Just waiting on two people to finish getting ready before heading downstairs to launch a full out attack on the breakfast buffet, namely the fruit and yogurt bar. We should be at Leslie's tonight, barring any misbehaviour from the van who has been temporarily subdued by having one of it's two radiator fans yanked out to kill the racket. Having left the hotel and having secured gas, we start the last leg to Winnipeg at 8:30 am and, therefore, expect to arrive at Leslie and Richard's at approx. 4 pm. We are all well fed in thanks to the most amazing breakfast spread yet, especially the bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and fruit. This pretty much makes up for the fact that the hotel charged me almost ten dollars for a three minute call to my mother to tell her that we were safe and things were going well. We are now nearly in Fargo (about 40 minutes out) and have directed DumDum ( tomtom navigator) to take us to the Olive Garden for lunch. I am attempting to ignore the fighting going on in the vehicle between the kidlets and hold out hope that the breadsticks will alleviate my built up tension. Note: herring is a type of fish and herons are a type of bird - just in case anyone else was unclear on this distinction... but, that being said, it was pretty funny to be told to look up in the sky at the herring flying overhead. Seeing the prairies after having been away for a year is a treat - it is a simple kind of beautiful. I miss it more than I realized. I have been very busy trying to keep James alert (as most of you know highway driving and I do not make a great team) - I think his least favorite thing is when I run the discoball application on my Ipod touch and wave it near his head while singing "Stayin' Alive". Note to self: No more caffeinated beverages for any one under ten years old while on the road again. Thank goodness for side roads and ditches, even though they may not always be there when most desperately needed. Almost at the border, and with little to delare, we should be through quickly and then we will be there! Favorite words of the day were spoken by Brooke just now as we passed through Morris, Manitoba: (as we pass by a graveyard) "awww... look at all those people who didn't last their lifes".