It is over ten years since we have visited the fine country of Canada, and I was glad to be back. The schedule only allowed us a few days, but I reckon it was worth a long day of driving each way for even a taste.
We visited St Jacobs to see how much had changed, and recapture some memories. While it all felt pretty similar, I don’t remember the bakery being so amazing: This was the best doughnut I’ve had, and I have sampled a few.
Ryan walked with us to the school bus stop one afternoon to collect Navilyn and Kayleigh, bringing the sleds too. The run and sled home was great fun, as was the rest of our stay – the girls ran amuck throughout the house the whole time (with the occasional exhausted meltdown), and Eleanor particularly enjoyed the company.
Alex and family came over to see us, and the house was filled with hubbub. Stories, memories, games and good food.
Once again farewells came too soon, but it felt more like “see you next time” than the “goodbye, I wonder if we will see each other when we’re proper grown ups” from 2004. Alex came to see us in 2008, so I wonder who will be next.
Back on the road again, and all of the parent-survival tricks came out: Toys, packed snacks, eye spy, kids music (*only* for long drives), leg stretching stops, vague time estimates to help the journey seem like it will eventually end, and generally trying not to get snappy with each other. We were grateful that the border crossing – both ways – was completely painless. A few questions, briefly rolling down the windows to show we had actual children in the back seats, and away we went.
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