An adventure with Jacob

Since I have Jacob from about 11:30 this morning until supper time tomorrow night, I thought we should get out of the house. So proposed an adventure for us--dinner at an Italian/Lebanese restaurant down the street. At first he said he didn't want a 'venture, but then he said he wanted to go to a restaurant "in a minute." We drove there with the top down--much easier to buckle him in that way and he loved it. Once there, he turned shy and wouldn't speak to anyone; he did decide he wanted spaghetti with meat sauce, so we split that. He didn't like it because it wasn't red; then he didn't like it because it had red spots in it (go figure!). I ordered Sprite for him, which he declared he loves--when he tasted it, turns out he was right. It wasn't Sprite, it was water. Finally, since I'd eaten most of meat sauce out of my bowl, I traded with him (brought his home) and the waitress and I cajoled him into eating five bites of fairly plain noodles so he could have 'ssert. He liked the cannoli but who could eat a whole one? Too sweet and rich, so much of that came home with us.
Coming home he wanted the top up, so I buckled him in, started to back out, and he said, "Why is the top up?" I told him because he asked for that, and he said, "But I want it down." I told him it was too late.
I'm exhuasted.
Tomorrow, we're going to try church and maybe Curley's for a hot dog and frozen custard.
I have to remind myself that I used to take four children all over by myself and never thought anything about it, but I think that leads me back to the argument my children never understand--four are easier than one or two. And besides, I was thirty years or more younger.