04/21/2007

I think $1.08 is an excellent price to pay for two hours of entertainment, don't you? $1.08 is the price of a small Coke at McDonald's and is regularly our entrance fee to the neighborhood PlayPlace. Today, still feeling slightly under the weather, I thought a trip to McDonald's might be fun for Nathan and simple for me. Plus, I was in need of a mid-morning caffeine boost (please don't tell my ObGyn), and there is no better way to satisfy that craving than a good ol' Coke 'with a straw'. (I learned to love Coke--with a straw--from my Mom. Nick makes fun of me, but I'm convinced a Coke tastes better in a cup with a lid, straw, fast-food logo, and at a premium price of at least a dollar per glass!) Nathan has inherited this family downfall, so now I share my prized drink with him, but it is still SO refreshing.

Anyway, we walked over to the McDonald's...sometimes I justify ordering a large fry by thinking on the exercise that I received walking the 20 yrds to the restaurant. We stood in line, paid for our Coke with silver change from the change jar, and headed into the PlayPlace. (Why do all PlayPlaces have that same, nasty odor, by the way?) The busy toddler is learning to assert himself and will now boldly approach and explore the various tubes and cubby holes. He heads up the slides...not down them...his Dad taught him this handy trick. It's normally not a problem, but occassionally he meets a child approximately my size coming down the slide in the correct manner and a standstill, if not a collision, occurs. It was on one of these slide expeditions that Nathan met Isanna.

Isanna is a little latin girl with curly black hair and big, brown eyes. If I had to guess, I'd say she's 2, but I haven't had that confirmed. She was at McDonalds with her grandmother (or a very weathered looking mother) who spoke no English but attempted to carry on conversation with me as though I was fluent in her native tongue. I caught a word now and then, but her oral WPM's were astronomical and I was in waaaaay over my head. Anyway, this story isn't about me, so I digress. Isanna just happened to come down the green slide at the same moment when Nathan was in the process of yelling up what I can only assume meant something like, "If you're thinking of coming down the green slide, you might reconsider, because I'm thinking of heading up and don't want to be required to bite you in order to proceed." At any rate, Isanna arrived at the bottom (thank goodness!) before Nathan had begun his ascent. For several long moments the two just stood and looked at each other. Then, much to my shock, they engaged in a long and passionate kiss...on the lips! I thought it was funny, but had to restrain my laughter as Grandma was giving a Spanish tongue-lashing (or at least that's what I gathered from her tone) to Isanna. Nathan turned around, looked me in the eyes, and smiled broadly. This kind of behavior will be required to stop when he's 4.

Little Isanna ran away shyly and didn't approach Nathan for the remainder of our play time. Nathan, on the other hand, decided the slide was magic and spent at least ten minutes waiting at the bottom for another little girl to slide down and fall totally in love with him. After a while he became disgruntled. He hit the slide and yelled words which may have been profane but, fortunately, were unintelligible. Why had the slide broken? Why wasn't it sending him more adoring females? Piece of junk! I decided it was best we leave before causing a scene. Nathan walked woefully home, and he is now sleeping the slumber of a dejected man. Fortunately for his Mommy, the busy toddler will wake up renewed and cheery in just a matter of hours. If only adult grudges were so short-lived!