Dedicated to my children, who were failed by the world but never failed it. You are like a four-leaf cloverârare, resilient, and extraordinary. What makes you special is not just your uniqueness but the way you fold back into your core, your secret seed of strength. Even when life feels like itâs only three leaves, remember that one of them holds two, and you carry within you the power to grow, heal, and shine brighter than ever. To the land of my father, Lake Erie, we little onesâyou are stronger than you know, braver than you feel, and brighter than the world could ever dim.
In the sparkling kingdom of Sparkleland, there was a magical mirror that didnât just show your faceâit showed your heart. It reflected your dreams, your fears, and even the cracks you tried to hide.
One day, Pixelâa mischievous imp with a knack for troubleâwas juggling jelly-filled donuts near the mirror (as one does). SPLAT! One donut flew out of his hand and hit the mirror, cracking it right down the middle.
Pixel froze. âOops,â he muttered nervously. âWell⌠cracks add character, right?â
Suddenly, Professor Punsley appeared in a puff of glittery smoke. He was Sparklelandâs wisest wizardâand its most dramatic pun enthusiast. âPixel!â he exclaimed. âThis isnât just any mirror! It shows people who they really areâand now itâs broken! The cracks are making everyone act out of sorts.â
Pixel scratched his head. âSo⌠what do we do? Glue? Duct tape? Magic sparkle spray?â
Professor Punsley shook his head solemnly. âNo, Pixel. We donât fix the mirrorâwe fix the cracks in peopleâs hearts.â
Pixel and Professor Punsley set off to mend the hearts of Sparklelandâs citizens. Their first stop was Mr. Sneaksalotâs cottageâa cozy little house that smelled suspiciously like stolen pies.
âWhyâd you steal all those pies?â Pixel asked bluntly.
Mr. Sneaksalot sighed and looked down at his feet. âI didnât steal because I wanted to hurt anyone. I stole because I was hungry. The world failed meâit didnât give me enough to eat.â
Professor Punsley nodded knowingly. âYou see, Pixel, sometimes people act out not because theyâre bad but because theyâre brokenâor because they feel like life has left them behind.â
Pixel tilted his head thoughtfully. âSo⌠he wasnât being sneaky for fun? He was just surviving?â
âExactly!â Professor Punsley exclaimed. âSurvival doesnât make you wrong; it makes the world wrong for not helping you.â
Together, they helped Mr. Sneaksalot open a pie shop where he could bake and share pies with others instead of stealing them.
Next, they visited Lady Clashingtonâa fierce warrior who had scared half the kingdom with her booming voice and angry sword swings.
âWhy are you so angry all the time?â Pixel asked nervously (while hiding behind Professor Punsley).
Lady Clashington sighed deeply. âIâm not angryâIâm scared. I grew up thinking I had to fight to survive, that I had to be strong or no one would respect me.â
Professor Punsley stroked his beard thoughtfully. âAh, fear disguised as angerâa classic crack in the mirror of life.â
Pixel blinked. âWait⌠so she wasnât trying to be mean? She was just scared?â
âExactly!â Professor Punsley said with a grin. âSometimes people wear armor not to hurt others but to protect themselves from being hurt.â
Lady Clashington learned how to express her feelings without swinging her sword around, and she started teaching others how to be brave without being scary.
As they traveled through Sparkleland fixing cracks in hearts, Pixel began to understand something important.
âYou know,â Pixel said one day as they sat by a river reflecting the stars above, âthe word âdevilâ spells âlivedâ if you look at it from the right perspective.â
Professor Punsley chuckled warmly. âExactly! Perspective is keyâitâs like looking in a mirror. Sometimes what seems dark is just light turned upside down.â
Pixel nodded slowly. âSo⌠maybe people arenât badâtheyâre just living through tough times?â
Professor Punsley smiled proudly. âNow youâre getting it! The world may fail us sometimes, but we never fail simply...
   Read moreIf you are looking for a fun/safe venue to do kids birthdays this is the place to go! We booked our daughterâs 9th birthday here because we had gone to their Kiss Mini Golf location for a family friendâs birthday and decided we had so much fun at their birthday that we would do hers through them too but at this location instead since we hadnât been (both locations are super fun but parking is easier at the Kiss location and you donât have to pay for parking). This location shares a parking garage with the Paris hotel so the first 3 hours are free for locals, if you go over that thereâs a $25 fee. The venue itself is at the Horshoe, signs were posted well and were easily to follow once you park. They also have a really helpful instagram video for those that do better with visual directions.
It is really challenging finding places in Vegas that work for a wide age group and I have to say, we had kids with ages ranging from 2 to 12 and all of them seemed to be having a blast so we highly recommend this venue as well as the Kiss venue for parties. We did the mini golf and mini bowling package and for the pricing and the atmosphere/experience you canât beat it. Most venues let you have an hour maybe two in your party room, at this one you get it for three (so you donât feel rushed and you actually get to enjoy your childâs birthday!).
Yvonne and our other host were both so sweet and helped us setup everything in the room as soon as we arrived. They made sure we were on schedule with all the birthday activities and that all the kiddos were having a great time! We even squeezed in time for presents which was great :). At the end of the event they helped us pack up and were really patient with us getting everyone out of the room.
Everyone we encountered working at this venue was really friendly and attentive, thank you so much for a wonderful experience! You guys made our daughterâs birthday...
   Read moreAbsolutely awful experience â beware if youâre bringing kids!
Oh my God, what a horrible place â especially in the way they treat customers. I went today with my husband and our two kids to play mini golf as a family, and what was supposed to be a fun outing turned into an upsetting experience.
One of the employees â a man with long, wavy hair â approached my son when he was alone and yelled at him, saying he was going to âkick him outâ because he wasnât hitting the ball correctly. Weâre not professionals â we were just there to have a good time as a family. This man waited until my son was by himself and then aggressively confronted him in a completely inappropriate way.
I actually saw part of it and went to talk to the man, but by the time I approached, he had disappeared and never came back out. I stayed for an hour trying to speak with him and let him know this is not how you treat paying customers â especially children â but he never showed up again. The other employees were extremely rude and clearly covering for him.
If youâre planning to visit this place, do not leave your kids alone for a second. The way they treated my child was completely unacceptable and unprofessional. We paid to be there, and we werenât doing anything wrong â just enjoying a family outing. Honestly, Iâve never experienced...
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