super caffeinated indoor playground fun

the bean and i were invited to join a fun birthday party for our friend pokeleana's little boy at an indoor playground, and while i half expected them to sit in a corner bored as hell the whole time...they proved me very, very wrong.

the moment we set foot inside, left our shoes in a cubby at the door and headed on in, the fun started and lasted through the whole duration of the party.  after all, look at how cute it was in there:

even better, there was an unlimited espresso bar in one corner:

...which led to all kinds of shenanigans for the bean.  it was comical watching their antics, all the while clutching an iced mocha in one hand.

the birthday cake was adorable:

and i was really happy to see that the cookies pokeleana had ordered from me complemented it pretty nicely.

it was a really fun party, and we were happy to have been a part of it.  not to mention, it was fun watching the bean and mini cee turn into 6-year-olds again.  those moments are so few and far between anymore, so we take them whenever we can.  next thing you know we'll look up and they'll be driving and graduating from high school and and and...

eek.

a pretend playdate

the bean was pretty excited to hear that we were going to meet up with our friends mommybelle, LP, LFM and LFM2.  and then she was beside herself when i told her where this playdate was taking place.  she loves her some pretend city.

the bean loves to draw pictures of "me."

they all had fun in the "farm."

well, LFM2 wasn't so impressed.

MB and i giggled at our two big-headed kids finding helmets that fit them.

since our last visit, the "restaurant" switched from italian to vegetarian.

at the "doctor's," all three got measured.

the bean was happy to play patient to LP's dentist until she realized what that meant, and then she bailed.

i thought the little stools were cute.

hamming it up on the stage.

a prediction of the bean's first job, perhaps?

the waterplay and beach areas are always a good bet.

and one last role to play, although not necessarily a pretend city-sponsored one - mama.

so much fun!  she passed out cold in the car even before we got on the freeway.  too bad for MB, though - no such luck.  sorry, buddy.  maybe next time.

the bean gets a job

last week, MIL and i took a nice drive down to irvine to watch the bean in action here:

we were actually supposed to meet my friend mommybelle, LP and LFM there, but she ended up having to cancel.  she's expecting their third later this summer, and the doc put her on temporary bedrest until test results came back on whether or not she's got preeclampsia.  i'm not sure what the verdict was yet, but maybe you can send some good vibes her way.  bedrest for the next few months would NOT be a good thing.

anyway, we paid the $10 per person admission (i was totally bummed at having to pay for adults as well as the kids, but it is a nonprofit after all) and followed the bean through the gate.

it was quite an elaborate setup - miniature versions of a real city, complete with accessories and costumes, even.  it was super cute, and she was really excited to go through it all and check it out.

first:

a handful of the spots had this little station, where they could "clock in" and earn a paycheck:

totally cute.  and when the paycheck was complete, it got inserted into this:

she had a blast.  

when she didn't want to cook anymore, she took my order.

next, a little "fishing."

she got to be a nurse, a doctor, and a dentist.

even the restrooms were fully equipped for the little ones.

emergency services:

i was amused at this - she's obviously been watching us very closely.

and this:

welcome to the OC, bitches.

she said "look, i'm fixing things like daddy!"  heh.

in the little "home." she's also been watching MIL closely, because she sure didn't learn this from me.

she is such a ham.  she made up this song - it has one line - and she sang it over and over, and really loudly.  "when i'm really happy...when i'm really happy...when i'm realllllllyyyyy haaaappppppyyyyyy!"  she never did say what happens.  and she'd switch it up from "happy" to "sad," complete with facial expressions.

we would clap, and she would take a bow.

in the café, we found vending machines and sandwiches brought in from a local shop.

farm.

she really liked getting to do some "grocery shopping."

a second time at the restaurant filled her timecard and earned her some cash.

more fun.

since it was fat tuesday, they were doing mardi gras masks in the art center, as well as some play-doh time.

we'd arrived a little before 1:00, and managed to shut the place down at 5:00.  they'd found a great way to get the kids out easily - musical instruments came out, they all lined up, and had a parade.  they trooped through each of the play stations and wound around until they reached the exit.  pretty smart.

phew.  she was worn out, but we made her sit through dinner at the nearby irvine spectrum first.  i'd had the forethought to bring her pajamas, which we changed her into before heading home.  and thank goodness, because we didn't even get to the freeway before she passed the eff out.

good times.