The Parlour Suprise

Dear Thunderchild,

So there I was, on my knees cleaning the floor one Sunday morning when you walk in and say "Daddy, you want to have Maccas because I want to show you something?".

Now, it is important to keep the house clean, but it is more important to spend time with family and create memories:  you might not get another chance.

Off we go and have breakfast at a McDonalds, but not the usual one.  This time it's one we don't normally go to.  After breakfast TC wips out the iPhone, punches in coordinates and off we go.  However, before we start off the phone tells us "Calculating directions to Pancake Parlour".  Shame, a little of the surprise gone there but I was still happy we were going.  Haven't had pancakes for a while.

So the GPS tells us to turn here and go there.  We're looking out for the place - find it and find ourselves in the Bus lane!  In my rush to get out of there I turn into some dodgy alleyway.  Well, nothing that a u-turn cannot solve.  We eventually found some parking a block or 2 away and off we went.

Arriving at the Pancake Parlour I notice that it is in the basement of a building.  I love places like this - think they're awesome.  Down the steps we go and TC has one final surprise for me - "Can we sit at the chess table please?".  Chess table?  Woohoo!  She knows me so well.

Off we go and sit at this massive table with high chairs and large chess pieces and get stuck into the game.  Something has happened to TC as she got a lot better than last time we played.  I now had to really concentrate.  However, my chess is a little rusty and I soon found myself in a very tricky situation - one wrong move and it's checkmate.

Luckily the food came and I could relax and think about my move.  We'll leave the chess game there.

Back to the car we went and then headed up one of the hills around Canberra where there was a wonderful lookout:  cold but still a cool way to see the city.  Look Dad, there's the hockey fields in Lyneham:  she picked them up immediately.

I do want to say a big THANK YOU to Thunderchild for a wonderful Sunday morning.  I'll remember this for as long as I live.