Where a Kid Can Be a Kid

Walking up to the purple and green establishment, one of food service, yet ironically bearing the image of a mouse, I could only think, "you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villany."

I have no great affinity for money traps that prey on the sentiments of little children. "Chuck E. Cheese's" is a greasy, noisy, chaotic zone of kiddie mania. As I approached the door, running on too little sleep from a long weekend and too little food from a busy day, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of dread.

This sense of terror soon gripped my nearly 2-year-old son when he first laid eyes on the restaurant's icon. Chuck ambled over to us (with a clipboard in hand, which I thought was odd, but Brennan didn't seem to notice) with that plastic grin on his face, waving maladroitly yet pleasantly. It was when this giant gray figure stretched out his hand, asking for a high five, that my son proceeding to crawl up the arm I was holding him in. A terrified and shaky "nnnoooo" came from his lips. Who wouldn't be terrified of a 6 foot rat? It's amazing to me that more adults don't look on this costume with loathing and fear. It's practically everyone's worst nightmare (read of Winston's torture near the end of "1984" and see if you don't cringe).

In a moment of perfect clarity I stopped and smiled. I remembered my sister saying once, "When I'm 5 I'll walk up to Chuck E. Cheese all by myself!"

"The way that mouse smiled back at me
conjured memories of Chuck E. Cheese,
then brought in me a change of mood,
and saved some part of a day I had rued" (apologies to Robert Frost).
The night proceeded in a dream-like haze of mellow euphoria. The boys sat in rapt amazement of the dance show while they ate their pizza. Brennan never asked to play anything, but played everything as though it were his game, though he never spent a single token. Aydan would politely ask for a handful of coins, run off to play, and then race back to me, his face beaming with delight, to proudly display the meager 2 or 3 tickets he had won. When the evening ended, we left without whining or complaints. In the backseat, my sons shared the candy they claimed as prizes, tickled each other and laughed all the way home.

What a blessed moment to look with love at the 2 beings of pure delight with which God has gifted me. Thank you Father for my children. Thank you for that night. And yes God...thank you for Chuck E. Cheese's.

Hoplessly Uncool

There's nothing quite as uncool as someone trying desperately to be cool.

So as I sat agonizing over a "cool" name for my blog, I realized what a poser I often am.

I hope this will be an honest self expression...laying aside pretense and my desire to appear cool. Interesting that I would choose a forum where the whole world could access my innermost thoughts!

If you have found your way here, I hope you enjoy.