Chuck Appeal
Now that we've raved about how great the party was (see below), it's time for some learning and reflection.
Yes, the party was fun. It was great. Audrey had fun...and that's really all that matters, right? But in the end, we gotta confess: we see now why people grab a sucky cake, invite a few people to Chuck E. Cheese, and call it a day.
No 6 trips to the grocery store, 2 trips to Costco, 4 trips to Party City, numerous online purchases, table, chair & helium rentals, baking, cooking, cleaning, weeding, paving or sending neighbors twice to the store for more ice. (Seriously: 16 LARGE bags.) And all this was for a 'simple' backyard bbq. A simple menu: hamburgers, mac and cheese, fruit kebabs (outsourced to Kir). Dessert: cupcakes and pre-portioned ice cream. PAPER plates, cups, etc. No bouncy house or cele
That being said, have you ever seen how happy kids look at Charles E. Fromage? It's weird--kids look possessed and seem to be having convulsions. But I'm convinced they're having fun. Really, it's against everything I stand for: commercial concept, very bad processed food, heinously tacky and impersonal celebration. But on the other hand: one phone call, a few bucks worth of game tokens for each kid--- and bada-bing bada-boom! Instant party with no work, no preparation, no clean up.
Based on these reflections, here are our thoughts on future birthdays :
1.) Audrey will not be having an actual birthday party again until she is at least 10.
2.) That next party venue MIGHT very well be 'Chuck E. Cheese.'
When you're sleep deprived and have little spare time, things look very different. Like the Elmo pjs & pinata. Suddenly, we understand 'Chuck appeal.'
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5 comments:
Seriously, Chuck-E-Cheese is one of the most tacky things EVER, but the kiddos really do love it. So I suppose as parents, we must sacrifice what we want for what the child wants (thereby also having a good excuse for not going to all the trouble of a custom party!).
I'm glad you guys went all out this time. After all, a child only has one first birthday. But I won't blame you at all if you beg off the parties until the big sweet sixteen. Nor will I ever look down my nose (made even shinier by the greasy, nasty pizza) should you host any future fetes at the home of Charles E. (for Every-kid-loves-it-because-they-haven't-developed-any-taste-yet!) Frommage. On a side note, do you remember P.J. Pizzazz? There used to be one over in the Eastland shopping center, and it was kind of like the Chuck E. Cheese equivalent for slightly older more edgy kids' parties? But their oily, slimey-cheesed, cardboard-like pizzas were exactly the same. Oh, how I loved that bad pizza as a kid.....
Now I want pizza.
I do remember PJ Pizzazz...by name, that is because I don't recall ever actually being there. Slightly more edgy? We need that concept back!
And bad pizza--why do kids have such strange taste? I remember vehemently believing that fake mashed potatoes were FAR superior to real ones. Real potatoes 'just didn't taste right' to my young palette.
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