Nana would be so proud!

A few weeks ago, we had some friends staying with us while parts of their neighborhood were threatened by wildfire. Fortunately their home was safe, and we were able to enjoy some quality time hanging out and playing with their two adorable daughters. The weather was actually comfortable (unusual this year!) and so we took all four kids to the playground at the elementary school by our house.

After playing on the large play structures for a while, Max made his way to the fenced-in area with toys that are more suitable for toddlers and pre-K kiddos. I can't remember who came up with the idea, but Max got very excited about "playing Starbucks Drive-through". He perched himself inside the window of a mini plastic house and waited for me to pretend to drive up and make my order. He has requested this scenario for imaginative play a few times since then, so it is clearly a favorite.

I'm not sure... should I feel weird about the fact that my son finds this activity to be one so familiar that he would be drawn to acting it out in play? Granted, most of the time it is a positive experience for him because he gets a chocolate milk, pastry or "mini dessert" treat. His favorite are the tiramisu and birthday cake pops, but will settle for a whoopie pie if they are out of the cake pops.

And then we had a rather funny experience this week. On our way to an appointment, we went through a local Starbucks drive-through for my afternoon caffeine fix. I decided to get a smaller serving than usual and also thought I'd try getting it without my usual added sugar. Apparently Max has been paying close attention to my drink orders because after I placed my order and was directed to pull up to the window, he exclaimed, "Mommy, you have to get sugar!"

It gives me a feeling of comfort that Starbucks is something that Max finds so familiar. My mom was a huge fan of Starbucks and relished being a shareholder after Dad bought her some Starbucks stock as a Christmas present. For a while after her death, I found comfort in going to Starbucks, and felt strangely close to her by being in a place that I knew she would enjoy. I've tempered my visits and brew more of my coffee at home now, but it is clearly still a familiar business to our family.