Saturday, January 5, 2008

WE DID IT!

We finally went to Chuck E. Cheese this week.
Our very first outing to Chuck E. Cheese.

My next statement should be, "What was I thinking??"
Only I WASN'T thinking.

In fact, what I WAS thinking, after I ran into a friend at Costco who invited us to join her and her son, was :

"What the heck. Why not?"

Why not?

Maybe because it was only a couple days after New Year's and school is still out for most kids and they ALL decided to go to Chuck E. Cheese!

I must say, it did keep me from the usual "impulse buys" that always seem to take hold of me during a trip to Costco. I got in, got the diapers, ran into my friend, and got out!

But Chuck E. Cheese... WOW.

Harrison and I got arms stamped, walked in and stopped short.

If only I had a camera in that moment.

I'm sure any person looking at us in that brief second of time would have seen a mother and toddler with jaw dropped as we took in the chaos that was Chuck E. Cheese.

Then I remembered that school was out. My friend shoved coins in my hand and said, "Watch C., I'm going to get more tokens!"
Well, once unfrozen by the overwhelm of it all, Harrison ran one way, C. ran the other and there I stood trying to calculate my next move in this crazy, noisy, wild place.

Luckily the boys quickly came back together at the same ride and I had tokens in hand!

We were there for only a couple hours - but it felt like 10! Once settled into the chaos, Harrison spent most of his time in the climbing tube structure, to the point of sweatiness. I got AH piece of pizza in him; he ate it as he sat in the Bob the Builder ride/truck/thingy.

I watched as more and more people arrived.

It got crazier and louder, and more chaotic and then Harrison discovered Chuck (a larger than life robotic Chuck E.) - in the back of the restaurant where it was... somewhat peaceful. So I sat down as he got up and danced with Chuck E. and stared at him and danced more and stared a little longer.

Well some time later, we finally left. Intact. No over-stimulation meltdown. Phew!

Until...
we got a mile down the road and then he lost it. He wanted to see C. more, he wanted to go back and see Chuck E., he wanted to go to C's house, he wanted, he wanted.

He needed a nap.

All I can say of the experience:

Wow.

4 comments:

Blueberry said...

yes, we found out that right after new years- even at 11am- is not the best time to be there! (it is much better on week days when school is in session!)
i'm glad you guys had a great time!!

Anonymous said...

Never ever CEC on Friday- Sunday and only on the other day at non peak times. Never. Insanity.

Stacy said...

Oh that sounds exhausting! I'm not sure I could handle that much humanity and chaos, my nerves get short these days.

As for Costco, I hear ya. If I have time to browse, watch out!

Christina said...

LOL! That sounds almost just like my experience! HAHA! It really isn't bad on a "normal" weekday. That dancing Chuck E is usually Nadia's favorite part.