Kid Scoop
Teaching my Daughter the Importance of the 24 Hour Breakfast Place.
Hi Addie,
You were out of school today thanks to a very great man named Martin Luther King. We ran a few errands and as a special mommy double daughter date I told you we could go out to lunch. Of course you thought “LUNCH AT A RESTAURANT? BEST! DAY! EVER!” while my thought was “Feed both of us right before going to Costco? That will save me at least $100 in impulse buys.”
The place you chose had closed down so we continued down the road to find something else that was both palatable and welcoming to the tiny spoon banging baby we would be bringing along with us. Without thinking I pointed at Denny’s and said “That place has anything you could ever want all day long.”
“Like waffles?”
“Yes, like waffles.”
“IN THE DAY?”
Your mind was blown.
And so it was, today was the day I introduced you to the 24 hour diner.
The menu was almost too much for you to handle.
“You mean I could have waffles AND macaroni AT THE SAME TIME? We should totally bring dad here. Do you think he knows about this place? He could get a cheeseburger AND french toast TOGETHER! I wish I could come here everyday.”
First of all, I love that *this* is what impresses you, second, wait until you find out that there are 24 hour diners everywhere.
I told you that at some point in your life you would come to a place like Denny’s everyday. It’s called college and it’s pretty much the reason places like Denny’s exist (well, college, bars and hangovers.) I told you that one day you would be up studying all night with your roommates and you would all go to Denny’s at two in the morning for pancakes, cheeseburgers and pie.
Your eyes got wide, the idea of eating whatever you wanted whenever you wanted and being able to stay up past 10 pm sold the seven year old you on college faster than any promise of a fulfilling career ever could.
Vivi hung out at the side of the table, banging and chewing on spoons as the senior crowd looked over at us like the luckiest girls in the world…spending the afternoon together eating waffles and breakfast burritos at one in the afternoon.
I have my own memory of Denny’s at two am from 12 years ago, but they were all replaced by you today.
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3 Comments
Jennifer S commented on Jan 16 12 at 9:48 pmYou are so right about college… there was a Denny’s across the street from my dorm and I had a standing, weekly date there for 2 of my 4 years of college. Moons Over My Hammy with extra crispy potatoes was my order for almost every single one of those meals. If I was feeling good, I added a pancake on the side, just because I wanted something sweet.
sara commented on Jan 16 12 at 11:58 pmi love your writings, casey!! this post is just awesome. thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Heather Hadley commented on Jan 19 12 at 9:25 amThis post made me a little teary eyed!! I’ve worked at a 24hr Waffle House for YEARS and I also have an 11 year old amazing daughter who just thinks that it’s the coolest thing EVER that her mommy works at “The Waffle House”!! Thank you so much for showing the 24 hour diners some love, and for bringing the magic of children into the equation. This post made my day! Thank you.
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