Cinco de Mayo

Okay, so I know it's a contrived holiday, but Jason and I always enjoy celebrating Cinco de Mayo! Each year we go out for Mexican food to celebrate what most Americans believe to be Mexican Independence Day. However, the actual holiday commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Regardless, any excuse to go eat chips & salsa is a good idea to me.
This year we took a step out and decided to go to Jalapeno's, the most popular Mexican restaurant in town, owned by a girl I grew up with. We knew it would be a full house, so we decided to get there early so we could get in and out before the real party started. Our plan did not work. We got there later than planned...5:45pm and the place was already packed. It took us about an hour-forty five minutes to get a table. Why didn't we just leave, you ask? Well, we could have, but part of the fun was enjoying the crowd and band while we waited. Catch was, we had two babies with us! We now know that Eli & Margaret Jane are born socialites. Those two kids enjoyed themselves the entire time and hung in there for the entire 3 hour experience.
Our friends Dondi & Vickey Costin joined us for the fun and we are so glad because they are moving to Europe this summer (USAF) and we will miss them terribly. We are so glad we got to hang out with them, and Eli and MJ had fun with them too!
The restaurant is divided into three rooms, two dining areas and a lobby. The band was set up in one of the dining areas, we waited in the lobby. However, once the band got going, Eli insisted on being front and center listening to the band. And, in case you don't know, there's not much use arguing with a 'almost' two year old! He wins! Eli became such a band groupie, they finally gave him a tambourine and let him play along.
We waited out the multitudes and got our table and enjoyed our delicious dinner. Eli ate chips AND salsa along with most of my quesadilla. Margaret Jane enjoyed her very first lemon, and didn't seem to mind the noise, crowd, or heat. Okay, that's not true, we did have to get her some fresh air a time or two!
Although next year we probably won't go to THE hot spot in town, we are glad we did this year as we had a great time celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Vive le chips and salsa!

Eli REALLY wanted to hop into the fountain:
Eli joined the band with the tambourine.
Dondi & Vickey
Eli eating chips, MJ eating her lemon
MJ only cried when her lemon would slip out of her hands!
The band and crowd
Eli enjoying chips & salsa
Jason making MJ laugh