Winding down.

Unlike every other day of the last week, I didn't spend much time on Bob the Wonder Computer today. Just enough time this morning to spend more money we don't have on some educational stuff for Bird and send an e-mail to someone about what mum might like for her upcoming birthday. Then Bird and I had a date with our local McDonald's Playplace. Whee.

The day was beautiful, and if we had a park worth a damn around here, I would have taken the little guy there, but we don't. What we do have is a crappy little playground with no trees, no swings, and an aging, rusty, rather untrustworthy play structure in town. We have a lovely swing set/jungle gym/spend-a-mortgage-payment-or-three-and-then-build-it-yourself thing in our back yard, but it is lacking in one key ingredient - other children.

So yesterday evening when Bird was mournfully wishing he could play with someone, I told him we could go to McD's today for lunch. He was in a tizzy - he loves the place.

Say what you will about the evils of McD's (and I am among those who can list those evils in order of importance, alphabetically, by date, or cross-referenced of you want), they do make a nice play area. We had our choice of outdoors or indoors, and Bird wanted out. I sat and read the physics book I've been slogging through for the last six months or so (Faster that the Speed of Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation by Joao Magueijo) (I love the book, but it makes my poor addled brain heat up something fierce, so I read it in little bits and try to digest it well before reading more) while Bird had a blast running and playing with complete strangers like they were long lost friends. It was beautiful weather, a preview of springtime with a blue sky, warm sun, a soft breeze, and a freshness to the air that'll last about as long as a mayfly.

When the kids at the outdoor part had all gone, we moved to the indoor one, where more new friends awaited. McD's does this one thing for a number of communities - it gives them a place for children to play that is safe, always contained, often climate controlled, and fun. They do mandate that you purchase something, but a small drink costs a buck and you're in like Flynn. Of course, most folks buy more - I let Bird order his lunch and I had an iced coffee drink with all the sugar and fat I need for the next month mixed in. Vanilla flavored. We spent almost three hours there, between to two play areas.

Bird was not a good sport about leaving - he was having too much fun. I managed to get him out without too much drama, although he did vehemently proclaim that he didn't love me any more. I told him that was fine, because my job wasn't to make him love me but rather to raise him to function well in human society. He didn't like that - he always upsets himself when he says he doesn't love me or T and ends up in tears apologizing and declaring his undying love within a minute or two. Poor little guy. He was worn slap out, didn't even fight going to his room for a little quiet time.

It's so nice outside that I opened a window in the living room to let in fresh air. I'm glad the neighbors didn't call hazmat about the fuggy cloud that must have floated out that same window - we've been closed up all winter, and you just know the air in here needs a good cleaning! The cats were trembling with excitement and took turns alternating sitting in the window with their whiskers aquiver and flopping down in rainbow-speckled puddles of sun and becoming boneless.

Now Bird's in his room, winding down for the night, and I am finally able to cruise around the net and see what's going on - which isn't much, as it turns out. Just as well - I was up way too late last night and really should just call it an early evening. Which means I'll likely be up until two o'clock again. Oh, well. I hope y'all had a good day, too.

Tomorrow I plan to blatantly thieve borrow a blog topic from someone else because I kinda giggled at the prospect. See ya then (I hope)!