Strollers and martinis?

There is so much I want to blog about today so to make things less of a jumbled mess, I figure I'll just keep the thoughts to separate posts. Which means I now have to make a list I now have to make a list to keep myself from totally losing track of what I was going to write about...

First things first: Strollers in bars---yay or nay?

Seriously, (and i am not making this up), this is apparently a major issue in bars across the country amongst parents who want to exercise their right to stroll into a bar for an afternoon cocktail with their friends and bar owners and patrons who want to know why they have to tiptoe over sippy cups and maneuver around little arms and legs reaching out of the aforementioned strollers.

The whole issue is covered in great depth on The Responsibility Project. I actually had to read it twice to make sure I wasn't imagining things. I mean, while I certainly enjoy taking Buttercup out with me on a regular basis, we have never once set foot into a bar (and to be honest, I haven't had the time to get into one on my own, but that is a different story.) We have however, been out to museums, restaurants, the Zoo, malls and shopping boutiques, libraries, and other places where I don't have to worry about someone blowing smoke into my baby's face or a waitress tipping a tray full of shots onto the stroller as she fights the bar crowd.

My opinion?

While my first reaction is to tell any mother who thinks a Graco and a martini are a good match to get her head out of her you-know-what, but then I stop and think about the many times Buttercup and I have been to eat at restaurants that serve alcohol and therefore, have a bar. That, I don't have a problem with. If the establishment offers high chairs and serves food, then it's a pretty good indication that children and families are welcome.

But if we're talking about the smoky, hard-drinking-waitresses in tight jeans and tank tops with trays full of shots-one night stand-loud band and bad karaoke kind of bars...my opinion differs significantly. Because at that point, I'd have to first point out to these moms that "Under 21 not allowed" does not mean anyone 22 months and older can come hang out...it means years. And if you think that this is appropriate behavior and not in any way setting a bad example for your children, then you need to pull your head out of your Martini, sober up, and take your baby to the sitter's house before you sit down for a drink with your friends.

(Wow, that turned into a longer than expected soap-box! But I'm off it now. On to the next subject...)