Where a Kid Can Be a Kid

Jillian is currently on a business trip to beautiful Des Moines, Iowa which means a chance for another "daddy daughter date." Now, I'd never admit this but I'm starting to like these work trip jaunts of Jillian because it allows for these special bonding times with Megan.

Tonight's excursion? The land of make believe, animatronics, the faint whisper of BO wafting in the air, and sewer rats that do the electric slide.

Of course we went to Chuck E. Cheese.

Except we almost didn't.

Because Megan FREAKS. THE. HECK. OUT. at mascots and other adult-sized cartoon characters in costume like Obama in a room full of Republicans. So I had to warn her in the car there was a slim chance we might see Chuck but it would just be a person in a costume.

Uhhh ... she no likey. And had a minor meltdown in the parking lot. However I finally got her to relent to entering the building ... in my arms, so she could case the place for that roided up mouse.

The fear of seeing the mouse was quickly forgotten amidst the chaos and clanging of bells, tokens clattering here and there, and the din of numerous video games in use. It's basically a casino for the under 12 set.

After her tour I asked if she wanted to stay or go.

"I wanna stay daddy." Okay, then.

In fact, after seeing the animatronic Chuck start going through his usual spiel she made me move tables so we could be CLOSER to him. Who is this girl?

After pizza I took her up to the fake Chuck and once we got 5 feet away she was all done. To the games!

The next 45 minutes was a whirlwind of ticket grabbing, fake car driving, and photo booth fun between dad and daughter. And I loved every second of it. Even skee-ball where she struggled to even get the ball off the ramp. Whatever. She had so much fun that she didn't even mind when the 'real' Chuck came out and did some sort of line dance and then made it rain with tickets.

At the end of the night we cashed in our 44 tickets for two suckers and two sheets of stickers. That is a night well spent.

And I even had her back home by curfew. What a great date.