In the Clutches of the Monster

I am waiting to provide the full report on this exercise until the all clear siren has sounded.

Our daughter and son in law left for some much needed R and R on Wednesday. It is now Sunday and my wife and I are heading into the homestretch. Still mostly intact. The six and three year old safely tucked in their beds at this moment (5:30 AM).

Yesterday C, the older one, had a birthday party at a venue that was not for the faint of heart or those with even the smallest of sensory overload concerns. It was an eye popping, ear shattering cacophony, a non-stop experience in excess, aptly named "Monster Mini-Golf".

Each young attendee at the party was given a card which held $10 to be used at any of the arcade games that dotted the landscape. Points would accumulate on the card for any successes achieved, which then could be exchanged for prizes.

The young man behind the counter handing out the various baubles and trinkets must assuredly hope this is not the high water mark of his career. Advising the very young how many points remain on the card after having selected a one inch rubber frog or a rubber band masquerading as a bracelet, cannot be where he imagines himself at age 50, or even, I would surmise, the day after tomorrow.

The highlight of this endeavor is the final planned activity. The flashing lights of the mini golf course, various employees strategically stationed to assure no bottleneck on the links and no injuries from putters or golf balls used for other than their intended purposes. My wife and I following our young ward as she fought valiantly to steer towards the assigned target.

When finally, on hole 18, she literally threw the ball into the gaping mouth waiting to gobble it, the festivities had come to a most welcome (by me) conclusion. It had been exhausting residing in an environment fully geared to overwhelm a person of unsuitable age and temperament.

It is a great privilege to be able to spend extended periods of time with our grandchildren. Not all moments, however, are equally cherished.