Pre-school birthday breakfast

It seems the only thing that will get a newly minted 11-year-old out of bed is the chance of a free breakfast. So that's what happened. An alarm clock set, no Hallie Frigging Cotnam on the radio, no snow, clear roads - all the signs were there for a good start to the day's festivities. 

Normally, that is where I would put in the downer: "but then we went to the restaurant".... except there is no downer. The place we chose (very local) was warm, clean, served cheap but good food, and the waitress was friendly and attentive. 

Home to open a present, then off to school. The adults, meanwhile, had work to look forward to.