Notes: Huge thanks to the Amazing Mari for her help, and to SuperSammy for the awesome title. You're the best, ladies!

Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.

Hope you enjoy!

Hunting for a Good Idea (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Mari and Ilna)

Chapter 1

"Daddy?" DJ asked, and Steve looked up from where he'd been sitting on the sofa looking at his iPad. Both DJ and Angie were standing in the living room looking a little anxious.

Steve immediately put down his tablet and sat up. "What is it? Everything okay?"

"We still don't know what we want to do with Mommy for Mother's Day," DJ replied.

Steve's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly but he continued to give them his full attention. "You've finished your cards already," he began.

"But we want to do something fun," Angie said. "Something Mommy will really love."

"But we can't think of any good ideas," DJ added.

"I find that hard to believe," Steve said. "You two are always full of good ideas."

"Not this time," Angie said.

"We were wondering if you can help us," DJ said. "Maybe we can look up ideas on the internet. Mr. Francis says sometimes that can help get your brain going when you're stuck."

Steve glanced at his watch. "Well, we've got some time before bed. Come on over." He motioned them to sit on either side of him. "Between the three of us, I'm sure we can come up with a good idea." He picked up his iPad again as they got settled.

"Put in 'good Mother's Day ideas,' " Angie instructed, and Steve fought a smile as he did so.

"This site says it has 'The Best 57 Mother's Day Ideas,' " he read.

"Do that one!" Angie immediately said, and DJ nodded eagerly in agreement.

With a little chuckle, Steve opened the website and started to scroll, both kids leaning against him from either side.

"What's the first one say?" Angie asked.

" 'Visit an amusement park,' " Steve read.

Angie and DJ exchanged a look. "Well, there isn't really an amusement park around here …" DJ said. "And we just went to Disneyland."

Angie nodded sadly. "It's too far away."

"Yeah," DJ said, matching her tone. "What's next?" he asked, then answered his own question as he read, " 'Have a backyard BBQ.' "

"BBQs are fun!" Angie said, straightening excitedly.

"Yeah," DJ agreed. "But we have a lot of backyard BBQs. For birthdays and holidays and just for fun."

Angie deflated a little and nodded.

" 'Watch home movies'?" Steve asked, reading the next suggestion.

"Mommy always says that's really special," Angie said.

"Yeah," DJ agreed. His lips twisted a little as he thought it over. "But that's what we do for Official Day and Mommy and Daddy's anniversary."

"So we need a different special for Mother's Day," Angie said.

Steve smiled as he looked back and forth between them as they reasoned through each choice.

" 'Head to the beach,' " DJ read. All three looked toward the backyard, then DJ and Angie looked at each other. Angie made a face and DJ nodded. "We do that every day so we'll probably do it on Mother's Day anyway …"

Angie nodded. " 'Cause we're so lucky to have a beach right outside our house."

"Yes, we are," Steve agreed.

"What's next?" Angie added.

" 'Play a family board game,' " Steve read out loud and Angie tilted her head.

"We always do that, remember? Mommy wins at M'nopoly every time cause she's the best at it."

"She always has been." He smirked. "Ask Aunt Carrie and Uncle John how many times she beat everyone at the Academy."

"So a game isn't super duper special enough," she mused. "We gotta do super duper special stuff for Mommy." Her eyes glinted and Steve shared a look with DJ at her next words, "Maybe exercise with Felix!? I saw it on TV."

"What?" Steve asked, genuinely puzzled.

"She means goat yoga," DJ explained. "We saw a commercial for it at Grandma and Grandpa's." He looked at his sister. "But it's for grown-ups, and it's a place with special goats so it wouldn't be Felix and his family. Besides, we couldn't go to it and I think Mommy wants to spend the day with us."

"Oh, yes, Mommy wants to be with us." She pursed her lips. "Okay, we'll do goat yo…yogurt a different time when they let kids go," she conceded. Her smile remained bright and her father and brother returned it. "What's a different idea on the list, Daddy?"

" 'Make a memory book,' " he read.

"We made her our pictures on the wood things, and Mommy has lots of albums. The new one Aunt Mary gave her in California isn't even partway full," DJ reasoned.

"Yeah, she's got lots and lots of pictures. Mommy loves pictures but they're already in books."

"So, no memory book," Steve said with a look between the kids.

They quickly moved through the next few ideas, not finding any of them palatable.

"These are all good ideas for someone," DJ said, starting to look worried again. "Just not for us."

"There's plenty more to go through," Steve told him gently. "And remember, looking on a website might spark an idea from you that's not already here."

DJ nodded, relaxing a little. He looked at the next suggestion. "What's a Paint and Sip class?" he asked.

"Looks like it's when people get together to paint a picture and drink wine," Steve surmised from the photo.

Angie made a face. "Wine's not good for kids."

"No, it's not," Steve confirmed. "But I'm sure it doesn't have to be wine if you like the idea. We could get sparkling grape juice like we do at New Year's."

Angie and DJ exchanged a look, having a silent conversation.

"Let's say it's a maybe …" DJ suggested.

"Yeah, a maybe," Angie agreed.

"Okay, maybe paint and sip," Steve repeated. He chuckled at the next suggestion. "I think you're going to have the same answer to this as for heading to the beach. 'Go swimming,' " he read.

Angie and DJ laughed. "We'll do that anyway," DJ repeated his words from earlier.

" 'Let her sleep in,' " Steve read.

"But then there won't be time for super fun stuff," Angie said.

"And Mommy doesn't really sleep in," DJ added. "Ever."

Steve chuckled. "It is pretty rare. And I do think she'd rather be awake and spending time with you two."

They continued scrolling, nixing one suggestion after another for various reasons.

"What if Mommy comes home from her dinner with Samantha while we're looking?" Angie asked, suddenly worried that the not-yet-existent surprise would be spoiled. She turned to look out the window toward the driveway.

"She'll text when she's headed home," Steve assured her. "We'll have some warning."

" 'Have a Mother's Day Book Club,' " DJ read. "We have book club at school. It's where everyone reads the same chapter book and we talk about it in the library."

"That's one way," Steve said with a nod. "It also says we could read Mommy's favorite picture books from when she was little."

"Maybe we could ask Grandma what they were!" DJ said.

"Yeah!"

"Good thinking," Steve said. "Another maybe?" he asked.

Both kids nodded. "Another maybe," they replied.

"Now, you both know that whatever you decide, Mommy is going to love it, right?" Steve said, meeting both their eyes. "The most important thing to her is spending time with you. No matter what we're doing."

They nodded, smiling because they knew his words were one hundred percent true.

"Good," Steve said, returning to the screen and scrolling to the next suggestion. "Hang on a sec …"

"What?" Angie asked, sitting up excitedly at his tone and catching her brother's equally excited look. "What?!"

He smiled slowly at them. "I think this one might be the winner."

Hope you enjoyed!

Join us Monday for the Mother's Day surprise!

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