OUR STORY: Happy Birthday Catherine (aka Claffie)

Monday, August 17, 2009

Happy Birthday Catherine (aka Claffie)

Tonight was Claffie's 3rd birthday party at Chucky Cheese. Claffie and Emilia have been friends since birth.. literally. Claffie was even there when Emilia was born (although she was still in her mamma's tummy!) and her mom, Caryn, actually held Emilia before anybody since she was her 1st nurse! Then Claffie was born while Emilia was still in the hospital so the girls had their 1st play date while still in the hospital when we made a "pit stop" in Claffie's room on our way to "room in" with Emilia. That is simply when the NICU babies get to sleep in a room with their parents before going home.

Anyways, this was mine and Emilia's 1st Chucky Cheese experience, and we had a lot of fun. It was truly therapy. For anyone who knows what a germaphobe (understatement of the year) I am... you get it. I got a bit panicky as we walked in and I see all these kids running around eating food then touching these games with out even a bit of hand sanitizer in between... not even a napkin. I just kept saying... Its Claffie's birthday, Its Claffie's birthday... I can do this! My nerves were calmed a bit by seeing that many of the kiddos that were running around belonged to many of my co workers... I knew this because all the nurses at work wear their kiddos photos on their badges and somehow the better I know you, the less germs you child has. Weird, huh? Even if they have a snotty nose... if I know you then they are less germy than the kid that is a stranger's kid with no snotty nose. Like I said... THERAPY! I broke myself into the scene gently by going over to talk to Caryn. Emilia wanted to go to the games, and I told Chris to take her. I simply didn't want to be THAT mom that is using the disinfecting wipes on the video games and tokens. I simply clutched my bag tightly (that contained sanitizing wipes AND foam) and told Chris, "Go ahead." After talking a bit, the anxiety lessened and I was able to actually go over and play some games with her... and believe it or not, the place was quite clean! I actually won her almost 300 tickets between a basketball game and another random game that I became a bit obsessed with. I did, however use some spray hand sanitizer on 2 occasions, but in my defense... I saw a kid pick his nose and touch a game. After sanitizing both our hands I very discretely sprayed some sanitizer on the contaminated game as we passed by! Some mother will be thankful for that! We all had fun, though, and Emilia loved being able to pick out her own prizes at the end it all! It was also so cute to see Claffie open the present Emilia had worked so hard on... Emilia was beaming with pride when Claffie opened the puzzle Emilia had hand painted for her... and Claffie seemed excited about it and the scratch and sniff coloring book... Emilia does her own shopping now so I cannot take any credit! see pics...