After School Pick Me Up

It's not often that I pick the grand children up from school.  But when I do we have all kinds of fun.

For some reason it has become a tradition to go to Old MacDonalds.  That's the name Sci-Guy dubbed McDonalds when he was a toddler and it has been what we've called Ronald's Fast Food Joint ever since.

The boys like to go there for the toys.  Bluebird likes the Dr. Pepper.  Me, well I  like to gather them around a table, loosen them up with a few carbonated beverages, and listen to unsolicited information spilling forth from frothy lips. 

Bluebird told me about a girl who wanted to be her BFF.  She was having a problem because she didn't think she really wanted a BFF.  She wondered if her other friends would feel left out.  Or if they might not want to play with her if her BFF was rude.  "Cause she is rude to me sometimes, Yaya," she said while twirling her hair through her fingers.


 



Sci-Guy wondered if he was going to be bullied or maybe break his leg? 

His demeanor didn't seem to match his questions.  He was dipping fries in ketchup between words, or running off from time to time to team up with a boy he'd just met on the jungle gym.

Clone didn't spend time at the table spilling his guts.  He had ladders to climb, children to meet and slides to slip.

Every kid knows that your play time will be much more beneficial if you take time to stretch out the hamstrings before you hit the equipment. Right?

And we could all take a cue from these fellows.... knowing the boundaries of indoor play promotes safety for all Old MacDonald little visitors.

While those guys were reading the rules Clone had already scaled the first level of the M Tower.

He quickly passed the second where he successfully planted himself on the top floor hollering down to us wee people on the ground below.

Clone also found a few new friends to play with.  A blond headed boy hidden behind the blue column listened intently as Clone told him how many times he had conquered the monstrous swirling snake slide.

Of course no modern day playground excursion would be complete without a couple of visits to the video station.  But the main attraction is always the jungle gym and the other children running about.  I'm happy to witness the joy of natural physical play.

With every inch of the tower explored, new friends discovered, toys assembled and happy meals devoured, we waved our good byes to Old MacDonald's and headed home.



Now when I was raising my own children I would never have taken them to McDonalds after school.  It might spoil their appetites for dinner, for heaven's sake!  I most definitely would not have bought them a happy meal.  Those plastic cheap concoctions they called toys would probably have broken before we packed them off to the car.  And I sure as heck would not have loaded them up on sugary carbonated beverages!

I guess motherhood and grandmotherhood are two different animals.  I loved raising a family, taking care of my children and making a cozy home for us all.  But I have got to say that this grand mother thing is a real blast.  I don't have to be concerned about my grand children the way I was with my own children.  Their parents are doing a superb job at parenting.  They don't need me to interfere.  This time around I am here to supply the fun.  And the side effect is that I get to have some too!

I hope your day ends with something fun.  I hope you meet new people, tell a few stories, and stretch out your hamstrings.  Mostly I hope you enjoy the life you are living.  If you're not, drink a Dr. Pepper (or two)