The Rainforest Cafe...

Has anyone ever been?

My daughter's actual birthday was on Monday, so of course, after we had her birthday party with the kids, and another family birthday party a day later on the Sunday, we just had to do something on her actual birthday...(Talk about a lot of parties for a four year old.)

ALthough, in truth, I had enough of celebrating her birthday. Planning parties are stressful and emotionally exhausting and I'm just glad not that only kid got out alive, but no kid actually cried. They had a great time, adn that's always what really matters.

(I don't really like plugging places here, but this place called the Groove Dance School, made the most painless party for the 21 kids who showed up. So if you're looking for a new venue for a 3-8 year old, it's a fun place to go.)

But, I know, I know, you do actually have to do something on your own child's birthday because the guilt would kill me....if not the food at the Rainforest cafe.

The food isn't great at the Rainforest cafe. It's not awful either. Which means, I guess, it's the perfect place to take a child.

You know it's a perfect place to take a child because it is THE most unromantic resturant I've ever been to in my entire life.

I wanted to take my daughter to tea at the Four Seasons on her actual birthday. But she can be, um, a wild child after school and I don't think the old ladies, dressed in their very tea best, would appreciate my daughter running around the Four Seasons, runing their relaxing afternoon.

Which is why we ended up at the Rainforest cafe, where a monkey hung over my head and every fifteen minutes would wail monkey sounds. Every fifteen minutes, too, the elephants would start howling elephant sounds. There are lots of never ending loud animal sounds at the Rainforest cafe.

The best? Oh, yes, the sound of a thunderstorm going off every half hour. I get why kids love this place (IF you tell them it's your child's birthday a whole bunch of waitors will come out and sing for them - which they love. Yes, it's that kind of place.)

The people I don't get are the people who don't have kids who actually go to this place. Serious, can someone please explain this to me? Why would anyone, without children, go to this place. But they do! There were lots of tables without kids.

If you've been to the Rainforest Cafe, in Yorkdale mall, what exactly attracts you to the place? Maybe you have good food reccomendations. Maybe the fajitas are the best fajitas in town.

I just don't quite get why anyone would go to such a loud place, with so many kids, elephants ranting, thunderstorms going off, if you don't have any kids with you.

And after all this, I know I'll be going back. Hey, my kid loves the place. Which means I, too, will learn to love the place.