The kids and I zipped over to PEI for a few days last week for the funeral of my Uncle Emmett – RIP – and because I am the meanest of all Mommies, I forced the kids to actually learn something during our trip by dragging them to a couple museums. They were really broken up about it, as you can see:
Here they are at the Acadian Museum in Miscouche, which was “really good,” as Charlotte proclaimed on our way out. It is good – informative, visually interesting and well laid out. You should go.
We also liked Founders Hall in Charlottetown:
The statues of the Fathers of Confederation were a particular hit. Founders Hall is the perfect example of how museums can be fun and educational at the same time.
Because I aspire to be an absolute monster, I also dragged them to the beach:
That’s Foster running toward that bit of ice jutting out, from which he launched more chunks of ice in an attempt to either (a) splash frigid water all over himself or (b) fall into the frigid water completely. Contrary to my expectations, he did NOT fall in, but ended up so wet he might as well have. As we were leaving, he came to me clutching an armful of ice chunks and said, “I guess I can’t keep these, huh?”
See how smart he is? All this homeschooling is paying off.
This is my co-pilot at Cape Jourimain in New Brunswick:
To escape the children’s incessant nagging for Tim Hortons donuts, I abandoned the vehicle and was sprinting towards the Confederation Bridge yelling, “Let me back in!” when I realized I had left my MP3 player in the car. Shoot. It was a tough call, but I returned to the car and continued driving home.
And yes, they got their stupid donuts. (But I ate a maple glazed. You know, just to show them who’s boss.)
Our condolences to you and your Dad’s family on the passing of your Uncle Emmett. Although your trip to PEI was mainly to attend his funeral, it looks and sounds like it was very enjoyable for the kids and a good educational experience. Tim Hortons donuts have been on our minds lately but so far we have resisted the temptation. I wonder how long we can hold out.
Thank you for your condolences, Carolyn. It’s always hard to say goodbye and I hated seeing my aunt and cousins in pain, but it was also a good lesson for the kids (and me) to make the most of the time we have together and look for ways to find good alongside the bad. It was a sad and happy trip, all rolled into one.