Energy Rush

I was suddenly nervous, wondering what I had done.

DuckyBoy and I were at a focus group session, where he was to play a new computer game and give his feedback. We arrived on time, weathered his desire for popcorn (from the empty popcorn machine the PR firm had in its waiting area/kitchen; he wanted me to ask them to make some), and even found an activity book he enjoyed leafing through (rare!).

Suddenly, a woman appeared and said she was ready for him. Even though a show he liked had just started, he hesitated only a moment, then stood and followed her.

I half stood, then asked, "Do I stay or go?"

"You stay," she said.

Oh!

I spent the next half hour wondering, then realized if he was going to wig out he'd have done so long ago.

He returned, happy as a lark, wanting to know how long he was there. Upon being told, he remarked, "It felt like only 10 minutes!"

Loved having a secret I didn't know, said he wasn't going to tell me about the game. He let a little bit of info slip later on, but not a lot.

Wanted to stay, in fact, and watch SpongeBob that was on the monitors.

Wanted another Oreo.

Said "30 for me, 20 for you!" when I showed him the $50 bill we earned for his time, and told him we'd split it evenly.

After we left the building, resumed our game of "Angry? Grab a Snickers!" -- where we'd take turns trying to grab a pretend Snickers bar from the other. He had a real Snickers on the way into the building, bought in the subway. ("You pick up the item, give him the money and that's it, it's yours?" he'd asked. "Then why is there a bar code?")

Reminded me I said we'd check out a cool playground afterward. Didn't say a word about having to backtrack 2 blocks the other direction to get to Union Square.

He liked the playground, the statues, the dog run, the bronze map of the park, the sand art on the sidewalk. (What's not to like?)

Wanted to see more Manhattan sights. Suggested a cab to the Empire State Building, and immediately started trying to hail one.

Loved the TV monitor map in the cab that showed us where we were.

A little claustrophobic in the innards of the ESB, but interested enough to continue.

Afraid of the elevator from 2 to 80, it took a whole minute.

A little afraid of that extreme height on the 86th floor --who can blame him?! At 7, who'd have the words to express that feeling of, "I don't think I should be this high!"

On the way down, he's so DONE with it, ready to be outside again. Wants me to make him a T-shirt that says, "I survived the elevator ride at the Empire State Building."

McDonald's across the street, that's exactly what he already requested for dinner!

Still not ready to go home after that, so we walk to Macy's to get the subway. He loves the "World's biggest store" sign (is it really?, we wonder), and marvels at the lighted trees in the vest-pocket park that divides 7th and Broadway just above 34th, and the street filled with cafe tables, the painted bike lane, the sheer energy of it all.

"How long were we in Manhattan?" he asks on the ride home. "Three and a half hours," I calculate.

"Wow," is all he says.