It was the first day of my son’s summer break, and as many parents can relate, this time of year presents stay-at-home moms like me with two clear options:
- Entertain your child non-stop, day in and day out.
- Sign them up for a series of overpriced, poorly-timed activities just to snag a precious moment of peace without hearing the endless variations of:
“MOM! I’M BORED. CAN WE GO TO THE POOL? CAN WE HIT THE PARK? CAN THAT KID YOU CAN’T STAND COME OVER FOR HOURS? CAN WE HAVE NUTELLA ON THE NEW CARPET? PLEASE! YOU’RE THE WORST MOM EVER. IN REBELLION, I SHALL PLAY VIDEO GAMES UNTIL YOU MAKE ME STOP!”
It’s hardly an easy choice, folks.
Naturally, I always opt for option #2, which is how my son ended up at soccer camp last summer. And because I seem to enjoy making my life more challenging, I chose a camp that required me to a) wake up at the same ungodly hour as if I were taking him to school, b) drive just as far as if it were a school day, and c) pack a lunch just like I would for school. AND YET THE CAMP ONLY LASTED FROM 9 A.M. TO 12 P.M.
THE ABSURDITY!
The unfortunate timing meant that I had to tackle my son’s lunch the moment I picked him up. Normally, I would whip up something homemade, but one day, we decided that McDonald’s could be our little treat. Because nothing screams fresh air, sunshine, and healthy living like hitting up the drive-thru for a bunch of burgers and nuggets, only to devour them in our air-conditioned living room while watching TV.
However, this McDonald’s visit took an unexpected turn.
We pulled into the drive-thru lane, which was packed. But hey, it was lunchtime. I accepted it mentally. My son and I chatted about soccer camp while we waited, and when I finally reached the speaker, I placed a simple order:
- A chicken nugget Happy Meal,
- Two cheeseburgers,
- A small fries.
I pulled up to the “Pay Here” window and handed over the cash. Easy peasy. It was only when I got to the “Food Here” window that things began to unravel.
It started with… no food. They weren’t ready. No worries, they asked me to pull into the parking lot and wait. Fine, I thought. I could be gracious. But then this happened:
Drive-Thru Lady: “Please park where that blue car and red car are parked.”
Me (baffled): “Um. I can’t. *Those* cars are already there. And there’s no empty spots.”
Drive-Thru Lady (frustrated): “Please. Park behind that blue car and red car.”
Me: “But there are NO SPOTS! It’s full!”
Drive-Thru Lady: *glares*
Me (apologetically): “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”
Drive-Thru Lady: “PARK BEHIND THAT BLUE CAR AND RED CAR.”
Me (desperate): “BUT I CAN’T!”
Drive-Thru Lady (slowly, as if explaining to a child): “THEN. WAIT. UNTIL. THEY LEAVE. THEN PARK THERE.”
At this point, I was so confused that I just pulled out of the line, baffled by where I was supposed to park. Those cars weren’t moving; they were surrounded by others that weren’t going anywhere either. So, I parked a few spots down. It wasn’t exactly where she said, but I figured they could find me easily.
So, my son and I settled in, rolled down our windows, and waited.
And waited.
In my rearview mirror, I watched car after car zoom through the drive-thru, drivers clutching their bags of greasy goodness. This was starting to annoy me, and my son was equally perplexed. “Why are they getting their food while we’re still here?” he asked. “Where’s our lunch?”
Good question, kiddo.
Being somewhat patient, I held off for about 10 or 12 minutes. Finally, both of us were over it, so we hopped out of the car and headed into McDonald’s, which was… completely empty.
Girl at Counter: “Can I help you?”
Me: “Yes! We’ve been outside waiting for 10 minutes for our food.”
Girl at Counter: “Oh. I didn’t know anyone was waiting. Did you park where the drive-thru lady told you?”
Me: “HA! She told me to park by two cars that were already occupied. So, no. I parked as close as I could.”
Girl at Counter: “That explains it. Looks like someone went out but couldn’t find you. Here’s your food.”
She handed me a bag of lukewarm nuggets and soggy fries. I just stood there, shocked. Really? They couldn’t find me? I was only three cars down from where the lady directed me! My engine was running, windows were down, and my 6-year-old had been loudly expressing his impatience. It’s not like they needed to send out an expedition team to locate me; I was parked literally 10 feet from the entrance!
So what did I do? With a grand declaration that we would never return to that McDonald’s (as if they cared), my son and I marched out with our bag of quickly-cooling, greasy disappointment and a newfound sense of moral superiority. My son summed it up perfectly: “We shouldn’t have trusted this McDonald’s.”
He was right.
This experience made me rethink my summer dilemma. Maybe it’s better to skip those pricey summer programs. Perhaps just hitting the local pool every day while lounging on a busted chair is more enjoyable. Or maybe bringing my own snacks to the park is the way to go instead of waiting in a sweltering lot for McDonald’s to serve me.
Because honestly, you can’t always rely on McDonald’s. Just ask my son.
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Summary:
Navigating summer vacations with kids can be a challenge, especially when trying to balance activities and meals. One mother’s attempt to treat her son to McDonald’s ended in a frustrating experience at the drive-thru that left both feeling disappointed. This story serves as a humorous reminder that sometimes the simplest choices can lead to unexpected complications, and perhaps it’s best to stick to familiar routines.