J.J. and the McDonald's play area

So today for lunch, J.J. and I met Johnny at McDonald's so that we could let J.J. run off some excess energy before naptime.

(Sorry...interruption....what on EARTH is the deal with that Nintendo DS commercial with Carrie Underwood in it where's she playing with a sim-dog? That's all there is! Her scratching a dog on a video game and saying, "Cool!" WHY?!?!?!?)

Okay...I'm back...sorry about that! ANYway, while we were sitting in the play area, we noticed that the rules sign said ages 3-12. ???HUH??? Why do 12-year olds need to be playing in the same place that a 3-year old is? SERIOUSLY! And why don't they have a height requirement instead? Granted, by those rules, J.J. wasn't supposed to be in there, since he's not 3 yet. But I think it's a bit ridiculous for a play area to not allow toddlers on it! And to also allow GIANT pre-teens on it at the same time!

Sorry...this is my last rant (hopefully). And why is it that NOBODY ever obeys the "Socks Required At All Times" rule? I know it's summer and kids don't usually don't wear socks, but if I can remember to put socks on my kid when we go to McDonalds, can't everyone else? I mean, I can barely remember my own name, and yet I can remember that socks are supposed to be worn!

Okay...now that that's over, I'll get onto the cute part. This is really only the 2nd or 3rd time he's been in our local McDonald's play area, and the last two times he's been really reluctant to go any further than halfway up the first tube. Today, he got a little braver. He went all the way up...and then I lost him for a second...and I got a little worried, because there were giant brute boys running around playing Freeze Tag. But then I saw him reappear in the first pod and I convinced him to go down the first slide (by climbing in the end of the slide and letting him know where it ended). He LOVED it!

He did that a couple or 3 more times and then a couple girls that were probably 4 and 6, who had previously been playing with the brute boys, kind of took J.J. under their wings and the next thing I know I'm hearing his voice WAAAAAY up above me in the high tunnels! I was really afraid my pregnant belly was going to have to get lugged up through that thing, possibly causing a traffic jam when it got stuck! Finally, after about 5 minutes, he appeared at the bottom of the tallest twisty slide with the biggest smile on his face! He had a blast!!! So, he went back up with them and found his way into another high tunnel with a window and waved at me...sooo cute!

Needless to say, my fears of him getting stuck and freaking out were gone...but I think the next time we go, it will be BEFORE the lunch rush!