Lunch

OK...so I bribed my kid. Sue me. I told Sam we would go to Ronald McDonalds for cheeseburgers for lunch, if he would just stop running around terrorizing the post office.

As an aside here, the US Postal Service workers have NO sense of humor. As I approached the desk with packages towering above my head (and thus no free arms to wrangle in the kid running wild and free) I read the little sign taped to the desk next to the register that says, "Please control your children at all times." I laughed and said, "That's a joke, right?" Earning me a stern look from the man behind the counter who really wasn't old enough to be able to deliver a stern look correctly.

Anyway...onto the bribery....

We were having a great time at McDonalds. There was a crew outside working to replace the driveway and parking lot. They had big trucks and a backhoe and a street sweeper. Anyone who knows Sam knows he was in heaven. Great, no problem, we have all day to "goof off," as Sam had requested.

Then this couple sits down at the next booth, with their baby boy. I was fine, I could concentrate on Sam's excitement over the trucks, right? Wrong. This boy kept staring at me with those big beautiful blue eyes of his. And I mean STARING...like he knew something...some deep dark secret that I have written on my soul. It was unnerving.

His father was apparently disturbed by it as well, as he kept making silly faces and noises and drawing the baby's attention and making him smile that toothless baby smile everyone loves. But once the baby was done with whatever distraction was offered, his stare returned to me like a laser. And he didn't blink at all...just stared at me so intently I felt frozen in my seat.

I can't help but think that Alex was born still five weeks ago today and I'd been having a "good day" today up until lunchtime. It wasn't that this baby reminded me of Alex or even made me miss what I don't have...it was just weird.