Bug,  Gumball the Kitten,  the sticks

Chuck E. Cheese: a rite of passage

January 21, 2007 /

It’s 4:30 in the morning (when I wrote this, posted later) on the day of Baby Bug’s big Pinkkkkity First Birthday Party and I can’t sleep. Why? Because I have 200 pictures in my camera that need to get out and be posted. So many pictures! If I don’t, I know all these memories will just be lost because after the birthday party I’ll probably have 200 more pictures and by then I’ll be too tired to go back and blog about something as old as going to Chuck E Cheese’s on Friday night.

Chuck E. Cheese, remember him? Man, I haven’t been since I was twelve. Not counting that one birthday party I went to for a friend’s kid’s birthday. I didn’t have kids then so it was not the same at all. When you have kids, or you are a kid, Chuck E. Cheese’s is the best place EVER. Well, except the noise and the pizza that you’re worried is not going to be all that great because it was cooked by the same sweaty pimply teenager who was just up on stage teaching all the five year old’s how to Macarena.

Anyway, Chuck E. Cheese did not disappoint. It was a blastola. Baby Bug loved every minute of it. I don’t think she cried once. I thought sure she’d be afraid of the big furry mouse who’s hands move mechanically and maybe his one arm is broken because sometimes it gets stuck in mid air awkwardly. But no, she LOVED the broken Chuckie. She wanted to get up on stage and climb all over his furry feet. “Kkkkkkkkittty,” she says reaching towards him over and over. Silly kid.

My niece, Rapunzel, played skeeball and some other popcorn game all night and scored us a bunch of tickets. Then my sister-in-law, being the experienced mom that she is, divided all the tickets evenly between the three kids. So that meant Baby Bug got to have a prize from the prize counter too. So many prizes! I felt like I was twelve again, forced to do math so I could win something good. We ended up with a soft squishy ball (it was the only really baby proof thing there) and Baby Bug immediately grabbed it and would not let go. She fell asleep in her car seat on the way home, clasping her new ball tightly to her chest.

Isn’t this what being a mom is all about? Taking your kids to Chuck E. Cheese so they can exhaust themselves by having too much fun? It was great. She slept the whole night and didn’t wake up once.

12 Comments

  • BeachMama

    January 21, 2007 at 7:34 am

    Can’t wait for the party photos. I took J to Chuck E. Cheese in Regina last spring, sadly we don’t have one here in Ottawa :(. He loved it to death, the kids had a blast and my Sister and I got to enjoy them having fun. It would be really great if we had one here too. Glad you enjoyed it :).

  • Heather

    January 21, 2007 at 11:56 am

    I remember Chuck E. Cheese. I thought he had been replaced by Incredible Pizza. It’s nice to know he is still around. Baby Bug looks like she had a blast. Happy Birthday Baby Bug!

  • Angie

    January 21, 2007 at 12:16 pm

    I was wondering if Gumball the Kitten got to enjoy the fun at Chuck’s. I see that she did. Looks like fun. Can’t wait to see more pics.

  • Jennifer

    January 21, 2007 at 1:21 pm

    OK, I’m a HORRIBLE mom. My almost 5 year old hasn’t been to Chuck E. Cheese yet. In my defense, up until recently all that sensory stimulations would have put her in a downward spiral. I think she’s finally up to all that fun :)

    Looks and sounds like you guys had so much fun. Great pictures :)

  • jP

    January 21, 2007 at 5:15 pm

    Happy Birthday Bug!!!!! What a big girl eating pizza crust and everything.
    I love Rapunzels red glasses. Very sophisticated.
    You are a better mom than me. I hate Chuckee Cheese’s. The noise is more than I can stand and the prize counter–don’t get me started.I’ll let them go to birthday parties there, but I won’t take them myself. We found a nickel arcade that is more enjoyable that we go to now. But I’d rather give them $20 and go to the toy store. jP

  • OMSH

    January 21, 2007 at 5:43 pm

    We … um … drive in to Chuck E. Cheese on Friday nights. Every weekend is a birthday. They are the last standing establishment within 2 hours with both Frogger AND Ms. Pacman.

    And? They stamp your kids’ hand so no one can steal them! What a plus! HA!

  • margalit

    January 21, 2007 at 9:22 pm

    I didn’t take my kids to Charles Frommage until they were in kindergarten and were invited to a birthday party there. When that ratty rat touched my daughter, I was afraid she would catch fleas from him, he was so ratty. I never got that place, but my kids LOVED it. Ugh.

    It’s so strange to see you wearing a winter coat. I keep thinking of you taking walks on the beach but you look as bundled up as we are here in Boston. It’s cold, eh?

    I can’t wait to see the birthday photos.

  • ADELE

    January 22, 2007 at 6:30 am

    How funny- we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday for Natalie’s 2nd birthday! It was my first experience with it, and have to say the family had a great time. She’s so cute!