One of my little boys turned three recently. For weeks he’s been saying that he wants to have his birthday at the Capitol. My boys love the Heritage Center and the Capitol as well, and I take them for a visit at every opportunity. So when my youngest turned 3, he got to eat a Kawasaki Green cupcake on the 18th floor. Then we looked out the windows and counted Slugbugs for a bit.

Of course, no birthday would be complete without a trip to the zoo! Yes, it is still open to some degree over the winter. In our case we enjoyed the indoor exhibits. The boys did puzzles and watched the fish and turtles. Much fun was had by all.

I have to laugh when I hear older kids bemoan the idea that “there’s nothing to do.” Wrong. There’s plenty to do in Bismarck-Mandan, all you need is a little initiative. Thankfully that’s something my toddlers have in ample supply.