Chuck E. Cheese

This weekend Dapo's best friend and his wife and daughter came to visit us. It was a short trip, but one where we enjoyed each other's company. Dapo had mentioned to me that Gbenga would like to try to find something fun for his daughter, Temi, to do. They came in too late to go to the Children's Museum, so I suggested a trip to Chuck E. Cheese on Sunday after church for lunch.

I didn't take my camera (boo!) so I guess you'll have to use your imagination of how much fun Jimi had. There was a kiddie coaster, which is a roller-coaster simulator for little tykes. He wanted to ride it over and over, until the pizza came. I managed to sneak my way into the big kids' area and play a couple of games there as well.

The place was surprisingly clean and the food was surprisingly good. It was pretty busy, but the wait was surprisingly short. The "pizza time theater" part of it is lame when you are +30, but I think they have tried to make some technological changes in the past couple of decades that just didn't jive with the original concept of the show. We were there for close to two hours and the only show that was played was for a kids' birthday and Chuck E.'s mouth doesn't even move, just his head. We did see a live Chuck E., who must have had dual duties that day, because he only came out for the birthday show, and went right back to his mouse hole. He didn't have time to pose for pictures with the camera I didn't have.

It was nice getting to know Gbenga's wife, Foluke, and playing with Jimi. We had a bunch of tokens left over, so maybe I'll take Jimi back for a token trip.

The only down side to the adventure is that we think we left Jimi's brand new winter coat there. I can't find it anywhere in the house, and Dapo said he didn't put it on him when he took Jimi to the car. I went back to the booth and picked everything up that was left behind and didn't see it. I even picked up Dapo's tie from the floor, so if Jimi's jacket had fallen down, I think I would have seen it.

It just occurred to me that perhaps his coat got put on their side of the booth, which I did not check. I can't imagine, though, that they would just leave it for us to find or not find. Anyhow, we're looking for the jacket.

Dapo's friends went back to Houston, where he works, and then they'll be going back home to Nigeria next week.

p.s. Good news! I called and they have the jacket in their lost and found. Hooray!