Last Saturday morning, after a quick trip to Edwards Park, we made our way to Terra Toys to buy a gift certificate for Adrian and then we drove up to Pump It Up - Austin's premier indoor jumpy castle place. It's a good thing both Vivian and Evan like it so much, because it's not a great venue for parents. You get to stand in one of two large rooms with jumpy things in them where kids scream and shriek and you distract yourself by listening to bad music. The second room is better - it's dark with UV lights providing the only illumination - so it's easier for me to avoid having to make polite conversation. I suppose if you are white you would glow.
The most awkward portion of the two hour ordeal is the snack and cake section. All the kids and all the parents are crammed into a small room with two tables. The kids sit at one and have a blast eating pizza and cupcakes and drinking from juice boxes. The parents mournfully sit at the other and try not to consult their phones too often. And a not-so-bright teenage employee sings happy birthday to the lucky child as if it is the most important thing he's going to do in his whole life. While the next party queues up in the other room.
I asked Evan how he liked the cupcake - his second one. He was too busy eating, so he gave me the thumbs-up. So I contemplate how shitty my Saturday morning is. I'm glad he's enjoying his.
After the party we get back home and shower and change and head off to Zach Scott Theater to see a bilingual performance of Cinderella. The play is staged in the round by a single actor who looks like she is a young high school girl. She does a superb job and then spends several minutes afterwards asking the children about the play. Both Vivian and Evan enjoyed it and were amazed by how much you can do with a very limited set of props and one actor.
The most awkward portion of the two hour ordeal is the snack and cake section. All the kids and all the parents are crammed into a small room with two tables. The kids sit at one and have a blast eating pizza and cupcakes and drinking from juice boxes. The parents mournfully sit at the other and try not to consult their phones too often. And a not-so-bright teenage employee sings happy birthday to the lucky child as if it is the most important thing he's going to do in his whole life. While the next party queues up in the other room.
I asked Evan how he liked the cupcake - his second one. He was too busy eating, so he gave me the thumbs-up. So I contemplate how shitty my Saturday morning is. I'm glad he's enjoying his.
After the party we get back home and shower and change and head off to Zach Scott Theater to see a bilingual performance of Cinderella. The play is staged in the round by a single actor who looks like she is a young high school girl. She does a superb job and then spends several minutes afterwards asking the children about the play. Both Vivian and Evan enjoyed it and were amazed by how much you can do with a very limited set of props and one actor.
No comments:
Post a Comment