Recognize that little jingle? Believe it or not, I DO let my kid clog her arteries with their food sometimes. Tonight though, the golden arches brought a taste that is bittersweet.
Macy was worn out from a swimming-filled, park-played, library-visited day and looked like she was on the verge of collapse when I picked her up from my in-law's. As we neared our home, she asked "Mom, do you think we could just go to McDonald's? I'm really tired. I just wanna' eat and lay down and watch TV." ... THIS is highly unusual for Macy Walker but I could tell she was worn slicker than hot pair of bald tires so I obliged on one condition; mind you I never thought in a million years she'd comply with my conditional McDonald's visit.
There's a Wal-Mart near our home that has a McDonald's just inside the door. I thought to myself, I'll agree to get her McDonald's if she'll go in there on her own while I wait in the car near the door. Keep in mind, that would require her barely seven-year old soul to carry money into the store alone, order her food correctly alone and get her drink ... ALONE! Here's what the conversation sounded like:
A: "If you'll go in there on your own while I wait right here, then I'll stop."
M: "Okay (shrugs) that's no big deal. You'll wait right here, right?"
A: "Yes. I'll wait right here for you. Can you do that on your own???"
M: "Yeah, it's fine. But I want apples so what do I say? Can I have chicken nuggets with apples?"
A: (still not really believing she'll carry out her "own" McDonald's experience) "Yep. That's all
you say."
M: " ... and for the drink, I just tell 'em I want a fountain drink, right?"
A: (I hand her a $5 bill) "You got it, a fountain drink."
About this time, I pull up at the doorway to the Wal-Mart. Now before any of you other parents wanna' police me for putting my child in stranger danger, I could see her from the glass door outside the Wal-Mart and I could see the entry to McDonald's so no child grabber would'a made out of there alive with my kid, mmkay?
A couple minutes pass & here comes my big, very proud little girl carrying her McDonald's sack, her fountain drink-of which she got herself too, and the change! I know all the other momma's out there with graying hair have been in my shoes but it's hard to believe my barely 7 year old baby doesn't need me anymore.
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