McDonald's Playplace: a good place to catch some Zs

Last night Shrinky Dink and I took the kids to get some grub at McDonald's.  Like anyone who values her sense of hearing (and sanity!), we opted for a table outside of the playroom.  Our kids ran through the place emitting girly shrieks here and manly sonic booms there.  But we were cool with that because we were safely out of hearing range. 

As parents should be.

We were digging into our Angus burgers when we were irritatingly interrupted by another mom.  She asked us if the girl with the purple striped shirt belonged to either of us.  Shrinky Dink owned up and the lady said, "I was wondering if you could ask your daughter to be quieter.  She's run by several times screaming and I have a 10-day-old baby."  Then she looked at us all smarmily--as if to say, I have given birth to the Christ Child, ladies.  It is right and good that I am addressing you.  Surely you agree that concessions must be made and obeisance is owed.

I'm pretty sure I looked like this at the time.

    
Now I understand the whole sleeping baby thing, and if this was the library, I'd also understand this woman's request.  However.  This was a McDonald's Playplace at 8 o'clock at night.  On Spring Break.  And she wants it to be quiet so her baby can sleep?  Girl, please.  She could have walked the 10 feet to the room where Shrinky Dink and I were sitting and still had a full view of everything going on in the playroom. 

I ask you, dear readers, what kind of person goes to a McDonald's Playplace and asks other parents to tell their kids to be quiet so her baby can sleep?!

Now, you might be thinking, A desperate postpartum woman who wants her baby to sleep more than 5 minutes at a time, that's who!

Okay, I'll grant you that.  But who chooses a McDonald's Playplace as the location for said nap?  And furthermore, does her desire for a public baby nap outweigh Shrinky Dink's kids' need for some boisterous, kid-centric play after a very rainy Spring Break spent indoors?  Or more importantly, our need for a little adult conversation after such a week?

Shrinky Dink has a higher tolerance for bullshit than I do, so she was all classy and agreed to ask her daughter to tone it down.  I don't blame her.  Somebody's gotta be the level-headed one.  My (internal) response was, "If you don't like noise, get out of the playroom, beeotch!"  But I didn't say that.  Because I'm on medication that helps with such things. 

And I was really into that Angus burger.