The Great Pancake Adventure - 5 Years Old
It all started with oatmeal.
Not just anyyyyy oatmeal—mama’s special oatmeal, which meant it had cinnamon, a tiny drizzle of honey, and some chopped fruit on top. Normally, this would have been considered a healthy, responsible breakfast. But today? To Aria Pierce, it was a travesty. A TRAVESTY, I TELL YOU.
“Mama makes pancakes every Saturday,” Aria grumbled, staring at the sad bowl in front of her. She poked at it with her spoon, her lips forming a pout. “She promised pancakes last week.”
Kai glanced up from his coffee and newspaper, amused. “I think she also promised we’d eat healthier this week, remember?” (NO KAI. YOU TOLD JESS THEY HAD TO EAT HEALTHIER SO DON’T BLAME THIS ON JESS HMPH)
Aria crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed by his logic. “But you’re here, Daddy. And you can make pancakes. Right? Pleeeeeease?”
Kai smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Oh, so you think I’m the ‘pancake guy’ now, huh? I thought Mommy was the fun breakfast parent.” She is.
“She is,” Aria admitted, her pout deepening. “But she left for work, soooo so soooooo you gotta do it. Pancakes make Saturdays better. It’s like, a rule or something.”
Kai laughed at her reasoning, setting his coffee mug down. “Alright, princess. If pancakes are the law, who am I to argue? Let’s do it.” Kai’s a wimp. A WIMP.
The kitchen transformed into a whirlwind of activity—or, more accurately, chaos.
Kai pulled out the pancake ingredients while Aria dragged her step stool across the floor, climbing up to the counter with the determination of someone about to conquer a mountain. She was ready for battle. And trust her - this whole pancake thing was GOING to be a battle.
“Okay, flour first,” Kai said, handing her the bag. “But let’s—”
Before he could finish, Aria had already tilted the bag over the bowl. A puff of white exploded everywhere, landing on her hair, her pajamas, and Kai’s shirt.
“Oops,” she said, giggling as she looked up at her dad. He looked funny.
Kai shook his head with a grin, brushing flour off her nose. “You’re lucky you’re cute, princess.”
Next came the eggs. Aria insisted on cracking them herself. Like cracking eggs? SO easy. Well…while the first one mostly ended up on her hands and the counter, the second actually made it into the bowl. So… so… so, progress!
“See? I’m a pro-fessional,” Aria said proudly, wiping her sticky hands on her pajamas before Kai could stop her. What? IT WAS THERE OKAY.
“Professional mess-maker, maybe,” he teased, but he handed her a whisk anyway. “Alright, mix it up. Gently, okay?”
Aria’s definition of “gently” was questionable. Batter splattered in every direction as she enthusiastically stirred, her giggles echoing through the kitchen. By the time the mixture was ready, it looked like a pancake war zone.
Finally, the first pancake hit the pan, sizzling as the sweet smell of breakfast filled the kitchen.
“Flip it, Daddy! Flip itttttt” Aria cheered, bouncing on her stool - to which she found her dad placing a hand on her back. COME ON DAD SHE’S NOT GONNA FALL PROMISE.
After a second, Kai grabbed the spatula and smirked. “Alright, but only if you cheer really loud.”
“GO DADDY, GO!” Aria yelled, clapping her hands as Kai gave the pancake an exaggerated flip.
The pancake soared into the air, spinning once, twice—and landed perfectly back in the pan.
“Wooooah!” Aria gasped, her eyes wide with awe. “You’re the bestest chef ever, daddy”
Kai gave her a mock bow. “Thank you, thank you. Years of pancake training went into that one move.”
By the time they finished cooking, the stack of pancakes was almost as tall as Aria’s juice glass. She insisted on decorating hers with syrup, sprinkles, and whipped cream, creating a sugar-filled masterpiece that Kai affectionately dubbed “a health inspector’s nightmare.” which, she had NO idea what that meant but whateverrrrrrr.
“Best breakfast ever!” Aria declared, her cheeks stuffed with pancake as she gave Kai a sticky thumbs-up.
Kai chuckled, watching her with a mix of amusement and affection. “Just don’t tell Mommy we made this mess, alright? Orrrrrr that we had pancakes instead of oatmeal.”
Aria’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she put a finger to her lips. “It’s a secret. Pinky promise.”
Kai held out his pinky, linking it with hers. “Pinky promise.”
When Jess got home later that day, she walked into the kitchen and froze. Flour still lingered on the counter, a suspicious amount of syrup stuck to the table, and Aria was proudly telling her stuffed bunny all about their “great pancake adventure.”
“Let me guess,” Jess said, raising an eyebrow as she turned to Kai. “You folded?’”
Kai shrugged, leaning against the counter with a smirk. “… I tried… but if you saw her little pout you wouldn’t say no either. Apparently pancakes were the law today.”
Jess rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips as Aria ran over, wrapping her arms around her mom’s legs.
“Mama, guess what? Daddy flipped a pancake so high, and it landed perfect! He’s the best pancake chef ever!”
“Is he now?” Jess teased, leaning down to kiss Aria’s head. “Well, next Saturday, it’s my turn again. And don’t you forget who taught your daddy how to make pancakes in the first place.” Kai opened his mouth to protest, but one look from Jess was enough to silence him. Aria, meanwhile, just giggled and gave them both sticky hugs.