My lunch date with the second graders

I ate lunch with 7-year-old Annika and her second-grade classmates today, my fourth and final day of a long weekend.
I arrived early, so I sat with Annika while she played Battleship with her classmate DaShawn.
It was a truly brutal battle, with the pair mercilessly sinking each other's ships. I wanted to point out that the game is actually much more challenging if you *DON'T* peek over at your opponent's grid, but they were on such a roll I did not want to spoil the fun.
After I complimented DaShawn on his elegant taste in wearing a SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS hoodie, he became my best friend in the classroom.
He explained that he moved here from Chicago and that Tyrrell was his cousin and that he *ALWAYS* selects the Garfield chocolate milk from the case as the class walks into the lunchroom.
The class lined up and I felt a little self conscious, as I completely towered over the second-grade students.
DaShawn walked into the lunchroom with Annika and me and even retrieved a Garfield chocolate milk from the case for me.
We ate chicken patties on a bun, which is apparently one of the truly gourmet items at Marshall Elementary School.
Annika happily but quietly plunged her carrots into her ranch dressing -- I think she must have been so pleased for me to sit there with her.
DaShawn chattered away, pointing out Tyrrell ("Who? Oh yeah... your cousin") and even offering me some of the CHOCOLATE LUCKY CHARMS marshmallows he brought from home to augment his school lunch.
Annika watched in a mixture of horror and admiration as the two boys opposite us caused mayonnaise packets to burst onto their hands and clothing.
While the teachers rushed over to diffuse that troublesome situation, I munched marshmallows with DaShawn, put my arm around Annika, and wondered why I waited this long to schedule a lunch date with the second graders.