Back at her house, we worked on a photo album of our family that my aunt is putting together for my oma. My oma can't see very well, so this way, she can put the pictures of us under her magnifier and see what we look like. To avoid the trick-or-treaters, we went to a fantastic Thai restaurant for supper, then went back and relaxed at home.
Another one of my cousins teaches at the school across the street from my aunt's house and we were planning on surprising her their but ended up being on the other side of the city at the end of school, so called her and went there for tea, instead. She's been married over a year, but I still have never met her husband and won't on this trip either!
After getting dressed up at home, my aunt and I drove to meet dad, my uncle, the rest of the group they were in meetings with, and their spouses. It was interesting to meet the people I had heard about from my dad, and also to learn more about the organization he has been doing so much work for.
We were home late, but somehow when we got home, the conversation turned to my uncle's love of big game hunting and his "hunting room" in the basement. He has several sets of antlers, including a huge set from a moose! We also got to check out his variety of bows and guns (along with descriptions on how they work and what animal they are used for) and got a lecture on how to make your own ammunition (assembling the brass, bullet, gun powder, and primer). Only in Alberta!
I dropped my dad off at the offices near the airport, then made my way to my aunt and uncle's place in the south-west. My dad's directions didn't include on the the turns I was supposed to make and later I was in the wrong lane to turn where I had to, but the city is pretty much a grid of numbered streets, so I found my way with no major difficulties.
I spent the afternoon relaxing with my aunt, looking at each others pictures of Peru (she and my uncle went two months before I did), before heading back across the city to pick my dad up. One of my cousins (from a different family) joined up for supper - lime dill chicken with rice and stir-fried peppers. Mmmm - my aunt is a good cook!
We got into Edmonton just before 11pm and drove to my Oma's place. We rented a suite in her home (she's in a retirement residence), so we have our own space, including a little kitchen. I'm sleeping on a lob sided cot, but it will do!
M picked me up with the kids just after lunch on Wednesday afternoon and after filling the cooler (I was in charge of food for the trip), we were off. There were a few sprinkles of rain as we drove, but nothing major - it was actually the last rain we would see until we left! After setting up M's massive tent (it sleeps 8) and giving the kids a snack, we dragged them around the campground on a hike. It was a challenge to keep N out of the mud puddles, they're like magnets to 3 year old boys! I was the only one who stayed clean - H tripped and got mud on her knees, and while M was carrying N around a giant mud puddle, she tripped and poor N got a face full of mud. The kids seemed to like the boardwalk the best - playing with the reeds, looking in the water. It was work for M and I though, trying to make sure they didn't fall in.
Back at the campground, we collected wood from some other campsites and started a fire (another thing we had to keep N away from, he kept wanting to touch sparks!). For supper, we made sloppy joes, or "woppy woes" as N calls them, and tried to make s'mores for desert. I gave N a roasted marshmellow, but he didn't like getting his fingers sticky, so spit out what was in his mouth (which then went down his chin and jacket) and started smearing the marshmallow goo from his hands onto his pants. Neither kid wanted to try a s'more, so M and I finished off the chocolate (which didn't melt - it was too cold!) and graham crackers.
After treking to the washrooms, we got into the tent, put the kids in as many layers of clothes as we could, and bundled them up in their sleeping bags. M and I told the kids a few stories, then read by our flashlights while they slept.
Everyone managed to sleep until 8 am (so the kids got about 11 hours ... not quiet enough, but not too disasterous either). M got the kids showered (and used up all the hot water!) while I made the batter for the poffertjes. The first batch of poffertjes got a bit too crispy, but once I figured out what size flame I needed on the stove, the rest worked great. The kids ate some poffertjes, but mostly jsut the peach slices. After cleaning up the sticky mess that kids always make, we made sandwiches for our lunches and drove to the African Lion Safari.
We had a great time at the park - feeding the llamas and the goats (and being jumped on by them), riding the boat and train, taking the bus around the reserve, watching the shows, and playing in the balls! It was funny how H would be studying the animals while N was more interested in the vehicles - boys! Sigh.
Our last morning, we made French toast for breakfast, then packed up the tent while N tormented his sister with a large stick he kept swinging around. Everything was in the car and we were dropping of our garbage when it began to rain again - and it didn't stop for a week!
