Wiwille goes to Chuck E Cheese, ends well.

Sunday I was invited to go to a three year old's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. When I told people about this they grinned and warned me about the outing. I didn't understand why, but I haven't been to one of their establishments in years.

I walk in their in the afternoon, beating the birthday folks by a few minutes. I sit down and soak in the atmosphere, which was an assault on the senses. Kids were screaming and games were blaring at a decibel that creatures on four legs could hear, the smells of pizza and wings fumigated the place. Merriment was being had by many a tyke, but the parents looked exhausted as they opened their wallets and seeing their checking account deplete as kids begged for tokens. I sat nervously as I know I'll be one of them soon enough.

The stage didn't contain the animatronic Pizza Time Players band anymore, which didn't please me. It was my goal to play it over and over again and watch the adults' blood pressure skyrocket, but alas. Instead it had some activities for birthday kids, which was just as well.

Hudson, the birthday boy in question, was having a grand old time playing the games and getting all sorts of attention. As he opened his gifts with his mom, he found mine, which contained some kiddie Star Wars action figures and a Darth Vader lightsaber. I soon drew the ire of his parents as he was excited about the plastic weapon, beating balloons and his grandpa was the way of the sith, and he was then crowned Darth Hudson. Yes I'm not a favorite amongst his parents anymore, but I assume they thought the display was cute and he was having fun.

After I left I thought about all the times I'll be dealing with screaming kids at birthday parties, and after this experience I'm actually looking forward to it, shocking as that may be. There's quite nothing like seeing a child's face light up when in a place they deem as cool, and I can't wait to see Kenadie's smile.