Niagara Falls

Just as we were heading out the door to the RBG the phone rang ... it was our family doctor. I had called earlier that day about Rebecca. We had been in to see her at the beginning of the week and had blood work done. She had said after 10 days we would reevaluate and see what to do next. Ten days was on Friday and then it was the long weekend, so I had called Thursday afternoon to get an appointment for the next morning (as I knew she was only in for the morning). I did not want to wait the weekend out as she was getting more and more dragged down by the persistent fevers, sleeping more and more. What the kids did not know was that we also had a little get-a-way planned for the weekend and so I really hoped Rebecca would be better so we could go. This is when it was decided to try antibiotics and so the doctor sent a prescription off right away and by time we got to Hamilton it was ready for us to pick up. We gave Rebecca her first dose (a double dose) when we got back that night ... the next day - NO fevers, just tired still. By Saturday she was bright and perky and Rebecca was back!! And so we could carry on with our little overnight get-a-way plan.

Monday was was Victoria Day and so it was a holiday. Our school had an extended weekend with Friday and Tuesday also off (at least the students did, the teacher were still working). This was great because we could book a cheap deal for Monday night (the weekend nights were blocked for the deal because it was a long weekend). We still love Travelzoo and we still watch it faithfully for good deals. Mostly it's just the Niagara Falls ones that work into our budget. Many of us local dutchies take advantage of various packages. While they may make money off of some people with these packages (ours was $60 for the night, including a $45 dinner voucher and a $20 voucher to some games place), it doesn't work so well for cheapies like us. We would spend only the amount of the dinner voucher and bring food along to fill us if we're hungry in between. I bring along muffins and stuff for breakie ... so the only thing we pay for on top of the hotel is our lunch the next day (if I were really really cheap I could bring that along too:) Yup that the life of a Dutch Student! :) (I know we're not student status right now, but we still live on that mind-frame)



We arrived at our hotel early. Our room was not available yet so we went swimming for a couple hours. We had a great time as we had the pool to ourselves for almost the whole time. We did have one scare when Matthew decided to jump in the pool when no one was looking. He had been jumping to the girls and I guess he didn't realize the importance of the person catching him. He learned from that experience!!

Pushing Rebecca into the pool.
















Swimming with Daddy.
















My parents came out and met us for supper ... so this time the bill went over the voucher amount as they treated us :)































It ended up being extra nice that my parents were there as Rob ended up being sick. He had already been feeling "off" during the morning with a major headache and joint pain. He had loaded up on meds and seemed to do okay most of the day. But by supper time he was done and so he headed back to the hotel before we finished supper and crashed for the night.

Skylon Tower in the background. We are always amazed by the fact that it used to be the tallest building in the area. Now the area is full of highrise hotels that are taller then it. Matthew was absolutely thrilled by the elevators (they are on the outside of the building and bright yellow - click on Skylon Tower above to see a picture of the tower) and it was great that our hotel window faced the tower.

Victoria Day is usually celebrated by fireworks and so after supper we headed down to the falls to see the fireworks. Matthew was not so impressed by them ... okay, a little scared. The girls, especially Rebecca, were also scared after someone decided to set off some fireworks in the crowd, not far from us - you sometime wonder about the brains (or lack there of) on some people!!

By this time it was getting late, especially for Matthew and Rebecca who still need some extra rest. Rebecca really wanted to take the bus back instead of walking so we walked along the falls (which took just as long as it would have if we walked directly back to the hotel ... but we got to take the bus:). Matthew was scared of the falls and did not want to look at them. We did manage to at least get a couple pictures ... yup he was there :) It began to rain and get cold and we wait and wait for the bus, wondering if we had missed it. But it finally arrived. Matthew's first ride every on a bus!! He was quite thrilled!!

Lazing around the next morning ... watching TV, hanging out ... just relaxing together ... so nice!!

We checked out of our room and then waited to take the bus up town to the main attraction area. Matthew was thrilled to take the bus again.

I bought him this little bus as he was so taken by it. He sat there wait for the bus saying "I take bus on the bus" over and over.

You can't see ... but he did take the bus on the bus! :)

Up town (or is is downtown :) we ended up going to the Fun House after we found out the place we had planned to go (because of the voucher we got with our hotel) was closed for the day. A little overpriced (guess this didn't turn out to be the super dutchie holiday :) but we had lots of fun together. The kids still talk about it. The place was full of various different rooms of fun ideas. There was a room with mirrors making you look fat or skinny or tall, etc. There was a jailroom but cells were made of elasticy type material so you could stretch your way out of the cells. There was a room with huge balls (the size of the girls) ...etc. etc.

The Hamster Wheel. Marietta especially loved this one.

The boards that Matthew is walking on are both moving in different directions. He quickly figured out how to master this one on his own.

Mini carousel

Off to sea!!

Getting seasick on the inside of the boat. The kids thought this room was great and kept asking how it was built. Most of the time we were there we could not get Matthew to go in the room. He refused to set foot in it. Finally I managed to carry him across the room to the other side where he discovered there were more things to play and see yet. Then Rob managed to carry him to the table to sit down. He never did comfortably walk through the room, but with our help would make his way across it uneasily.

It was nice to get away. While it's not always necessary to go away and spend money, or even to leave home to relax ... it is necessary to get away when you have a hubby who doesn't know how to stop working and thinks it's a sin to sit down at home and just relax with his family. He always reminds me that we don't need to go away whenever there's a holiday or something of that assort ... and I always have to remind him that we need to see him and have his full attention at times. If he can learn to do that at home, then maybe we'll stay home ... otherwise we have to take him away (free or for a small fee) to get his undivided attention. I must also remind him that I am at home all the time (okay, not as often as I wish, but my main occupation is at home) ... I like to just get out and enjoy family time. It's too bad he was sick on Monday, but thankfully he was much better on Tuesday.