Nuggets of Fun

Our field trip to the zoo on my last day was topped off by a lunch stop at the Golden Arches...much to the kids' wild delight! While Happy Meals and ice cream cones have become staples of American childhood, for these kids they are rare treats, to be celebrated with bucket loads of excitement and giddy anticipation! Loading the "wiggly gigglies" off the bus and trying to keep them corralled in booths until the food arrived was no easy task, nor was keeping track of which kids were currently using the bathroom, which ones had to go, and which ones were overusing the hand dryers when they were finished. :) But it was all a bundle of fun and we made lots of memories in that little Beijing McDonald's...from having the staff come by with free mini ice cream cones for all the kids to laughing at Henry slurping up the last of my drink to watching the kids out-eat all of us foreign visitors (being the good Shepherd's Field eaters that they are..). We kissed off the ice cream dribbles on their chins, wiped down greasy French fry fingers, laughed at the kids' antics, kept countless little cups of soda from falling off the table, and felt the warmth of many little bodies crawling across our laps or coming to our table for hugs. And while I seldom feel the need to visit McDonald's back here at home, I don't think I will ever walk into another one without thinking of these kids and the joy of seeing them so heartily enjoy their special lunch out.