Niagara Falls

Growing up in Sarnia, whenever anyone came over from Ireland, we would make the trek to The Falls. It was an obligatory Canadian trip. Back then all I could remember was the drive and then the Falls. Lots of water - A wishing fountain and more water. Well it was my duty to allow my children that same memory... oh, and Christopher as well. My little brother needed to experience this with his niece and nephews! It was a sunny day and we headed off. The drive wasn't too bad once we got out of Toronto traffic. Entering Niagara Falls it felt somewhat larger and more colourful. I remember a few malls along the way with some funky, cheap souvenir shops...now there are hundreds of shops which means hundreds, upon hundreds of shoppers. The water seemed almost secondary. 

After fuelling up at The IHOP(International House of Pancakes) we headed to the water. Hearing that sound made my tummy felt full of butterflies. I remembered that too. The sound of the water. It was all rushing back...(water metaphor omitted) LOL . Once we saw the water, the kids were amazed. 
"Where did it all start? Why is there a rainbow? I want to get wet. "

Desperate hunts for a loonie to look through the special binoculars ensued!

We headed to several spots in order to garner the best view. We finally got to the top end of the Falls and were able to get to the guardrail to see the water barrelling over the edge. It was mesmerising. Cohen was especially mesmerised! We all got sprayed by the mist and had our photos taken - did heaps of selfies and we quickly did a lap of the souvenir shop where I had to repeatedly say, "what does a stuffed purple snake have the do with Niagara Falls?" 

We could not find the wishing fountain...I guess there is not enough business in wishes. A bit of the magic had gone but we still left feeling like we saw something super special! 

 We did not go into any of the "attractions" that, again, have nothing to do with The Falls. I don't think the kids missed out by not going on a ride, buying a bubble blower or walk through a laser strike course! I just didn't want their memory of Niagara Falls to be one filled with arcade colours and sounds! It was about the water, after all.

Niagara Falls on PhotoPeach

The ROM

Museums are boring! Well that's what I used to think...but the ROM is amazing. It has space to move around in...kid friendly exhibits and signs that kids can, and want to read. It has also remained true to what it is..a museum. So many times on this trip we have gone to something, like the Zoo..and there is also a waterpark and games...as if kids need all that to be constantly enthralled in their environment. Don't get me wrong. My kids love their devices and the words, "there is no wifi" sends their little hearts into a panic, but luckily enough, they also have brains and were able to use them during the museum trip. They read signs...asked questions, wondered, shared, with Museum staff, their own facts about animals and Egypt and the learned...and they did all this without the aid of any gimmick... unless you call bumble bee wings a gimmick! The dinosaur exhibition was amazing and the sheer size of these beasts was mind boggling. The kids loved talking with museum staff about the animals of Canada and hearing their facts about them and sharing their own stories of what they had seen so far on their trip. The ROM itself is beautiful. The building and the totem poles are beautiful. I was so glad to have my opinion of museums changed and to see that the kids could enjoy it as well - you know - old fashioned family fun! The music is Night at The Museum Theme Song. Enjoy! What do you mean we're going to a Museum??? on PhotoPeach

Rock and Roll and Science?

We headed to The Ontario Science Centre to relive yet another one of my childhood memories, and on the recommendation of one of my former students, Emily. The Science Centre had grown since my childhood. It was an amazing place where chaos rules and kids can touch things and there is fun. What a concept. Adults telling kids - "hey go ahead...touch it! Want to do a puzzle? Want to see how this works?" No more rushed parental conversation where a quick explanation is given in order to move along quickly. We actually took our time. We could have spent all day there...easily. Cohen loved opening and closing the "sneeze" machine...surprising passing guests! Madeline attempted to make shoes out of recycled materials while Theo perfected his paper aeroplane skills! 3 kids, 3 adults...we could do this! My favourite exhibit was the moon chair - watching the kids try to navigate a chair around and find obstacles - making them feel like they are in space - walking and working. You had to do opposite of your natural tendencies. To go right you turned left and to go forward you steered backwards. The kids found this concept quit easy - I think the gaming industry has something to do with this. Their fearless use of a remote control and having an innate sense of how to problem solve. I would have become totally frustrated that I could not, logically, get this chair to move. I stood in awe of their natural knowledge! There aren't tonnes of photos as I was busy actually doing stuff! Cool , eh! The song is Weird Science by Oingo Boingo! Enjoy! Weird Science on PhotoPeach

CN Tower and Bacon

This was a big day! The kids first streetcar and subway ride, a super high elevator ride to the top of the tower and then lunch at St Lawrence Market for the famous peameal bacon sandwich! Cohen loved the streetcar and took to it like a seasoned commuter. He asked for a newspaper so he could read on his "commute" and when I wouldn't give it to him, he went to sleep...as business do on their way to work! The subway was also a fun ride. The kids spent their time trying to stand without holding on to the rails! The subways today aren't like the ones I rode when I visited my Aunts in my youth. The lights do not go out when we go through tunnels. The subway cars area all one long car now too. Very cool and clean! The CN Tower was so much fun. Our Toronto CIty Pass helped us bypass all the queues and lines. There is a new addition since my last trip up the tower - the mechanical dog sniffers! You have to walk through these gates and then stop in the middle while strong puffs of air are blown onto your body and electronic sniffers and sensors suss you out for bombs. It went up 2 months after 9/11. The CN Tower attendant was happily explaining this to us...meanwhile in my head I am now adding terrorist plot to my list of things to be worried about while up a tower 126 or so stories high! Thanks Mr Friendly CN Tower Guy! Then my adult brain kicked in and I knew it made our trip safer...now just to worry about the normal stuff...like the elevator getting stuck! LOL! The kids loved the towers and immediately ran over to the windows to look down! We played a game of I spy that really battled my eye sight and their attention to details! LOL! We went up another level and walked on the glass floor. Again - the kids were fearless, as was Filo. I nervously stepped onto the floor with the help of Theo holding my hand. I can't say it changed my life but I've done it. This poster about the weight it can hold did little to appease my maths brain...how do I know that ll these people currently on the floor do NOT add up to 25,0000 blur jays? haha! We had a long walk to the St Lawrence Market for the famous bacon on a bun - peameal bacon! Yum! It was a long, busy and hot day but what a great addition to our holiday in Toronto! CN Tower and Bacon on PhotoPeach

Tarana...or bust!

Driving out of Burlington into Toronto was like a legoland puzzle of cars and trucks on tracks and I had to choose the right track or be stuck behind a semi for the duration of the drive. Luckily the lane gods were with us and we made the 45 minute trip with no stoppages...just a little slowdown when the Police had to zoom by for some reason... but we made it... Driving across Canada was less stressful than driving on these 5-6 lane highways. You see...there are posted speed limits...the ones the law requires you to do and then there are the inferred speed limits...the ones the drivers in ALL the other cars require you to do. Driving is constant mental battle of following the law and breaking the law due to car, peer pressure. When you find yourself pushing 115 in the slow lane, something's wrong. So I dropped it to 105 and let the crazy world of commuters pass us by. After all...I have the Fale Five in the car and they're more important than the pride one may feel being in the fast lane and getting there(wherever there is...) first. Driving into Toronto was like being swallowed by a concrete sea of high rises. Buildings of 60-70 floors surrounded us as we drove along The Gardiner and Lakeshore. Patches of green along the road that acted like nature provided little respite from our new home of concrete and people. However, as we got closer to where Christopher lives, the buildings shrunk and the old Toronto emerged. Tiny, brick houses dotted the streets. Trees and curious gardens replaced the corporate planted gardens and it felt ore homely. Christopher's street is lovely and full of houses that make us a little homesick for Grey Lynn. The diversity of the gardens, house colours and inhabitants differ from the suburbia of Burlington. Here, I have no idea who owns the Infinity as there are no driveways to park your trophies...all trophies/cars, are neatly parked on the streets...swapping sides once a month just to keep the locals on their toes and the parking officers in employment. Christopher is being a great host and seeing him getting to be a full time uncle is the reason we are doing this trip. My kids need to really know their Canadian family and so far it has been a very successful trip. We are going to be total tourists in Toronto. We have already been to the Zoo followed by dinner at my Aunt's house and today we tackled the CN Tower and downtown Toronto and the St Lawrence Market. I loved people watching and people listening. I think I heard over 10 different languages today. Toronto is diverse. You wear what you want and people sure do and I love it! Stay tuned for more Toronto (ta-raa-nah) posts! The music is, Lost by Blue Rodeo - a Toronto band and a favourite of mine. Lost is how we Fales feel while driving in Toronto...even with TomTom! xx The Fales xx The Fales are in Toronto! on PhotoPeach

Forest

Our next stop was Forest Ontario. We went to stay with Ruth Ann and Peter. Ruth Ann was my writing teacher in high school and we had reconnected a few years ago. They had popped over to NZ, as one does, and stayed with us while they toured the island! They invited us to stay with them when we next came to Canada, so we did. Easy as that! They opened their home to us...literally. We stayed in the house and they stayed in their trailer. We were fed and watered in true home cooking style! We were the dinner for many deer flies as the clearly live NZ blood! Now when people say. " oh those flies..." We can say..." Yes. Bloody awful things nearly are us alive!" A true Canadian war story! Lol! 

Cohen and Theo had hit pay dirt as they had a real bow and arrow to shoot! All the kids loved it...especially the two big kids, Peter and Filo! Cohen loved all of Peter's "big boy toys." His very own tractor and digger! Peter let the boys drive it and they loved it! 

Ruth Ann had a selection of books for Madeline and she had her own room with  a cozy reading chair do she was  in heaven! 

There were lots of tales of Ruth Ann and Peter's sailing trips and of life down East.

A few people thought it different or slightly weird that I would visit, let alone stay with a former teacher. We hadn't stated in touch and it had been well over 20 years since I spoke or saw Ruth Ann, but she was a teacher you remembered because you were memorable to her! She connected. She cared and she taught you to be who you want to be without lecturing...without lessons. She showed us how to look inward to get the answer and she taught Creative Writing...there were no "right" answers! It was the beginning of finding yourself and I was fortunate to have her in my last year of high school. A year that carries so much personal and emotional weight it can make or break a kid. There were no special words of wisdom...just a feeling and a knowledge that she cared about you. She was the type of teacher you needed and need in schools and she's the type of teacher I hope I am. Connected. Caring. Present. Believe me...it matters. 

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Thanks for an amazing visit and more stories and memories for Our Fale Five! 

Burlington,BBQ's and Blaney

After our adventures in Forest we have arrived safely in Burlington at Uncle Paul and Aunt Colette's place. 

We could hardly contain Cohen's excitement when he saw the pool! He wanted to dive right in. 

Aunt Joan greeted us and then Aunt Colette and Uncle John appeared!
Ryan and his fiancé and daughter came around to meet us too. Mark arrived home from work and Kyle came home so we got to see everyone! 

We spent the first day or two int he pool. The kids can literally be in the pool for hours without lunch etc...they LOVE the pool is clearly an understatement. Theo wants one now. Badly! 
Madeline is loving being spoiled by Aunt Colette! 

We are being treated like royalty and Aunt Colette is the Queen of treats for our three kids. Cohen is loving it, and her! My cousins, Ryan, Mark and Kyle are his personal helpers as well! Amazing how the youngest one can figure this all out in the first day of meeting everyone! Cohen calls the boys, "the teenagers" when he cannot remember their names.

The highlight of the trip is the annual Blaney BBQ that we are here for...a kind of family reunion! All the cousins came and my Aunts and Uncles as well. It was amazing seeing everyone and meeting all my cousins significant others! Facebook is a wonderful thing but seeing everyone in person is much better! Wonderful in fact! 

Jamie Oliver...AKA Uncle Paul prepared a feast! His sous chef...AKA Aunt Colette sorted him out in the kitchen and made sure he had everything he needed to make his feast!
Meatball Subs at Noon...followed by appetizers and snacks from they guests and Aunt Colette...followed by the main meal of BBQ steak, cauliflower gratin, zucchini bake, famous shrimp, chocolate cake and lemon cake. There was a tonne more food and lots of laughs! 

The BBQ went well into the night with only the "cool" kids left...and of course those of us who live or are staying here. haha!

When I left Canada these big cousins of mine were wee...in primary/high school, and now they are married, getting married or working full time in amazing jobs! 17 years changes a lot! 

Enjoy the video of our family fun. There are lots of shots of all the kids in the pool! 

Blaney BBQ 2014 from The Fales on Vimeo.