…that our post-bike ride gustatory mystery is solved!
or
What we did this weekend.
It’s Sunday morning and I’m heading out with the girls for a bike ride at Jack Block Park. We’ll drive down in the van and M will run to meet us at the park, and then we'll all ride home together in the van. I’m working on getting the girls out the door before noon.
me: You guys ready? Socks on. Helmets!
K: I'm going to bring my phone with me.
me: Ok…
L: Me too!
me: Ok…
K: Because I've got a lot to do.
L: Me too!
me: Me too too!
(time passes, we load, I drive, the girls talk on their phones, and we approach Jack Block Park)
K: Daddy, can we go out for lunch?
me: Nope.
K: Awwww.... Why not?
L: Yeah, why not?!
me: Because we're going biking.
L: Well can we order something then?
me (getting out of the van): Nope.
K: I'm ordering something! (Opens her non-functional flip phone) Yes, yes, this is K. I'd like order something for lunch.
L (taking out her phone too): Yes, I'd like to order something for lunch.
K: ... some hamburgers, and fries, and some soda and orange creme and mayonaise.
me: ????
L: Yes, pizza and hamburgers and frieds and soda and rootbeer.
me (to myself): mayonaise?!?
We bike, M runs down and meets us, L and I ride circles playing follow the leader, we all skip stones on the water (with mixed success), we all get hungry. M jogs back to the van while the girls and I hop on our bikes and follow.
At the van L announces she wants to walk back home. I look at M who looks at L. K says she's hungry.
M: That's 2 miles L.
L: I know.
K: No she doesn't!
me: Now she does.
K: I meant she didn't know!!
me: I know.
K: What?
M: You really want to walk, L?
L: Yes!
M: I won't be able to carry you if you get tired.
L: I know!
M: You'll walk the whole way.
L: I know!!
me (exchanging glances with M): I have a "feeling" about this.
M (quietly): Me too. (turning to L) Ok L, let's get going.
K and I get into the van and start driving.
K: She's going to get tired.
me: Yup, I think you're right.
K: She's going to want Mom to carry her.
me: Probably.
K: But Mama's not going to.
me: Probably not.
As we drive away I roll down the window and wave at L who is walking next to M. She sees us, smiles, waves back and starts trotting to keep up. She's grinning through the open window, speeding along on her tiny legs, happy as a clam.
me: Watch where you're going.
L: Bye Dada! Bye!! Say bye to K!!!
K (yelling from the backseat): I can hear you!
me (picturing her running into a tree or lamp post): Watch where you're going!
L (running faster now): Bye Dada!!! (waving) Bye!!!!
me (wishing I had my phone out to film this grinning, running, wild-haired girl): Have fun!
I speed up and watch in the rear view mirror as L makes a last effort before dropping back, finally stopping to let M catch up to her, and I think that the last thing M needed was for me to wear L out before they started. And I wish again I'd had my camera to video her enthusiastic pacing of our van.
As we drive for home, I think that I should pull over and wait for them. I see and pass several good spots to pull over, then we're climbing the hill on California Avenue and I realize the chances of M and L making it up there and then the 2nd mile to home are pretty slim, so I turn off and park at the top of some stairs that are the most likely route they'll take. K wants to know what we're doing, then finishes off her book in the first 5 minutes and we're now sitting together, waiting for her sister and mother. A man comes, takes off his shirt and starts disappearing down the stairs and reappearing, panting hard, hands on his hips. He takes a break after each set and knocks off a few pushups. We watch and talk about baleen whales and when M and L are going to come.
At some point K pulls out her phone again and "orders" more lunch.
K:... and fries and...
me (pulling my own phone out): Yeah, this is P. Please cancel that order.
K (horrifed look): No! You can't do that. (yelling into her own phone) Don't cancel it. I still want it.
me (into my phone): We'll skip lunch today. Thanks. Bye!
K: Yes, please. Hamburgers and fries. And a corndog. And soda. Orange Creme. And mayonaise.
me (looking at her): Huh?
K: We're going to get lunch.
me: Soda?
K (grinning): Yeah.
me: Orange Creme?
K: Yes!
me: And mayonaise?
K: Yes. For you.
me: For me?
K: And Mama.
me: Mayonaise?
K (nodding): The beer you like.
me: The beer... (lightbulb) Manny's?
K (nodding and not hearing the difference): Yup. Mayonaise.(big smile)
me: It's 'Manny's.' Like 'manny' except with an S.
K (slightly confused/embarassed): Manny's?
me: Yup.
K: Oh!
me: Yup.
Laughter in the van.
A few minutes later my phone rings. It's M calling.
me: Hi.
not M: What're you doing?
me: What?
now more clearly L: What are you doing? Where are you?
me: We're waiting to give you a ride. Where are you?
L: At home! Mama, they're waiting to give us a ride! (laughing)
me (ready to head home): Ok, we're coming now. Bye!
I disconnect and start the van.
Back home we tell them we were waiting and M tells us that they caught the Water Taxi shuttle because L wanted to pull the "stop requested" cord but then someone else pulled it before she had a chance, so they had to go to a farther stop so L could pull it. M's already got mac & cheese cooking for lunch, and I find myself wishing I had a mayonaise to go along with that.
on the beach, before the "long walk"
