A pair of golden arches blurred past while speeding through town, somewhere between errand #114, and lunch at home base. I squinted from the glare, then recovered as usual, when I 
heard a tiny voice from the back seat call out—Mommy, can we go there? Stunned, I looked back with a crazed look upon my face and asked, waaaaa!? Yes, it was nonsensical, but it was all that came out. I had to think fast. Was my precious son in fact, asking me to take him to McDonalds!? Before he could answer, his big sister warned, No, “E”. That is the place with the food that is Baaaad for you. I flushed with pride at having successfully brainwashed one of my kids into thinking that McDonalds is the Antichrist, and smiled contentedly to myself.
We generally cook our food together at home, but when we dine out, we like to think our food has been make with the secret ingredient (not to be confused with secret sauce). The ingredient of course is “Love”, and as you might imagine, it’s difficult to come by. I have told my children repeatedly that McDonalds doesn’t have it and never will. Yet in fairness, I’m not completely opposed to all fast food restaurants. ‘In-N-Out Burger’, though preachy at times, does I believe, use the secret ingredient on occasion. I have personally tasted it in their vanilla milk shakes—shaken not stirred, and blended with real honest-to-goodness milk. They’re summer bliss, but I digress.
“E” wasn’t going to be bowled over that easy. He had after all just glimpsed two stories of spiraling, twisting tube slides and teeter-totters galore. What beckoned him most was the Mega McPlay Structure, unlike any our local parks or recreational centers have to offer. Furthermore, it was lunchtime and he was hungry. So he pressed, I only want to go on the slide Mommy. No brother, insisted his levelheaded big sis, who has been around the the proverbial block more often than he—if we play there, we will have to eat there too. Yuck!
One down and one to go, was good enough for me, so we continued home to the good smells of our own kitchen. I stirred soup (made with an extra dose of the secret ingredient), while they built a “tunnel” through our living room. From soft blankets and sofa cushions, we attempted to rival the Mega McPlay structures in our own way, which was both fun and satisfying—even an hour later. Continue reading
