So, in the face of Pete doing very well at swimming lessons and reading, and because he'd managed to save up two dollars himself (thanks, Grandma) we begrudgingly drove down to our nearest McD's restaurant, all of thirty seconds from our house, on Friday after school.
Things have changed since Margaret Thatcher opened their UK head office in Finchley in 1983. Today we ordered at a giant touch-screen, thus increasing the chances of catching other people's diseases through greasy fingerprints. There's also a lot of organic and healthy stuff on the menu. When exactly does McDonald's stop being McDonald's? Luckily the chicken nuggets and chips were still an option, one which Pete went for without hesitation.
I sat across the table from my son and wept for the organic vegetables grown by former refugees that I cook for him each night. My stomach knotted as I contemplated how exactly you produce a complete meal for $2, including bright packaging and a plastic toy! I marvelled at the marketing savvy that recruits 5-yr-old school friends; the world's most powerful force in advertising.
Pete, of course, declared that the whole experience was even better than he thought it would be and when can we come back? Hannah enjoyed the fries she was able to steal from her son while slurping down a large diet coke ($1). Me? I began planning the curriculum for when homeschooling begins on Monday.
At least in the past the cashier's judgemental gaze would hold me back from ordering five Big Macs and three milkshakes for myself. Now...?
Pandora's Box, containing Pete's Happy Meal.
What have we begun?!
