Going With the Flow

When you're a single parent you can change dinner plans without notifying anyone at all.

Last night, after dropping Nate and my nephew at the high school for swimming practice, and after Grace and I ran an errand, she saw a McDonald's and asked if we could stop in to eat dinner and play. Even though I had spent four hours on Sunday chopping, mixing, pouring, and preparing three different dinners for the week, and even though I don't really eat anything at McDonald's except the fries--I said, "That sounds like fun, Grace. Why not?" The boys' practice didn't let out until 7:15pm so that gave us an hour and 15 minutes to eat, play, and be merry.

I got to watch Gracie patiently guide a slightly younger and nervous girl through the wobbly tunnels up high, over and over. "One more time, please!" The girl would say, and Grace unwaveringly obliged with a smile in her whole being.

After about 15 minutes, Grace tried, "You're doing so good. I think you're ready for the bigger one. Want to try?"

"No! No, the shorter one! The shorter one!" So Grace continued helping her through the shorter tunnels (up equally as high--go figure) until the girl had to go home.

Later, two more girls, slightly older than Grace, came to play. I got to watch the three of them giggle and run and climb and slide as they played effortlessly together. I got to exchange sneaky, silent looks and laughs with my daughter while she hid in her super-excellent spot under the lime-green stairs and, as usual with her new McDonald's Playplace friends, they could not find her without finally asking her to call out a clue. It happens every time; for some reason the kids never think to look under the stairs. And then the next thing that happens every time, and these girls were no different, is that the other kids will try to hide in the same spot and can't understand how the seeker found them so quickly. It's the little things that amuse me.

When one of the older girls suggested that they play "house" I briefly wondered if their would be a disagreement because Grace immediately called out, "Okay! I'll be the mom!" Grace is always the mom. But no, the other two almost as quickly called, "I'll be the baby!" and "I'll be the big sister!" Isn't it great just to go with the flow?