Science Center and BBQ

On Saturday, we took the kids to the Orange County Discovery Science Center to see the Clifford exhibit which, naturally, although that's what they'd requested to see, they liked the least. They enjoyed the Dino Quest area and all the other cool science experiments like the pulleys, the tornado, etc. We were able to save some money by using our AAA membership for the admission price. We've been working on their table manners/restaurant manners so we went to Denny's for breakfast to start the day and they were remarkably well-behaved. We took our lunch with us so that was a good savings since the other option was Taco Bell or Pizza Hut in the center. Afterward, we had an early dinner at Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ which was not a frugal meal by any means. Sandwiches start around $9 or $10 and most are $12. Most entrees start at $12. DH and I split the BBQ Porch Platter with 3 types of BBQ meat and two sides for $25. The boys split a kids' meal. We all had drinks and dessert and DH bought two bottles of BBQ sauce, $4 each. I should be happy it ended up just under $70. However, by this time, the kids' behavior had deteriorated to a large degree so it was not a pleasant, relaxed meal like in the morning. So, while I'd say that $20 for breakfast, $35 for admission to the Discover Center and $70 for dinner is pricey, it's still far less than a day at Disneyland or Legoland!