Generation Gap

This weekend I celebrated my 30th birthday. The celebration of my third decade of life left me feeling a bit nostalgic all week.

However, I can honestly say that turning 30 didn't get me down, instead I mostly reflected back on what a great life it has been thus far and made me realize that 30 really is the new 20.

That is, until we decided to treat little man to a Happy Meal.

And then, I felt old.

I remember growing up my own mother lamenting about how Happy Meal toys were strange little things that didn't make much sense. She wondered what was so alluring about them to little kids.

I also remember wondering what exactly did she mean? Happy Meal toys were the best!

Then ... I became a mom.

Let me begin this post first and foremost by saying that Happy Meals are a treat at our house ... although I do admit it is an easy dinner for little man, we do our best to keep Happy Meals a fun, exciting treat rather than just dinner. Perhaps that, in and of itself, is what makes Happy Meal toys so fun.

And that's what it was last Friday night ... feeling cheerful and upbeat by the anticipation of the weekend's birthday celebration, we decided to treat little man to a Happy Meal while we ate something more grown-up later that night.

While happily dining on his chicken nuggets, fries and chocolate milk, I rummaged through his sack to dig out his Happy Meal toy. Only to find myself suddenly feeling as if the past 30 years of life had caught up to me.

"How strange," I thought to myself. "What is it?"

Enter: The Generation Gap

"Yay!" Little man proclaimed as he snatched up the toy from my hands and began playing with it.

I sat in a daze ... wondering, quite frankly, what in the world I had just pulled out from that bag.

And then I remembered my mother lamenting about Happy Meal toys - and then I understood what exactly she had meant. And I felt for her. And I felt old ... again.

However, a picture speaks a thousand words, so before I unveil to you all what is, quite possibly, the most disturbing Happy Meal toy of all time, I dug through little man's toy box to show you a countdown of my Top Three Most Disturbing Happy Meal Toys:

No. 3: American Idol or American Psycho?

I'm not exactly sure what this is supposed to be ... but my investigative skills tell me it must have something to do with American Idol due to the "American Idol" on its shirt. If you twist its arm it sings a strange little song reminiscent of bad early 90s techno. Not to mention the outfit is definitely a throwback to the 80s. But what exactly does that have to do with American Idol? And why was it in my son's Happy Meal? Perhaps we shouldn't ask questions we don't want the answer to ....

No. 2: Rooster or WWF Superstar?

Unlike the previous item, there were no tell-tale signs on this prize as to what exactly it is. I think it looks like a rooster. However, if you pull its arm up, it will slam it back down, making me think more WWF wrestler. Either way it is definitely disturbing ... my only solace it that it appears little man also doesn't know exactly what this is either... so at least I'm not alone in my Happy Meal ponderings.

And finally, the No. 1 most disturbing Happy Meal toy ...

It's a plane ... it's a head ... it's ....

I really don't know what it is. But, it bobbles.

It's a big-headed, jet fighter bobble-head.

And yes, that's all it does. It bobbles.

Maybe the Happy Meal toy makers had a bunch of extra Star Wars toys and some Ken heads with no bodies?

Maybe it's some kind of new superhero? BobbleMan?

Oy.

Maybe I'm just old.

Maybe I now understand the meaning of "generation gap."

Maybe I should stop pondering the meaning of bobble-heads.

{Sigh}