CFA Potty Drama

Really, Chick-Fil-A (or CFA for short) should be the HAPPIEST place on Earth! They have food that both kids and adults love, a decent play area (when I am up for letting Avery play), and the one in Southlake, where we were on Wednesday, is pretty clean. Well, as clean as a kid-infested, fast-food restaurant at lunchtime can be.

I had to take Avery to the dentist for her semi-annual teeth cleaning, X-Rays, and checkup this past Wednesday. As a treat for being a good girl, and waiting the appropriate 30 minutes after fluoride, I took her to CFA for lunch.

All was well - it wasn't very busy (I thought less ladies in Southlake worked and had play dates at CFA?), it was quick, and the food was good (always!). No problem there. As we were finishing, Avery decided she needed to go potty. No problem. We headed to the ladies room and she promptly told me she would go into the stall by herself. Once again, no problem - she's been doing that for awhile now.

She opted for the handicapped stall, which I would have preferred her not to take, but again it was a slow day at the ole' Southlake CFA so I figured the likelihood of someone in true need of that stall in the next two minutes was going to be pretty slim. All was well, as I waiting outside her stall for her to finish - three ladies walked in....right about the time little Miller Lite couldn't get her lock to open. Problem. I gave her another 30 or so seconds...no go. Problem. She started to cry, and the ladies started to chuckle because we all knew what I was going to have to do (BIG PROBLEM). Crawl on my belly and hands, like a GI in boot camp, on the floor of a public fast food restroom and under the stall and set my little angel free.

I did my thankless, nasty Momma duty with my head held high (well, it was held high until I had to get it under the stall door) and brought my baby to freedom. As we washed our hands and everyone had a good laugh (I SO wanted to DIE on the inside) the ladies explained they had each done the battle of the toddler and public bathroom locks with their own kids who were now in high school. Nice gesture, no help to the current toddler momma (ME!) who had got knows what bathroom funk on her clothes and hands.

I've decided I will write CFA to ask them to install emergency escape latches on the bathroom doors (that only Moms know about) so no one ever has to do that AGAIN.

Oh, and no, she didn't get to play in the playground area, I figured we both had enough germs for one day.