Fast? Food?

Who knew that a fast food restaurant could be so much fun? Or that you could spend two hours there when you just went for dinner? And no, I’m not talking about waiting for your food at Arby’s! I’m referring to the ever-fabulous Chick-fil-a. It’s become a new favorite around here. We don’t eat out that often, except when Nana and Papa are here and need to get their fill of Chick-fil-a since they don’t have it at home (one visit we went FIVE times, and it was FUN!) Closed on Sundays because the owners believe in a God-ordained Sabbath, I’ve always respected the company. Now, I appreciate them even more. I’m sure it’s part marketing, and partly genuine belief in investing in their community and families, but they know how to draw a crowd. Of kids.

The Narrator was out of town and I didn’t feel like being home or cooking, so after a swing through JoAnns (he was out of town, right?) and dropping off T-Rex’s prescription for an ear infection, we did an early dinner at Chick-fil-a. I have learned my lesson. Go early. They get busy. Especially on spirit night and family night. Little Miss Sunshine ate all her chicken, so we split a shake. And then they played in the play area. Or rather, they watched the older kids run around and scream and burn off all their pent up energy from sitting at a desk all day long. T-Rex tried to mimic but he couldn’t keep up. Thankfully. Then we topped off our two hour dinner fare with free face painting by a lady who really face paints, not just stencils a pink flower. No, Little Miss Sunshine got a purple care bear complete with the outline and shading. Just like the older girl in line in front of her. She wanted a butterfly until she saw the care bear. And so, it was a (fairly) cheap night of fun. Everything was free except for dinner. Beats cooking.

I’m all about free, cheap and fun experiences for the family. Be on the lookout for more of our experiences that will hopefully spark ideas for your own family!