Um, Probably

On Tuesday, Levi and I celebrated Jen's birthday by having lunch with she and Savannah.  We ate at Ruby Tuesday's (which, unfortunately, was mediocre).  It turns out that at noon on a Tuesday, the majority of Ruby Tuesday customers are senior senior citizens.  As in, so senior you wonder how they even drove there.

Needless to say, Jen and I were both trying to be sensitive to how messy and noisy the kids were.  Overall, they did a good job, so we were really surprised when a fellow (elderly) patron walked up to our table as we were finishing up.

Savannah and Jen were sitting on one side of the both, Levi and I on the other, but the kids had been shuttling back and forth the whole time.

So the lady addressed Jen and said, "I just have to tell you, you are such a good mother."

Jen blushed, but eeked out a "Thanks."  I was so happy that Jen got such a nice compliment; I feel the same way, but I don't think she gives herself enough credit sometimes!

Then almost-four-year-old Savannah piped up and said, "What's your name?"

The old lady sweetly replied, "Ella.  Is this your little brother?"

Jen and I looked at each other with mild panic on our faces.  Not so much because we were worried about what Savannah would say, but probably more because we've never had to "explain ourselves" before.  I would have been happy to tell Miss Ella about the wonderful aspects of open adoption, but I wasn't sure if Jen was ready to talk so openly about it with strangers.  And judging by the look on her face, Jen was either a) still blushing from being called a good mom or b) thinking the same thing I was.

After some thinking on Savannah's part, she finally answered Ella's question. "Um...probably!"

Jen and I lost it.  We laughed so hard, and poor Elderly Ella was probably wondering what was so funny.  So then she asks both Jen and I, "Well whose son is he?"

And without missing a beat, we replied, "Both of ours."

In hindsight, she probably thought we were lesbians.

At this point, Elderly Ella got the drift and left us alone, and I informed Jen that this WOULD be going on the blog.

A few minutes later, Savannah, Levi, and I headed to the bathroom while Jen gathered up our things at the table.  Mr. Elderly Ella stopped us, unaware of our encounter with his wife, and said to me, "These kids are so good!"

"Thanks, I think so, too!" I answered.

"So are they brother and sister?"  Mr. Elderly Ella asked.

"Yup!"

"So they're yours?"

I just avoided his question and said, "Yeah, they are really good kids," and walked away.

I think Jen and I need to come up with some clever comebacks or answers to questions the next time things come up like this.  I LOVE telling people about adoption and how special our open situation is.  Plus, it usually makes for a really good story, too!