Blame Canada!

Back from Quebec and had a lovely time! Thank goodness Hubby did the bulk of the driving and had the insight to buy a portable DVD player which kept a teething little girl happy but made Mommy & Daddy want to throttle li'l Elmo if he sang that song ONE MORE TIME... ! Still, everyone enjoyed sleeping, eating, discovering natural wonders and architectual marvels, relaxing and enjoying family time. We discovered a number of surprising things, some of which included:

- this is the last time we will go to a fancy restaurant with our daughter. She is now a toddler and wants to run. Now.
- one boulangerie's maple-iced cookies taste EXACTLY like pancakes with syrup icing. Odd.
- you cannot find a real croissant in Canada. That's in France.
- fresh cheese will audibly squeak, like having squeegees against your the teeth or chewing very small mice.
- there CAN be too much sugar.
- our daughter is so adorable, we squeal aloud.
- there are no Banana-Flavored Kit Kats or Cheddar-Flavored Slurpies in the U.S. for a good reason.
- Canadian signage is completely weird including (translating): Your Car Will Drop-Off Suddenly And Land On A Giant Exclamation Point, Tourists May Have Rocks Dropped On Them, & Warning: Naked Family Tushes Ahead. These are all true.
- people appreciate Americans trying to speak French, but are most entertained when it is spoken badly.
- it's not a worthy incline to mention until you're around 11-14% grade.
- if you can buy paint, you can have an artist's studio and expect tourists to drop by. Not talent, mind you, just paint.
- hundreds of miles of unspoiled terrain is quite lovely this time of year.
- moose may be just a myth. In 8 days, we never saw a one.

It's nice to be home!