friends+us=great eating out experience

After the Lego fest on Friday, we went out to dinner with our friends.  I believe this was the first time in a long time that the boys went out to a "real" restaurant with people who weren't related.  There were 12 of us in our dinner party (6 adults and 6 kids).   Bob and SJ sat at the end of the table with the two other boys.  They did surprisingly well.  I was constantly using my peripheral vision to check on them, but they were acting just as the other two boys were acting.  They were laughing, telling jokes and doing magic tricks to pass the time.  They were occasionally a little loud but the restaurant was loud and none of the other diners seemed to notice.  When the food came, all the kids continued to socialize while they ate.  I was able to relax when they were fully engaged in their eating.  I was amazed to enjoy my dinner with other adults and be able to socialize too.  I was so glad that we had this evening with our friends.  Their kids are so wonderful with SJ.  They don't treat him like a kid on the spectrum.  He is just their friend and I love that about these kids.  I am so thankful for all the friends that we have!  Years from now I probably won't remember what we ate, but I will always remember this feeling of being accepted as a "normal" family.