A Weekend in Canada

In mid-February, Chris and I packed up the kids and headed to Brantford for a Jr. CYC Weekend. Before we went, the kids completed a workbook which centered about the life of Samuel. The workbook is designed to get them immersed in the study and come with some knowledge of the classes they will be having. It's also graded and they get points for completion that they can then spend in the store for books, cd's, videos, etc. The kids really look forward to that part. ;)

We left on a Friday morning and made our way up to the border. I packed food for lunch so we could minimize our stops (and spending). After being thoroughly grilled at the border, we finally made our way into Canada and we were on our way to our hotel. We left early on purpose so that we might get checked into our hotel and take advantage of the really awesome pool it boasted.

Did I mention we were meeting up with friends? Well, add to an already potentially awesome weekend, friends, and you have definitely awesome. The kids were so pumped. We arrived at our hotel in the early afternoon, unpacked and had a snack, then we headed to the pool. The kids love swimming. I just wish the boys knew how to swim. They love the idea of swimming, but can't seem to bring themselves to put their faces in the water...or relax enough to float. So, Chris and I took turns carrying them around the pool while David clung on to us and choked the living daylights out of us and Byron loud-talked constantly. If he thought it, he said it. After 2 hours of that, we decided we'd had enough and headed back to our room for showers, dinner and early bed. Traveling wears me out. So does being drowned repeatedly by the boys.

Breakfast was included in our room, so we made a point to meet our friends at the restaurant for a lovely breakfast where all the kids (all 10 of them) behaved so very well. It was a good meal. We left in the morning for a 10am start time. The kids had a class in the morning while the adults volunteered to grade workbooks or shovel off the pond for ice skating. Chris opted to shovel snow (chicken) and I graded workbooks (which were HILARIOUS at times-I love the things kids say). We all gathered back together for lunch and then headed outside for a break and some playing in the snow (which Canada seems to have in abundance).

Mo and Byron waiting for the "treasure" hunt to start. Byron was not too happy about doing it, but he ended up coming back with the biggest bag of snow and "jewels" and this huge grin.

And what's not to love about giant chunks of snow?

David, contemplating chucking this chunk of snow at Byron (Bad choice, Dude. He's bigger than you and has better aim.)

Grace was content to just roll around on the ice and attempt to trip unsuspecting skaters.

Ruth built a snowman and then had a complete meltdown (haahaa! I kill me!) when some naughty boys knocked it down (not my naughty boys this time).

Saturday was long and fantastic. We, the adults, were able to catch of with people we see each summer for Main Camp, on Manitoulin Island. The kids renewed friendships and made new friends. We did end up swimming again Saturday night, but it was for much less time as I was beat and we were leaving the next day after meeting in Brantford.

On the way home, we grabbed lunch in a drive-thru and headed on our way. Chris and I had decided to surprise the kids and stop at Niagara Falls for a few hours. It had been several years since we had taken the kids and they still talk about it as one of the best vacations ever (not that we've taken so many that they have a slew of them to sort through and label as "best"). Anyway, Byron had not seen the falls, so this was just perfect timing. We had to drive right past them to get home anyway. We ended up parking way at the top of Clifton Hill (because it was cheap and we could all stand to lose a few pounds anyway) and walking down to the falls. It was cold and it was windy. The kids complained and you'd have thought we were dragging them across Siberia. But, we were gonna have fun, doncha know!?

Forcing the kids to pose with the falls

The Niagara River was quite frozen this time of year. Gorgeous.

We nabbed some poor, unsuspecting tourist to take our picture. He was probably on his honeymoon and wishing that family with all the complaining kids would just move on down the sidewalk. I like to think I did them a service. Birth control.

Every time we ran into one of these, Boo had to jump up and try to see something. Anything.

Marvelous. I just can't wrap my head around such magnificent power and beauty.

Everything was covered in ice due to the mist freezing-it was so cool. (bwahaahaa)

I just liked the stairway.

That would say "Niagara's Fury" if it weren't covered in ice and kids.

Stopping to get a picture in Robert Wadlow's chair. You can tell how much fun Byron is having, can't you?

So, this is on our way back up Clifton Hill, heading back to the van. After the chair, we had to pass this place, I think it might be a haunted house kind of thing. On the way past it the first time, David was a little leary, but on the way back, he was tired and cold and he freaked.out. You see, the box made this scary growling noise and jiggled. He knew it was just a machine, but it was more than the poor boy could handle. It was all I could do to get him to listen to me. He was on the sidewalk, shaking, screaming, "CAN WE JUST CROSS THE STREET!!! PLEASE MAMA!! JUST CROSS THE STREET!" And when I tried to pick him up, he screamed bloody murder. It was so hilarious, poor boy. I could hardly talk to him for all the giggling I was doing. I know, I know, what kind of mother laughs at her child's terror? I finally got him to stop screaming long enough to listen to me and I told him to put his face on my shoulder and I'd run past the box. We did make it and he calmed down enough to walk again, but he pointed out every last "scary place" we had to pass. That boy has a memory like an elephant, I tell you. "No, David, there aren't any more scary places." "XYZ Scary Place. Yep, I remember that one. It has a laughing skull on top of it."

While we had a great time at the falls, it did put us a wee bit behind schedule and we finally rolled in around 11pm that night. It was a good trip, though.