Yay! Boys got their first birthday invite!

Gah!! The boys got their first birthday invite in the mail today. I haven't told them yet, but I know they will be super thrilled, especially because its at Chuck E. Cheese(kill me now lol).

The predicament? Their sister. Generally this isn't a problem. However! It is tax season and dh works on Saturdays. As does my babysitting mother in law. And my sister in law is an Esthetician and she works as well. And, my mother is now working every other weekend, and it's her weekend on too! Ugh!

So-how bad is it to call and ask if I can take her? Of course I'd pay out of pocket for her(maybe even sit in our own area, I don't know). The invite said call with any questions. So not my thing either! Lol!

WWYD? I certainly wouldn't do it otherwise if I wasn't in a jam.

 

I'd call and tell them that you will be dropping the boys off(is it a dropmoff party?) and then you and your daughter will find another place to sit at Chuck's during the party. Then it leaves it up to mom/dad where they want o go from there.

 

Thanks! No clue if it's a drop-off. Gah! LOL! All I know is, I avoid CEC like the PLAGUE on the weekend! It's a ZOO. I will definitely give her a call and chat with her...once I get the courage to. LOL!

 

If it was a drop- off, I would drop off and do something fun with your DD (not at CEC).

If you know the parent, I would likely ask if you can hang out with your DD. But, I would not ask to add her to the party. We have not done a CEC party, but friends of ours have and it is a decent fee per kid. Even if you paid them for the extra person, they may have the max kids before they hit the next level of fee and/or capacity.

Plus, imagine if a few other people did the same thing. All the sudden, you have 3-4 extra kiddos! Yikes! But, maybe too-- the mom will understand your predicament and not mind. Just ask!

You can always hang at CEC and make sure your DD has stuff to do while your DS go to the party.


We have passed on CEC parties because they are so crazy, esp mid afternoon on a weekend. But that is just me and one of my DDs dislike of chaotic environments.


Call and talk to the other parent -but have a plan before you tell your DS!

 

There's no way I'd drop off my kids at Chuck-e Cheese frankly. It's nuts and at this age they need help playing with the machines still, getting tickets and exchanging them... But I've been to those parties before, it doesn't really matter if you have an extra kid, she just won't get to eat cake or get coins to play with (the right word eludes me!). You can totally just go there and sit at another table and order food for her. Well, at least you could here!

But yes I'd call just in case, tell her you will come but you will have to bring your daughter too and will get your own food for her.

 

I agree with Fran. There are often 2 or 3 parties going on at the same time on the weekends and it's still open to the public. It's a madhouse! I wouldn't drop them off there even if the hosting parents said it was okay. The upside to the chaos is that a sib is not intrusive at all, just get her her own tokens & food.


BTW, if your crew becomes huge fans and beg to go back, if you can take them on a weekday right when it opens and it will be nearly empty. That is the only time I take my kids there, other than bday parties. There is usually only one or two other families there.

 

Sorry when I meant 'it's nuts', I didn't mean that it's nuts to consider it. I reread it and realized it could be seen as offensive. I meant the place is nuts. Seriously, I hate it, lol.

And thanks, token is the word I was looking for. Doh.

 

First. My kids have never been to CEC.



I would hang there and buy tokens for Annabella. That way you can keep an eye on the boys in all the CEC mayhem and you are not intruding on the party with your little girl.

 

CEC is not a drop off party...you MUST remain in the building if your kids are under 12 - they stamp your hands so that when its time to go all your stamps coordinate...I've been to many CEC parties (and needed Xanax and a shot afterward) and it shouldn't be an issue for you and Annabella to sit elsewhere near the party - in most cases the parents of the birthday child feed the parents of the guests, so you'd simply have to get her a piece of pizza and a drink...I don't follow my kids around anymore (they're old enough to handle their own tokens) so following her around while the boys play isn't an issue...

 

Oh I would never drop them off and leave. I'd probably just sit at the next table over, out of the way. CEC is a zoo and I avoid the place on the weekends for sure!

And Sheryl-I clued into that little gem of knowledge when we first went! Haha! We go right at opening, 10 am, during school, and have place to ourselves. It's wonderful, and why I actually don't mind the place in that sense. But on a weekend?!? Oh lord no! Lol!


My friend did offer to take Annabella and do something with her and her daughter(they are a month apart). They would go get their nails done down the street at the kid salon. I just don't want to inconvenience her on her weekend either. I've got two weeks to figure it out.

Oh-and I wouldn't be paying for her to "join" the party. It would just be like me coming off the street with my one kid-I'd order her own pizza and tokens separate from the party.

 

I think you should let Annabella go with your friend and her little girl and have a girly day. I'm sure she would love it and it would make her feel really special.

 

No way in heck would I drop my kids off at Chuck E Cheese (but that's just me). I'm also pretty opposed to calling and asking if extra kids can join in... cause the parents basically have to say yes unless they want to sound like jerks. Send your daughter to have fun with your friend and her girl! You don't want to inconvenience her, but she's your friend. She won't be inconvenienced... but it's possible the birthday family might be if there are extra kids.