Energetic Joy

There is a business in town that caters to those with an abundance of energy. Hyper- active personalities are royally welcomed in the same manner my bank deposit is royally snatched by the teller for my overdrawn account. Those who choose Capri Suns as liquid replenishment or Lucky Charms as substitute nourishment find complete acceptance in this establishment that caters to the vivacious and beckons the lively.

Which is why I thought that it would be the perfect setting for my five year old daughter’s birthday party.

This warehouse is filled to the rim with gigantic inflatables and very much like the vision children have of heaven. They run, jump, bounce and laugh to their heart’s content while parents wearily watch from scattered chairs throughout the building, witnessing an energetic phenomenon they once could claim before it was stolen by their offspring.

For a solid two hours, friends from Mary Mac’s preschool class raced with joy from inflatable to inflatable as though their teacher were chasing them with arithmetic practice sheets, only stopping when I lay my body across their paths to snap a photo or two. They were like wild monkeys in a zoo, swinging from one place to the next, and communicating to each other with high-pitched squeals that only primates would understand.

At the end of our frenzied two hours, we gathered in a room to eat pizza and celebrate the birthday of my sweet child. Parents thanked us for providing an afternoon activity that would appropriately wear out their children, thus making bedtime rituals easier with each worn-out birthday participant.

The gratitude quickly changed to disdain when we brought out this,



and this,



making it necessary to stay an additional two hours to jump the sugar sufficiently out of their systems.

Happy Birthday Mary Mac!