Twiddling...

It's 6:30 am Christmas morning, and I'm the only one out of bed. You might think this is because TheGirl is a bit too old, TheBoy a bit too young for Christmas morning excitement. Or you might think it's because we got home late last night, and the kids are still tuckered out. I doubt these explanations, since this year's slumber is a repeat of last year's and that of the year before. I'm not sure of the cause, myself. But I do know that there has never been a Christmas morning where I lingered so late in bed.

A pile of presents from Santa (family gifts will be given on Orthodox Christmas, in January) lies under the tree, awaiting frenzied unwrapping. The fireplace still lies open where Santa emerged to hastily consume a biscotti (no cookies handy at bedtime!) and glass of milk before depositing the loot beneath the tree. Still, no children emerge. I grind coffee, make a large pot. Still no kids; no wife either - she's smart enough to take advantage of our offspring's aberrant behavior.

A batch of scratch faux-cinnamon roll muffins is baking. Clanking bowls and muffin pans have not stirred the wee ones. Nor has the smell of cinnamon and fresh-brewed coffee dislodged a single reveller from their blankets. It's peculiar... perplexing... and so I wait. What else can I do? Although I have to say, those muffins are looking pretty tasty. I wonder if there'll be any left by the time the rest of my household emerges. If there are, it'll be a Christmas miracle!

Lynn's Paradise Cafe - Louisville, KY

Our second day on the road actually started with a hearty breakfast at Lynn's Paradise Cafe. We all agreed it was a great place to start the day. The place was filled with interesting things to look at- toy elephants, papeles picados, tin signs, old ads, a map of the world, and on and on... All of this pleased TheBoy to no end. In fact, it was a little tough to get him to eat with so many cool things to see. TheGirl was mightily impressed with the chocolate chip pancakes. The chips sprinkled on top quickly melted and could be spread with a knife. 'Pancakes covered with Chocolate!' she declared. I was a bit nervous myself, thinking of the I-HOP chocolate chip pancakes featured in Pat McCurdy's famous family road trip song. Fortunately, these pancakes did not reappear later in the day. My pancakes were the best, however. Blueberry crunchcakes. Usually, a blueberry pancake will get a bit gummy around the berries. This cake did not suffer from the typical malady, however, for it was suffused with cornmeal and the house granola as well, producing a hearty, blueberry laden cake that will fill my sunday-morning dreams for months to come. Sadly, TheWife's breakfast, while deemed eminently enjoyable, did not seem to be of the once-in-a-lifetime breakfast level. Oh well, we each find Paradise in our own time. If you visit Lynn's, be sure to check out the shops in the area. There are a variety of cool ones in walking distance.