With summer vacation kicking off for my son, I found myself faced with two exasperating options as a stay-at-home parent:
- Become a full-time entertainer for my child, 24/7.
- Enroll him in a series of overpriced, inconvenient activities that would give me a fleeting moment of peace without hearing “MOM. I’M BORED. CAN WE GO TO THE POOL? CAN WE GO TO THE PARK? CAN MY FRIEND YOU DON’T LIKE COME OVER? CAN WE HAVE NUTELLA FOR A SNACK AND GET IT ALL OVER THE NEW CARPET? WHY CAN’T WE JUST HAVE FUN?!”
Not exactly a life-or-death decision, right? Naturally, I always opt for option #2, which led to my son attending soccer camp last summer. In a bid to add more chaos to my life, I chose a soccer camp that required me to: a) wake up at the same ungodly hour as school days, b) drive the same distance, and c) pack a lunch just like I was prepping for a school day. Yet, the camp only lasted half as long—9 a.m. to 12 p.m. THE NERVE!
This unfortunate timing meant I had to confront my son’s lunch the very moment I picked him up. Normally, I’d head straight home for a nutritious homemade meal, but one adventurous day, we thought a trip to McDonald’s would spice things up. Because what says fun in the sun like a drive-thru filled with greasy burgers and nuggets, devoured in our air-conditioned living room while plopped on the couch watching TV?
However, our McDonald’s outing took an unexpected turn. The drive-thru line was absurdly long—but it was lunchtime, so I rolled with it. My son and I chatted about soccer as we waited, and when I finally reached the speaker, I placed a straightforward order:
- A chicken nugget Happy Meal
- Two cheeseburgers
- A small fries
After paying at the “This Is Where You Pay” Window, things began to unravel at the “This Is Where You Get Your Food” Window. They didn’t have my order ready. No biggie—I was asked to pull into a parking spot and wait.
“Please park where that blue car and red car are parked,” the drive-thru lady instructed.
Confused, I replied, “But I can’t. Those cars are already there. There are no empty spots.”
Her exasperation was palpable. “Please. See that blue car and red car? You park there.”
“But there are NO SPOTS!” I pleaded.
“PARK WHERE THAT BLUE CAR AND RED CAR ARE PARKED.”
At this point, I was so flustered that I abandoned the line and parked as close as I could. I figured it wouldn’t be too hard for them to find me. We rolled down the windows and waited… and waited…
As I watched car after car pull away with their greasy treasures, frustration mounted. “Why are they getting their food and we’re stuck here?” my son asked, echoing my thoughts.
After nearly 12 minutes, we decided to get out and head inside. To our surprise, the restaurant was completely empty.
“Can I help you?” the girl at the counter asked.
“Yeah, we’ve been waiting in the parking lot for ten minutes,” I explained.
“Oh. I didn’t know anyone was waiting. Did you park where the drive-thru lady told you to?”
“Actually, she directed me to two spots that were already occupied. I parked as close as possible.”
“Well, that explains it,” she said, handing me a bag of lukewarm nuggets and soggy fries.
I couldn’t believe it. My visibility had been so poor that no one could find me? I was parked only a few feet away with a running engine and a child ready to explode from hunger!
With an exasperated sigh, I declared we would never return to that McDonald’s. My son aptly remarked, “We should have never trusted this McDonald’s.”
And he had a point. It made me rethink my summer plans—maybe skipping the pricey activities and simply spending lazy days at the public pool, with homemade lunches, was the smarter choice. Because, clearly, you can’t always trust McDonald’s. Just ask my son.
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In summary, summer can be a tricky time for parents, especially when juggling activities and meals. Sometimes, the simplest choices lead to the most unexpected challenges.