Moo!

While driving home from the gym Friday afternoon, I wracked my brain trying to come up with an adventure. Although I doubt Robby would ever become bored of his favorite pastime, I was growing weary of sitting by the stream watching him catch tadpoles and fish. I was trying to devise something different or a project that would occupy us for a few hours.

Unable to come up with anything, I resigned myself to another afternoon of swatting away mosquitoes and baiting hooks and I turned on the radio. The DJ's were bantering and, unlike most times when I simply tune them out or switch stations, I listened. I'm glad that I was paying attention because I received my activity inspiration.

In addition to being Friday the 13th, it was also Cow Appreciation Day. How could I not know this! Robby loves going to Chick Fil A, and for one day only the restaurant offered a free meal to everybody who came dressed as a cow. I put my creative costuming hat on and went to work.

Scouring around our closet I located the tunic that I made for Halloween the year Scott dressed as a caveman. The front of the fabric was plush with a leopard print, but the back was black and white. Perfect for cow spots. A few black t-shirts and shorts and a stapler were all I needed to complete our bovine-inspired look.

In order to keep everything simple, I opted to staple the spots onto our black clothes as it was an easy and non-permanent way to create the cow costumes. I figured it would take no more than thirty minutes before we were cool cows and out the door. It took nearly two hours to complete our costumes, but the extended time was more indicative of my having an eager little helper who loved cutting spots versus the project being difficult.

While Robby and I were busy crafting our cow outfits, Scott devised a route to all six of our local Chick Fil A restaurants. Apparently people in this area love chicken! We donned our spots, grabbed our map, and promised our neighbors to return with dinner for everybody.

Dressed in full cow garb, I drove to every local restaurant to redeem our free meals. Robby was in full costumed glory as he posed for photos and accepted compliments. Some of the restaurants had a few customers dressed like cows, but in a few we were the only cows. We garnered a lot of smiles and quizzical looks from fellow diners. We had so much fun!

All six restaurants held true to the promotion and gave us each a free meal. Robby decided to forgo a kids meal because he reasoned that he'd "get more chicken with a regular meal." I'm so proud that he shows an appreciation for getting things for free!

By the time we were done with our route, we had scored twelve full chicken meals. Robby delivered the dinners to our neighbors, telling each of them that we have "a whole crap load of free chicken in the car." I'm not sure if they smiled because he was an adorable little cow or because they were receiving free food. Either way, our little adventure made a lot of people happy!