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Original Air Date: March 4, 2008
JIM and ANDY come home, and Jim warns his brother-in-law to be quiet because CHERYL, who’s been on edge lately due to the pregnancy, is upstairs resting. When he goes to the bedroom to check on her, his wife informs him that her doctor has instructed her to remain on bedrest until after the twins are born. Worse (for Jim), she’s also advised not to have sex until then.
Jim quickly gets over that double whammy, and then Cheryl informs him of one more problem. Before he “knocked her up,” Cheryl had reserved the Cotillion Room at the National Girl Store for GRACIE‘s upcoming 12th birthday party, which will feature ten girls having high tea. She’s concerned that now she’ll have to cancel the event and disappoint her daughter. Surprisingly or naively — take your pick — Jim offers to handle the gathering himself.
And, he does. The party is a high-class, boring affair led by an uptight employee at the store named MRS. WHITNEY (Guest Star Beth Grant), whom Andy decides he must have, of course. Gracie looks surprisingly sullen throughout the party, however, despite being the guest of honor. Jim notices her sad demeanor when the store employee leaves to get the birthday cake, and after asking Gracie what’s wrong, he learns she wanted to have the party a year ago when Cheryl made the reservation, but she’s since outgrown dolls.
Not wanting to disappoint her further, Jim allows Gracie to do anything she wants, as long as they remain at the store, which is already reserved. As a result, the girls, Jim, and Andy end up having a wild toy-gun fight that includes knocking over tables and everything on them. When Mrs. Whitney returns and finds out what’s going on, Jim’s bunch is thrown out and banned for life, and he’ll probably get sued, as well.
Back at home, Jim instructs Gracie and RUBY to make their visit with their mom brief so they won’t have to give up any real details about the party. Yet, after they leave the room, Cheryl goes off on one of her hormonal crying jags because she feels she missed out on an important event in her daughter’s life. When Jim confesses then that they had a wild party because Gracie didn’t want one focused on the dolls she’s outgrown, Cheryl has another crying fit, this time because she thinks she doesn’t know her own daughter anymore.
Jim assures Cheryl that she won’t miss out on anything with the family while she’s on bedrest. To prove it, he, the kids, and Andy stage another toy-gun fight right there in the bedroom so Cheryl can participate.
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