Best First Play Date Ever

My daughter had a playdate this weekend and it was so...normal. We ate at McDonald's. When is the last time you went on a play date and the other mom okayed McDonalds?

These are not the moms in my circle, except NOW I HAVE ONE!! A NORMAL MOM THAT IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ALLOW HER CHILD TO INGEST A FRENCH FRY.

The getting-to-McDonalds part was extremely difficult, though, because, as I mentioned, most moms do not approve of grease and ketchup for lunch. Here's the deal: I hate going to restaurants with my children. My son, to be honest. He prefers "really good restaurants." He wants "the one with five stars." The ones with a DRIVE THROUGH. The daughter prefers restaurants with real forks and table service. She is three, and therefore, all grown up.

When I am out with both children and we are going to eat away from home, I need truly fast food because the slow-eating son never wants to go inside, despite the fact that after he gets inside, it takes us forever to leave. He prefers to take his lunch home and eat it in his own chair at our table, which is normally fine with me because he eats so slowly that I can clean out my purse, read two books to the other child, and regrout the kitchen tile before he gets the wrapper of his cheeseburger.

So, when I was caught at lunch time, at the start of a first-time play date with a mom I didn't know very well, we decided to "get something quick" for lunch.

Most of my mom friends prefer organic bread, cheese, fruit, yogurt, etc. for lunch. I had both the slow-eating son with me and the daughter who loves to eat in restaurants. What to do...no organic fast food in sight.

 The other mom suggested McDonalds. "Seriously? That's okay with you?" I hedged, in case she was joking, I could pretend I was in on the joke.

"Yeah, it's fine."

 And every nerve in my body relaxed. Our lunch wouldn't be nutritionally complete, but neither would our play date, and it wouldn't matter. It would be normal and a little hectic and a lot of fun and completely kid friendly. It would be perfect.