Pump It Up!

Joe went to his good buddy Graham's fifth birthday party today.  G Man is turning FIVE and celebrated the occasion at Pump It Up.  If you live in the Twin Cities, and have a child in kindergarten or on either side of it by a year, it's a safe bet that you will attend at least one birthday party at Pump It Up.  There's probably a 50 percent chance that you yourself will then host a birthday party at Pump It Up.  Pump It Up contains at least two rooms of giant "inflatables"--i.e. giant bounce house and slide type things.  But giant.  We're, like, way past what you can rent for the back yard, Fans.

Graham and Joe know each other because Graham's mom is Sara, Julie's best friend, not because they go to the same school.  So the only people Joe knew at Graham's party were Graham and Graham's younger brother, Connor.  Here, we pause to say that practically the first thing that happened when Julie and Joe arrived at Pump It Up, and Joe walked in to a giant room filled with giant inflatables, powered by softly roaring air pumps, filled with people he didn't know, was Connor ran up and said "Hi, Joe!"  The second thing that happened was that Graham ran up and did the same.  So while it is true that their mothers' friendship thrust Graham and Joe together, it is also true that it is moments like this that make Graham (and Connor) good good-buddy material.

So before too long, Joe had gotten his bearings, and was off.  Fans, he tried everything, and must have slid down these gigantic slides about 50 times.  (He was pumped up.)  He got a balloon and a goodie bag filled with glow sticks to take home, and snagged one of each for Clara, too, so she wouldn't be sad.

So tonight, after reading Mercy Watson, Julie told Joe that she had to tell him a few things that she thought were so great and just loved about him: that even though he didn't know anyone at Graham's party besides Graham and Connor, he played with everyone; and he tried all the things; and he thought about Clara so she wouldn't be sad.  And then Joe said something that made Julie even prouder.  He said that he just asked the other kids their names, so then he knew them. "So like when I go to their houses the play, I'll know them."  Julie asked if he had told the other kids his name and Joe was "Yeah,"--all like "uh-huh, yup, yup."  Joe added that he didn't tell Graham and Connor his name because they already knew it.  (He was probably thinking that if he had to spell out that he'd told other kids his name, he probably had to spell this bit out, too.)

After that, Joe decided he wanted a piggy back ride into bed, and as Julie picked him up, he said, "Mommy, this is so good.  This is so good!"

So good.