Come on Chuck E Cheese

I'm glad to see how many of you understand my pain when it comes to kids shows. I feel like it was a bonding moment.
Priya had a birthday this week, so I have a 4 and a 5 year old now. She was so excited. We had her home before her birthday, but it was only a few weeks before her birthday, and she was still pretty shell shocked with all that had happened to her, so we didn't hold a big party. We just had some cake and ice cream, and some presents. We figured getting her out of the orphanage was a pretty big present. Honestly, we just didn't want to overwhelm her.
Now she's had an entire year of watching everyone else have a birthday, and she felt it was time for her birthday party. She's been talking about it constantly for the last two weeks, and making sure I knew it was her birthday, not anyone else.
The night before her birthday I took Mirinda to Costco to get Priya a present. We found a cute pajama set, and Mirinda wanted to get it for her, but she wanted a set too. I told her it was for Priya's birthday, and it wouldn't be very fair if she got a present too when it was Priya's birthday. She was upset by this at first, but we did some other shopping. As we were going to leave she asked about getting Priya's birthday present, and I asked her if she was OK just getting one for Priya, and she said yes, and was very happy about it. That was a proud father moment. She is an amazing big sister to Priya. Those two weirdos never cease to amaze me.
We had the birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Holy crap birthday parties cost a lot of money. But the girls had gone to a birthday party earlier in the year there and were very excited to have their own. We had cupcakes and ice cream. Priya was so please with being sung to, and so excited to blow the candles out she blew them out before the song ended. She got a lot of really nice presents.
If you haven't been to Chuck E Cheese in a while they don't do the animatronic band like they used to. They do have a robot Chuck E Cheese, but all he does is move his head every once in a while, and stare out you like he's trying to decide what he's going to eat first. Instead of the robots, they have big screens where the characters as puppets will sing songs and do little comedy bits.
We were about to start everyone playing games when the screens came up with someone announcing that Chuck E Cheese will be coming in 7 minutes. I told Priya that Chuck E Cheese was coming and she got very excited. The screen stayed on, and the announcer continued talking about how exciting it was that Chuck E Cheese was coming in 7 minutes. The countdown continued, and now Chuck E Cheese was coming in 6 minutes. 6 minutes! The announcer is now backstage talking to Chuck E Cheese, and Chuck E Cheese is talking about how excited he is to meet everyone. Now we're down to 5 minutes until Chuck E Cheese comes, and the excitement is ramping up. There are kids dancing on the screen, overcome with joy at the prospect of meeting Chuck E Cheese. Now we hit the 4 minute mark, and the excitement can barely be contained. Children are openly weeping because Chuck E Cheese will soon be coming. Now we're at 3 minutes, and it was just like that scene in Temple of Doom when the kids are freed and are running out of the cave to greet their parents for the first time in years. That's how much joy was in the faces of these children. Now 2 minutes have come until Chuck E Cheese comes, and I didn't know that much excitement existed in the world. Chuck E Cheese will come to right our wrongs and smite our enemies. Now we're at a minute left. The kids on the screen and off the screen have started a bonfire and are dancing in tribute to Chuck E Cheese. The countdown starts at 10 seconds left. It is complete bedlam, all sense of law and order have left because Chuck E Cheese has finally come.
Out of a side door walks Chuck E Cheese, and he stands there doing nothing for about 30 seconds just staring at the children. My nephew is so excited he leaps towards Chuck E Cheese to give him a hug, and Chuck E Cheese does nothing but give a small wave. Then Chuck E Cheese slowly walks to the other side of the building, not interacting with the children in any way. As he's walking towards us we tell him that we have a birthday girl here, and he turns, puts his hands out, and almost shrugs, then continues walking to the other side of the building. As he walks past me I could have sworn I could here someone screaming inside the suit. Chuck E Cheese slowly walks to the other side of the building, stays there for a while, and then slowly walks back. When he gets back he's locked out of the door, and stands there awkwardly until someone opens it for him.
Come on Chuck E Cheese.
Despite the incredibly unenthusiastic mascot, Priya really enjoyed her party. I think next time I'll ask to put the costume on though. Light that place up.
So that's my recommendation for the week. Go to Chuck E Cheese on 2100 south because it actually is a nice place and pretty clean, but don't get your hopes up for Chuck E Cheese unless you really, really like seeing your children be disappointed.
As always thanks for reading!