third, the food always looks like the photos on the menu, unlike other picture menu restaurants. Click on the photos to see what the menu photo looks like.

  I try to make it a point not to frequent eating establishments that have the photos of the food on the menu because usually the food isn’t very healthy for you.  And, even if they have healthy choices I for sure won’t want to choose from them.  I will want whatever item has the highest dairy fat piled on top of it whether it’s cheese or whipped cream.  The photos help me out in this department.  My eyes will immediately dart to the nearest mountain of milk fat!

 I love going out to eat with my family.  We don’t eat together at home and we probably never will.  Our habits and schedules just don’t jibe with sitting down at a table, ever!  So we cherish these times together.  It never fails that at some point during the meal all four of us will be rolling with tear-inducing laughter at something.  This outing was no different.

 Right when the server brought out our food I was in the middle of telling Sam a story about how Ben and I were in the drive through at a fast food joint just the day before.  While I was telling the story Ben cut a few pieces of pancake up for Will to start eating.  I proceeded to tell Sam that while we were ordering our food in the drive-through Will gagged on a Reese’s peanut butter mini (because he had stuffed about 10 into his mouth at once and we didn’t realize he was doing this) and proceeded to puke all over himself and the car seat he was harnessed into.  Sam was laughing at my story as I gazed over at Will who was mid-gag on a pancake.  Really! Twice in less than 24 hours?

Just as a few hours before in the drive-through Ben and I were paralyzed.  Neither of us ever knows what to do in this situation because it doesn’t happen often enough to warrant a huge amount of pre-planning.  We always stare at each other for a few seconds, and then our panic stricken eyes search the table for something, anything, to catch the next inevitable wave of vomit.  My next move is usually to look at Ben and say, “I don’t know what to do!” Because just talking is really helpful! He says the same thing back in an ultra-irritated tone.  I think to myself, “Should I pour my iced tea on to the floor, because that would be easier and nicer to clean up?”  All the while Sam is in his own paralyzed state of uncontrollable laughter!  I am not even mad at him for it.  In fact, it’s kind of nice to have a little comic relief.
 
We finally got through the ordeal with the gracious help of the amazing staff at IHOP.  Thank you Chantelle! 

4 Comments

  1. So did he end up vomiting????? Fran does that ALL THE TIME!

    1. You bet!! It was awsome! Thank goodness IHOP has naugahyde!

  2. Big Spoon says:

    I laughed so hard I had tears rolling down my cheeks when I read this!!! The mental image was hilarious. I’m glad Will is ok though 🙂

    1. Oh he’s just fine! The people at IHOP wanted to give him 7up.

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