So, part two of our holiday arrived when we met up with my sister and brother-in-law and their seven (that’s right, 7!) little ducklings. Our destination: Niagara Falls!! Now, some might think we are a little nuts, but trust me, I saw larger groups than ours wondering those crowded streets. What an adventure this was! Uncle Steve became a double-decker bus/jungle gym as he drove around in his awesome powerchair. My nieces and nephews also decided that Wack-an-Aunt (with balloons) would be a terrific game to play while stopped for a break. We fed the birds at lunch and took in the sights of the Falls. Did you know that the water looks like it is falling? Well, according to my 4 year old niece, it does. And that folks is why it is called Niagara Falls!! (Duh!!) Ever see the show “Kids Say the Darndest Things”? We had several of these moments. Another favourite of Uncle Steve’s is while our 6 year old nephew (who can read exceptionally) was traveling along with his uncle exclaims, “Look, Uncle Steve, I see Hooters, I see Hooters!” as we pass the ‘owl’ restaurant. How does one handle that on a serious note? So much innocence.
A special treat for the children was a stop at the candy shop on Clifton Hill – this was truly a magical moment. Brandon Boyd once said, “I feel like a little kid who just walked into a candy store. I think that’s something to smile about.” This was a moment to smile – 7 times over. What a thrill to watch and be part of the chaos that ensued upon each children receiving a small plastic container and being told they could fill it with whatever candies they wanted. The older ones meticulously trying to stuff as much as they possibly could in their dish, while the others had a hard time deciding which brightly coloured bon-bon they would like the most and would rather eat it then and there as opposed to putting it in a safe place for later.
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! We made a trip to the Niagara Safari which had us all turning a little red after a day in the sun. There were moments of awe and excitement as we discovered the animals. I was a little concerned that Uncle Steve might become an activist by the end of the day as he was continually saying how sorry he felt for the animals all caged up. I think he is getting a little soft in his old age. Our favourites were the monkeys and the lemurs. Oh, the giggles that were had as we watched the tricks and silly behaviour of the furry creatures. We shared our lunch with chickens that day and cooled off at the splash pad near the end of the day. We finished the day off by going out for dinner at a restaurant. Scary thought for some of you, I’m sure. However, this group of children was more well behaved than I have seen some groups of 2 or 3. I don’t just say this because I’m their aunt – it is true. It went so well, we even tried breakfast out the next morning. Eyes were always drawn to us as they seem to be in sheer amazement at the number of little ones, however, it was never because there was some great-and-wonderful drama being performed before their eyes. Well done to Mommy and Daddy!
It is always a hard moment when we have to say our good-byes. But we leave with great memories about how we were able to become children again through the eyes of our nieces and nephews. We look forward to more fun vacation times!