It was a bitter, cold Saturday morning. Danielle called, and we surveyed our options for our stir-crazy children. All signs pointed toward the only place where a Kid Can Be a Kid on such a morning.
It was a true rite of passage, for me and for James. I had mixed feelings about it. James did not.
(If it seems strange that I'd never been to Chuck E. Cheese, even as a child, note: the first chain restaurant, Subway, came to my hometown shortly after THE stoplight was installed. I was in sixth grade. And yes, perhaps ironically, I celebrated a birthday there. My mom had my friends surprise me, and I was beside myself.
Subway? You mean it?? I happily rang in my 11th year of life over a cold cut combo. Chuck E. Cheese didn't exist in my universe.)
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| We started with a classic. Whack-a-Mole. |
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James found a more efficient way to get the job done.
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| When the time ran out, the balls collected behind a holding bar under the basket. James, seeing no need to waste another token, simply crawled right under to where the balls were kept. |
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| His friend Mason encountered a similar dilemma when his time ran out. Equally reluctant to squander another token, he enlisted James' help in retrieving the balls. |
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| James had his eye on this ride all morning. A screen simulation of a roller coaster. But he got a bit spooked when the seat started moving and made me hop on with him. After nearly losing my breakfast on the first lurch, I kept my eyes closed and prayed it would end soon. James (we) rode it two more times, until, mercifully, another kid showed up wanting a turn. |
