April 6: Pancakes and Dragons

Kids' birthdays in our household are always a special day. Mom and Dad usually try to take the day off, and we give the birthday boy/girl the liberty to set the day's agenda, activities and meals included. Today is my daughter's birthday, and, she had a full agenda for us! We led off the day with breakfast at a new place down the road called The Pancake Factory - our first visit! It's a cozy little place with a huge selection of...yep, you guessed it...pancakes. While the girls opted for eggs and a BLT, my son had his traditional blueberry pancakes and I went for the Old Fashioned Apple Pancakes - an oven baked delicacy with fresh apples and cinnamon glaze. Good, but a little too sweet for my taste buds. Next, we had two options on the table -the Cranbrook Science Center and the new movie "How to Train Your Dragon". I was pulling for the science center, but my daughter settled on the movies. It turned out to be a really entertaining film! After leaving the theater, we stopped for ice cream at the Marble Slab Creamery, where both kids indulged in a chocolate ice cream cone. At this point, my daughter decided it was in our best interest to return home so she and her brother could play for a while. We went outside and ran around the yard for an hour or so before dinner time arrived upon us. Finally, to wrap up the evening, my daughter wanted McDonald's for her birthday meal. Not the choice my wife and I would have made, but then again it wasn't either of our birthdays. So, I made the short journey to the local Golden Arches and grabbed a couple of Happy Meals and a 10-pc. Chicken McNugget. The kids ate it all...with a little help from the dog, of course. Right before turning in for the evening, my daughter ensured us that she did everything she wanted for her birthday. Thus, it was a wonderful day!