I have cut down my work schedule this summer. It was largely because work has slowed down and it wasn’t making sense to add more babysitting. So my husband Jeff and I decided that between summer camps and family visits, we’d only end up with a few weeks of no childcare and I’d try to juggle keeping a small amount of work with having my boys. I am really glad for this time with them, especially as I see the baby leaving them both so quickly. (Dillon just turned 3 & Liam 6). This new situation also worries me a bit because, well, “Mommy just isn’t that fun for more than 4 hours. I’d like to say I have all these crafts and projects planned. But I don’t. I am working on it. So far I have a standing weekly play date with a group of families, library afternoon — and Chuck E Cheese.
Yep I said it, and did it. Something I always swore I wouldn’t. But Liam got Chuck E on the brain. Asked, and asked, and asked. I found out Cash had the same idea, so Tanya and I went together. It actually wasn’t too bad. The kids had a great time. We got to visit a while between games. I do think we had a few things going for us that helped the trip: We got there when they first opened, and on a weekday. It wasn’t nearly as crazy in the a.m., than it was starting to become in the afternoon when we left. I went with another Mom that I like to hang out with. We found coupons on their site and saved a bunch on the food and tokens. A bonus was that I signed up for their
Chuck E Club and was emailed even better deals. I think we had about 100 tokens, one pizza and salad, and five drinks by only spending $30 a piece. For three boys. The other nice thing is they have a child-to-parent check at the door so you feel a little more secure that your kid won’t go out the door with a stranger, or on their own. One quick warning if you go to their web site — they have loud music playing with no off button. I had my volume up a bit and nearly jumped out of my seat when the site loaded.
The downside is the pizza is not good. If you eat meat I suggest you get pepperoni because the cheese pizza is really dry. Even Dillon, who is an eating machine, wouldn’t eat it. I am glad I got a salad because I was able to stock up on veggies for him. I also remember from when I worked there back in high school, the sandwiches weren’t that bad. Oh yeah. I worked there in high school. I was a birthday party hostess. It was fun... ball pit, helium balloon tanks, pizza. Tips and a $4.25 hourly wage. What more could a 16-year-old girl want in a job? Oh, and there was that time I got mauled. Which I completely forgot about until we were there.
Normally, the same kid would come in to dress up like Chuck E. for the birthday parties. Keep in mind that Chuck E was much, much shorter back then. And much less hip. Anyway. The Chuck E kid didn't show up that day, and we had all these birthday kids waiting for the rat to come out. The parents paid for this and were getting impatient. There were four girls that hostessed the parties. The manager said one of us would have to wear the suit. Next thing I know, everyone had disappeared and he asked me to dress as Chuck E. I was worse at saying “no” then, than I am now. I agreed... reminding him that I was way too tall for the suit. We all were. That’s why they hired a kid just for that job.
So I put on the suit and of course it didn’t fit right and my neck was sticking out between the head and the suit. I went out there, waved a little bit, and then a family asked me to hold their baby for a photo. Like a 4 month old baby. I go to hold the baby and I’ve never worn this suit before so I forget that there is a big, long nose... I bump the baby on the head with the nose. After that, I head for the front of the room. To get there I had to go up the ramp, around the birthday pit to the stairs. There was about a five stair decent and then you are in the pit. About three stairs down some kids yelled “There’s a person in there!!!”. Suddenly, all these kids were attacking me! I’m lying on the ground and a bunch of kids are trying to pull of the head off the suit. Another kids pulls off one of the gloves. I was completely helpless and the manager had to pull them off me and escort me to safety.
So this latest trip to Chuck E. Cheese wasn’t nearly as traumatic, even with the bad pizza. I suggest you try it. The trip, not the rat suit.
photo credit: http://michellewright.wordpress.com