I've been to hell on Earth - it's in Belgium

Over a year ago Marc and I took the kids to an indoor playarea in Belgium called Atomic Kids. You know the kind of thing where they have ball pits, huge slides, lots and lots of padded wall type things.

Almost every weekend since Stuart had asked to go to Atomic Kids (usually on a Sunday afternoon when they are closed).

Given the crappy weather this morning I said "Sure, let's go!"

We arrived and were accosted by NOISE. Oh well, it's a kids place, it's bound to be loud. The guy explains that there's a price for 1 hour, 90 minutes and unlimited and that you pay at the end. I say "Oh I think that 90 minutes will suffice." and he says "Wait and see - you may find that an hour is more than enough."

I though he was being ridiculous, but man, was he RIGHT.

Shoes off, Stuart hesitates and wants to play all the video game type things right at the front door. Times like this he is definitely my child, loud noise and rambunctious kids screaming are not my thing.

We make it over to the climbing structures and hang out for a few minutes in the ball pit. Then we head into the area where they have huge balls you can crawl around on. Yeah, this is fun I think (there's no 6 year olds SCREECHING in my ears) and show the kids how to roll around on top of the ball on their stomachs.

BAM! And there I go right off the ball onto the concrete floor covered in about 5 cm of foam - and land right SMACK on my tailbone (same tailbone that has never fully recovered from my first delivery). As I writhe in pain on the floor one of my children rolls another of the balls onto me face.

I am not having so much fun. And I have about 13 seconds to move before I am trampled to death.

An hour is starting to sound like an eternity. We climb up and down, up and down, slide, crawl, bounce, swing... Julia is just that bit too small that she needs help getting up most things, and I am just that bit too big that I have to do my best imitation of a contortionist to get up or down.

The noise level is unreal. And while there are a few parents around having a look, most of the kids are running savage through the place - I find in these situations that I am always surprised at how RUDE kids are. I know Stuart is a little on the timid side, but Julia was terrified too. It's a miracle there haven't been any casualties at the place the way the little beasts knock each other over and shove their way through.

So - kudos to me, I made it through the hour trying to keep both kids in sight and then when Julia had dissapeared for the 3rd time to the top of the structures and screeched to be brought down, I laid down the law and insisted we left.

I think the kids are enjoying the fact that Mum can't turn her head left or right so she can't shake it to say NO...