Harder to believe than any other milestone we've celebrated over the past 4 or 5 years is today's
milestone: Kotaru has just turned 3 years old! How did this happen and can our little baby (yes, still a baby) actually be three years old? Well, he is and, to celebrate, we had to drive a long, long way -- all the way to Newark -- to give him exactly what he wanted: some rides on miniature cars, trucks, and boats. There are lots of indoor playgrounds for kids in the Bay Area but most are booked for parties on weekends and many don't have the little rides that Ko loves. So, our extensive internet search turned up a place called the Kids'
Castle in Newark. Visiting the place was kind of a surreal experience. For Ash and I, it brought back memories of our travels in places where regulations are few and the customer is never right. First, the place opened an hour later than posted due to a lack of customers. Once we made it inside, we found the place dark and abandoned looking. Only after we asked were the lights turned on. And, for the remainder of our 2.5 hours there, putting our tokens into the games and arcade machines was like playing the lottery
and not in a good way. Electricity was rationed, with only some parts of the complex receiving ample power and, this rationing was random so that we never quite knew which parts of the building had working machines and which would steal our tokens. The owners were were understanding; they handed us a big stack of tokens each time we approached the counter. All in all, this place was nothing more than a graveyard for decades old machines and arcade games. For me, it was fun playing some of the old arcade games I used to play when I was 14 years old. Luckily, Ko hardly noticed and enjoyed the rides he was able to ride very much. Rai, on the other hand, was onto the scheme. Kid's Castle? Hardly. More like Kids' Dilapidated and Foreclosed House on the Corner. Repeat business? Certainly not. We left a bit confused as to what their long term business plan may be. Happy Birthday, Ko! Only the best for our boys! It's a good thing that Grandma and Grandpa came over in the evening to brighten up our day and give Ko all the love he deserves on his day!
milestone: Kotaru has just turned 3 years old! How did this happen and can our little baby (yes, still a baby) actually be three years old? Well, he is and, to celebrate, we had to drive a long, long way -- all the way to Newark -- to give him exactly what he wanted: some rides on miniature cars, trucks, and boats. There are lots of indoor playgrounds for kids in the Bay Area but most are booked for parties on weekends and many don't have the little rides that Ko loves. So, our extensive internet search turned up a place called the Kids' 
Castle in Newark. Visiting the place was kind of a surreal experience. For Ash and I, it brought back memories of our travels in places where regulations are few and the customer is never right. First, the place opened an hour later than posted due to a lack of customers. Once we made it inside, we found the place dark and abandoned looking. Only after we asked were the lights turned on. And, for the remainder of our 2.5 hours there, putting our tokens into the games and arcade machines was like playing the lottery 
and not in a good way. Electricity was rationed, with only some parts of the complex receiving ample power and, this rationing was random so that we never quite knew which parts of the building had working machines and which would steal our tokens. The owners were were understanding; they handed us a big stack of tokens each time we approached the counter. All in all, this place was nothing more than a graveyard for decades old machines and arcade games. For me, it was fun playing some of the old arcade games I used to play when I was 14 years old. Luckily, Ko hardly noticed and enjoyed the rides he was able to ride very much. Rai, on the other hand, was onto the scheme. Kid's Castle? Hardly. More like Kids' Dilapidated and Foreclosed House on the Corner. Repeat business? Certainly not. We left a bit confused as to what their long term business plan may be. Happy Birthday, Ko! Only the best for our boys! It's a good thing that Grandma and Grandpa came over in the evening to brighten up our day and give Ko all the love he deserves on his day!
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