Happy Birthday, Thomas!!

Yesterday was Thomas's long-awaited 9th birthday--I can't believe he is so old! Simon set up a hunt for him which led him to his presents and later we had homemade chocolate cake (again, thanks to Simon). We ended the day with telling him the story of his birth. He particularly enjoyed hearing about the whoops of amazement from the doctor and assistants ("Good god, look at him!" and "He's HUGE!!!") when they were pulling him out of me and about his first screams of disapproval when Nurse Kathy gave him his first scrubbing.

Pinata Frenzy

Thomas had a few friends over for a birthday party today. One activity was the pinata, always a party favorite. In the first picture, Thomas is taking the first crack at it and already some candy is spilling out. The pinata, however, wasn't going to give way that easily and it took all four kids, each taking several swings with a PVC pipe, to rip the thing open to get at the candy. Amazingly, none of the kids got hit, despite their insistence on grabbing for candy while the another was taking swings with the pipe. After a frantic scramble on the ground for each and every prize, they sat together on the hammock to sort and trade. Bryce liked the sours the most, Lydia liked the snickers and plastic coins, Sofi liked the slinkies and starbursts and Thomas liked the necklaces and sweetart chews the most. Then, rather predictably, the hammock swung wildly, all four kids went flying, the bags ripped, the candy and prizes scattered and the negotiations had to begin all over again.

Buns of stone

Forgot to mention the true high point of our trip: one of our stops required a 14km drive along a bumpy, unpaved road through dense forest to get to the shore of Lake Superior. It was a very nice beach, but we had seen a lot of beaches, and after trotting up and down it for an hour or so it was time to take the 14km trip back. Jami was just leaving the beach when her eye caught something strange and wonderful, half-submerged in the sand, and we found a true natural treasure:

Back to Civilization

Craving the rocks and cliffs of Canada, the boys put on brave faces and make do with slides and stacked tires in the U.S. This was on the second to last day of our trip. On the sixth night of camping we were treated to an earth-shaking thunder storm that soaked the tent. After we packed the muddy and sandy tent and all the soggy, filthy sleeping bags into the car, it was oh-so-easy to convince ourselves that we should give up on camping and spend the remaining nights of our vacation in motels.

Canada's National Bird

I have heard a million tales about the mighty Canadian mosquito and blackfly, but I had always dismissed them as hyperbolic travel lore--until now. From sun up until sun down, these little beasts bite and chew, sting and stab, and slowly drive a person insane. (Simon displays a leg being stung by three mosquitoes.) I have no idea how the locals can live through the summer months. (Which is, admittedly, short. It wasn't unusual to see people with neatly stacked and covered wood piles larger than our two-car garage ready and waiting for the oncoming winter months.) We spent at least $75 on products (creams, sprays, gels, and candles--some of which are displayed here) to repel and, when that failed, to ease the unending itching. But all in vain. By the time we got to the U.S. border in Minnesota we all looked like we had been scraped with cheese graters. And yet we are already planning a return visit next summer!

The Land of Many Mosses

I had no idea that moss grew in such wide variety. In some places, the moss was so lush you could sink your hand into it past your wrist. It was very tempting to stray off the path, lie down and have a short nap on them--and certainly more comfortable than sleeping in a tent on the hard ground.

Not Your Stepping Stone

Here Thomas teaches Frederick how to hurl large stones. Frederick picked up the skill worryingly quickly. This beach was stunning: the water was crystal clear and the stones were an unbelievable variety of quartz. And best of all, we were the only ones there. Later, at another beach, a lady who claimed to be "from BC" (I can only assume she meant British Columbia) asked what I thought of this little slice of Canada. I told her I thought it was truly stunning and was surprised that it is not more well-known. She answered with a knowing smirk, "Well, you know why that is don't you?" "No, why?" I asked. "Because," she answered, " no one knows about it." So there you are.

Frederick Takes a Hike

Frederick developed a passion for clambering over volcanic formations and skipping along cliff edges. It terrified us both, yet he came to no harm. These pictures were taken on our fifth night of camping. This particular walk is between two beaches at the Pukaskwa National Park of Canada, on the north shores of Lake Superior. Or, for those that prefer its Ojibwe name, the shores of Gichigami.