Parmesan cheese...

…or a little girl’s sneeze.

If you had to choose one, which would you rather have on your pasta?

I’m assuming you’d pick the cheese.

Two days ago DH, DS and I went to meet a friend and her little baby for lunch at a popular Italian restaurant. We were seated in a booth—DH & I on one side. A large family, with at least 6 kids, ended up in the booth behind us (they had to add some tables and chairs to the booth to seat the entire family).

There was a little girl, she looked to be about 3 years old, who was seated directly behind us. She kept leaning over onto our side of our booth. Not looking, but leaning--her face and arms were in our booth! Well, I know kids do these kinds of things, so in order for her not to distract me, I just tried leaning in as close as possible to our table so I wouldn’t be able to see her.

That worked, until…AH-CHOO!!! Yup, the little girl was leaning over again when she let out a big old sneeze, and all her little “sneezy” germs went all over me and DH and on everything else nearby.

I admit that I can be a bit of a germaphobe, so although I tried to laugh it off, what I really wanted to do was go into the restroom and wash my hair, or get some hand sanitizer and rub it through my hair.

If my son were to stand up and lean over into someone else’s booth, I’d try to stop him right away. I wouldn't want him to disturb someone else's meal. However, for one reason or another, the parents (I’m assuming the adult male and female in her party were her parents) did not stop this little girl from continuing to lean over into our booth. Only after she sneezed all over us did they move her to the other side of their booth.

Well, I just hope I don't get sick. And if I go back to that restaurant or any other restaurant with booths low enough for little kids to lean over, I’ll make sure to ask for a table instead.