Monday 14 May 2007

Big mac


And so on Sunday afternoon to Leytonstone for the latest Maccy-ds kids party.

This is the third time we've headed out east recently and this time it's Alicia's turn to be celebrating. After negotiating the usual total grid-lock at the head of Leytonstone high-street we arrive ten minutes late.

The sweet smell of weed wafts from the black guy with the hoodie smoking by the door before we head inside to party central. The layout is split - turn left and you end up in the party-play area, turn right for food and cultural melting pot.

We deposit Dylan to the left with Alicia's mum, before Megan and I run across to the nearby Tesco's to buy the card we forgot to buy on the way here. We return with what we feel is the world's best card (complete with plastic necklace - cards have moved on from badges with dangerous pins it seems) - only to lose points by spelling Alisha's name wrong.

Megan and I leave Dylan to it for a bit and as we munch doughnuts next door Megan points and laughs "Look at that funny lady dad she's wearing a bib! Do you think she has Down's Syndrome?" Said lady is approximately 2 yards away.

Anyway so after a bit we head over to join Dylan in the climbing frame/play-bit - I sit down and chat to Tom's mum for a bit. Anyway two seconds later who arrives but the bib-wearing, down's syndrome lady who also seems to have a few tattoos. Turn's out she seems to be either "a bit simple" (is that un-pc? duh who knows) or out of it - it's hard to tell - she tells Megan she's had a few drinks so can't go on the climbing frame, could Megan play with her daughter? Megan proceeds to do this and gets on with her daughter like a house on fire.

At one point they run off back to the bib-ladys table next door, and instinctively I bolt after them. Megan is hiding under a table with the bib-lady's daughter, and at the table sits bib-lady another older lady who seems to be bib-lady's mum. She half mouth's an apology as I retrieve Megan and scold her for running off out of my sight.

Is she apologising for bib-lady, bib-lady's alleged drinking or accidentally hijacking Megan? I'm not sure but I'm a bit baffled all round by the whole experience.

I don't see the bib-lady again until we're leaving, as we walk out I can see her randomly hugging stranger's children.

Sometimes I have no idea what's going on.

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