Here's a question for you: how do you entertain three small children in downtown Portland on what's likely to be a cold and rainy Sunday morning?

You see, my husband is running in the Shamrock Run next Sunday, and we want to be there to cheer him on. His event starts at the bright-and-early time of 8:40 a.m. We'll drop him off, and then we'll have an hour or two to kill until we have to be back down at Waterfront Park for the finish.

If it were summer, I'd just let them run around in the park all morning. But the forecast calls for it to be 52 degrees max, with showers likely. We need someplace warm to hang out. Preferably someplace within walking distance of Waterfront Park. Someplace that will not be aghast at the sight of three energetic kids ages 4 and under walking through the doors of their classy city establishment.

There is always Powell's, glorious Powell's, of course. But I've been to their kids' section on a weekend morning just once, and it was so stinkin' crowded I could barely handle the one kid I had at the time. The thought of trying to keep track of all three children by myself in there is somewhat daunting. We may end up there anyway, unless I can think of a better plan.

But I thought I'd throw this out there, in case someone wandering the wilds of the Internet comes across this post and has the answer for me: is there some magical, warm, cheap, kid-friendly place in downtown Portland where I can take my girls early on a Sunday morning?