Oh, how I hate Chuck-E-Cheese

   But not for the reason many of my friends do.  I don't terribly mind the pizza, even though its the worst I've ever had, I can handle the noise, and I'm not terribly germ-phobic.

  My biggest issue with CEC is how anti-social it is.  We went there this morning for a neighbor girl's birthday party.  Anthony and S are pretty good pals.  They really do play nicely together and genuinely enjoy each others company.  Therefore, I agreed to take him to the d*** birthday party even though I knew EXACTLY how it would turn out.

  Besides the birthday girl and her big brother, Anthony didn't know anyone there.  At a different party, it wouldn't be too big of a deal.  At CEC, on the other hand, it left him without anyone to play with.  There were three different parties at the place, so lots of kids.  We can't recognize most of the other guests by sight and the birthday girl is paired up with one close pal.  (I don't blame her, 4 year olds have poor social skills and she is no exemption.  She's actually pretty introverted.)  Besides, most of the games are for one or two kids max.

  Basically, Anthony and I played together the whole time.  At one point another child joined him at the air hockey table.  The kid is pretty good at air hockey, by the way.  We also spent a lot of time playing an Ice Age themed touch screen bubble popping game, that was quite fun.

  He had a reasonably good time, played some games, ate some cake.  I will think twice before going to another party there.  If he isn't friends with a bunch of the other kids, I don't think I'll accept the invitation.