Yes, I changed my template. Again.
No, I didn't try a spiffy new one from Pyzam. Much as I'd like to, considering the many favorites I selected - I'm just a little wary from that recent disaster. I'll give it a few days or weeks and try again, I'm sure.
I like this one better because of (1) the wider frame - I tend to ramble and hated having to scroll down for 5 minutes just to read one post in it's entirety, and (2) I like the softer colors and the Harbor theme.
Today's Happenings:
My fellow blogger and neighbor Anne and I were dragged into taking our sons to Peter Piper Pizza this morning at the ungodly (for me) hour of 11 a.m. to attend the birthday party of a classmate. We discussed the anticipated two hours of hell like the experienced moms that we are ... we didn't want to ditch the boys and run.
O.K. - we wanted too, but figured Murphy and his Law would choose today to send one (or both) of the boys to the E.R. with a broken limb or gaping wound, due to our neglectful absence. In addition - we didn't want to dump more on the shoulders of the birthday girl's parents. They have enough to juggle already.
Therefore, we both brought books, notebooks and pens aplenty - I even brought a deck of cards. We figured we'd introduce ourselves and the boys, then skulk off to a side booth and enjoy a little quiet time - with the expected periodic interruptions from the boys.
No dice.
Turns out, ungodly hour though it may be, 11 a.m. is the perfect time in which to hold a birthday party at P3. (Dear Charmed fans - way, way, WAY different.) The staff was still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as they have not cleaned up multiple messes of upchuck, spilled soda, and pizza and cake that got knocked on the floor.
The non-birthday-party crowd was very small, and the overall noise level of the place was not eardrum-thumping. To top it all off - the birthday girl's parents were funny and friendly and we actually had a good time talking, laughing and telling stories while the kids ate, drank, opened presents and fed tokens into every available game.
Not at all what I expected.
Don't get me wrong - I won't go rushing back eagerly when the next classmate decides to have his or her party at that particular "hotspot" or any similar chain of kid-oriented / enter- food-tainment kind of places.
I love my kids, I love most of my friend's kids, and I love quite a few of my kids' friends. But I don't love a hundred or so stranger-kids who seem to have been raised in a cave with very little human contact, only to be abruptly let loose to run and scream and punch and kick while their "handlers" turn a blind eye.
Today was a rare exception. Trust me, I have hosted and attended too many parties in one of "those places."
But today is a definite check mark in the "This-is-so-much-better-than-I-thought-it-would-be" column.
3 comments:
I hear ya. I'm facing a 4-yr old party at Chuck E. Cheese (local pizza parlor/game room/overpriced kiddy palace) in a few days. I hope I survive to blog about it.....
Yeah, I'm always dreading kid birthday parties, especially when I feel the need to parent those caveman kids whose parents are there, just not there. Know what I mean?
Your AI: I'll be prayin' for ya! I survived ... there's hope! It all depends on if it's your kid's party or not. I say bring your iPod and earphones, a good book and a notebook & pen if you can ...
CMGD: I completely do ... like the 5 mins you spend with them trying to teach them it's NOT ok to punch another kid in the back for taking too long on the skee-ball is going to set their life right, huh?
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