Terra Nova Roadtrip | Day 1 Recap

I have decided to pace myself as I tell you the tale of our vacation.

Canada Day dawned rainy and cool last Wednesday, and we decided to get our act together, put the kids down for their afternoon naps a little early and then head out to Terra Nova. We anticipated a 3-hour drive filled with the usual infighting and complaining, so in a fit of strategizing I had Shaun move Brandon's carseat to the third row of the TrailBlazer next to Natalie's carseat and put Kyle's booster in the second row. I'm pleased to report that this proved to be a brilliant plan in diffusing our usual Kyle-Natalie conflicts. What we did not anticipate was the nerve-wracking shriek that Brandon managed to perfect over the course of 3 hours and the fact that we would not be able to reach him to hand him sippy cups, snacks, toys and dropped books. Oh well. You wouldn't believe how loud the radio in my car can go.

We arrived at Pinetree Lodge, checked into our cabin, and decided to hunt down some dinner at a place called Whimsicals. The place and the crafts were adorable, but I'm glad I didn't know at the time that every restaurant we would encounter over the next four days would be the size of my living room and that the food would be about the same quality as what would have come out of my own kitchen--frozen then reheated, canned, or just plain ugly. What can I say? We don't eat seafood, and the other choices are a bit limited. But we didn't go for the food!

We went for the scenery, and we went to experience the joy of making Kyle and Natalie share a bed! And what a joy it was. From the very first night until the very last. Our cabin had two bedrooms, so Kyle and Natalie shared a double bed in one bedroom while Brandon slept in his portable crib in the corner of the bedroom Shaun and I were sharing. On top of late bathtimes and bedtimes it would take an hour of ignoring, scolding, pleading, and threatening each night for Kyle and Natalie to fall asleep. Why? Because Natalie loves to torture her big brother, and he makes the best kind victim--the responsive kind.

"Mommy, she's putting her feet on me."

"Mommy, she won't stop talking to me."

"Mommy, she's pulling my ear."

"Mommy, she's licking my hair."

Yes, Natalie was licking Kyle's hair--for no other reason than he found it particularly offensive. And every time we'd go in the room to ask her to stop she'd be on her side of the bed, curled up under the covers, eyes shut, her angelic face and blond ringlets oozing innocence. She's evil, and she's relentless. Every night we put up with this for at least an hour until she'd eventually tire herself out or Kyle would fall asleep, ending her enjoyment of torturing him.

Whew. Day 1 down. I was exhausted, but I knew we were going to have a great time the next day exploring the area and spending some time experiencing Central Newfoundland. I was ready to hit the hay so I could hit the ground running in the morning. I snuggled up under the covers, closed my eyes, and remembered why we moved Brandon into his own bedroom when he was shy of two months old. He snores--loudly. And breathes (a good thing, I know)--deeply. And loves to toss and turn in a Pack-n-Play barely bigger than he is. I eventually fell asleep with one thought running through my head... "It's going to be a long weekend."