When fast food lets you slow down

The kids have had half days this week for parent/teacher conferences. Somehow it makes the days seem shorter, more hectic. Luckily, the sun has been shining and it's been warm, and the kids have paroled their bikes from their winter's imprisonment.
Each year the Circle of Approved Riding Area has slowly been widening from our cul de sac, to just our block, to the park down the street. This week Paris asked to ride to the neighborhood "beach". It is about .75 miles away, and he has to cross the main road in our neighborhood once. My first impression is to say no, because in my mind's eye, he is laying in the middle of that busy street, bruised, bloodied, broken, but he is 9 and he has been wearing his helmet and you have to trust that a 9-year-old knows how to look both ways, that he understands that cars will kill him, and let him go. At least, his bike is neon green--so that's got to help, right? Do you ever stop holding your breath as a parent?
Especially since breathing was important this week, since every square in my day-timer was filled with the usual plus dentist appointments, babysitting, teacher conferences, etc. and Brian was city-hopping this week. Tuesday night I found myself having to be two places at the same time. The kids were with me as I raced from one engagement to the next. We started at 4:45 and by 7:30, I had left one commitment early to pick up Athena late from dance lessons and we still hadn't eaten.
We swung into Wendy's on the way home. We have drastically reduced our eating out in the last 6 months. Partially to save money. Partially to save calories. Mostly because I read Fast Food Nation and know too much now. But Wendy's has acceptable alternatives, and there was no way I had enough energy to even warm up chicken nuggets at that point.
So we all ordered our favorites and cozied up around a booth. It was late enough that we were the only ones in the dining room. We talked about this and that, but mostly about Full House, which the kids just discovered in reruns on cable, and were amazed that I watched it when I was their age. It was nice to sit down to a warm meal in minutes (and that I didn't have to make) and one where there were no complaints about the food, or bargaining for bites, or even getting up and down for forgotten condiments and milk. I felt like we were in the ending shot of a family dramedy, where the camera focuses in on the family, finally done with their craziness, stealing each others fries and slurping frosties, laughing at stories and oblivious to any onlookers. Then the camera slowly pans out, leaving them alone in their bliss, and the viewer satisfied.