Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Fighting the Crowds

When Alex started preschool at the age of three, one of the biggest changes I had to get used to was not having the time to do things like we could before. He has school every weekday afternoon, so a trip to visit his Granny and Paw-Paw, though only a 30 minute drive away, is pretty much out of the question. And errands have to be limited and quickly completed in the morning, still leaving enough time for an early lunch so Alex can be ready for school on time. So like many other families, I now look forward to school holidays, such as Spring Break. Suddenly, we can do things again without time restraints. So when my mom suggested we take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese one afternoon this week, I thought, what a great idea! And don't get me wrong. It was a great idea. But if there is one thing I cannot stand, it's crowds. I'll miss the greatest shopping sale at my favorite store just to avoid the inevitable crowds.

When we pulled into the parking lot at Chuck E. Cheese it was already apparent what a mad house this children's favorite was going to be. For a moment, we discussed going elsewhere. Maybe if we just went to McDonald's or Burger King, the big playsets they have there would be enough to satisfy the kids. No such luck. Alex had his heart set on Chuck E. Cheese. So we braved it... and boy, was it crowded! In addition to it being Spring Break, today has been extremely rainy. So I think everyone had the same idea as to how to spend this wet day with their children. Thankfully, my mom was able to find one small table in the back, just big enough for us to all squeeze in and eat our pizza. It was pretty chaotic, but I found that the kids didn't care one bit. I think crowds really only bother us adults. The kids are oblivious to it for the most part, with the exception of their impatience when having to wait in a line for a particular popular game. My mom and I endured the many people and noisy atmosphere, and I think in the end it was worth it.

This weekend we are planning to go to Sea World; I'm sure we'll face even bigger crowds there. And I'm sure that once again, it will be worth it when all is said and done.

3 comments:

Celeste Creates said...

That's exactly how it was for Nicole's birthday that Sat. evening a couple of weeks ago! They didn't mind!

Oh, and that is the same outfit that Nicole has. Amy looks so precious. Let's dress them up soon and take their photo!!!! How adorable. Nicole will think that is so neat!

mom-in-training said...

I would love to do that - how fun!!! I just knew when I saw Nicole in it the other day that it had to be the same. I'm glad it is - they will look adorable together! :)

Crafty Mom said...

I am just thankful that both of my children have absolutely no interest in places like Chuckie Cheese. We occasionally drag them to Dave and Buster's where we get lots of protests about the loudness.

They would much rather head to a nice quiet museum or park.

Looks like Amy totally enjoyed the experience though!! She is adorable.