Cousins in 3 parts

Part 1 – Munchie and her cousins

This past weekend, Munchie and I took a 4-day vacation to Ottawa to visit my brother and sister-in-law, and their two little boys – G is 3 and S is 8 weeks. It was great!

Munchie was smitten with the new baby – she loved feeding him and holding him and trying to make him smile.

She was equally smitten with G. Right up until the last couple of hours. At that point she was officially tired of being the ‘big cousin’ and the ‘good example’. I couldn’t blame her really – 3-year olds don’t really like to share and that becomes tiring for 7-year olds.

All things considered, she did a really fabulous job being the one who got the least attention and was a super little travel companion for me. We had a really fun time.

Part 2 – My Rockstar Cousin

It was not a good weekend for my 12-year old sarcoma-fighting cousin. She is in Vancouver prepping for tomorrow’s big surgery. Last Thursday she learned that she will be losing the full left side of her pelvis. This is half a pelvis:

I can’t get my head around it. How do you take out half a pelvis and still have a leg? The plan is for the head of the femur (the ‘ball’ in the hip’s ‘ball and socket’ joint) to just sit in muscle. How do you walk? How are your internal organs protected without a pelvis? How do you sit? How do you gestate a baby? (You don’t.) The texts were flying in from her fast and furious on Thursday. She was So. Fucking. Scared. And what can one say? “Oh that doesn’t sound too bad.”? No. It does sound bad. It sounds insane.

The day after she heard the news, she was able to meet another girl who has had this same surgery. She is a beautiful 17-year old who my cousin says is “doing very well”. I don’t know what that means (I’m sure she’s not running marathons), but it’s positive and that’s good and so very helpful to my cousin.

Anyway – any healing thoughts you can send up to my cousin tomorrow would be greatly appreciated as always.

Part 3 – My Cousin the Stranger

A thousand miles away I have a cousin who is a year old than me. I haven’t seen her since I was maybe 6 years old. For a while in elementary school we were pen-pals (back in the day when little girls had pen-pals.) Her dad would visit occasionally when his work brought him here, and once he retired he would drive back every couple of years to golf with his brothers; but never saw her. Then Facebook was born and we became ‘friends’. We would comment on each other’s photos and send messages back and forth every now and then. And then she decided that this year she is going to join her dad on his road trip and spend a week. Here. With us. In our house. For a week.

It’s lovely that she wants to spend her summer vacation time getting to know us. But a week is a very long time. With a stranger. In your house. For a week.

Last week (or the week before? Time is going too fast!) the lovely and fabulous Corinne tagged me in a meme of questions. Do you read Corinne's blog? You should. Her words are as lovely as her pictures are as lovely as her knitting is as lovely as her children are as lovely as her soul. I'd love to have tea with her one day.

This is how it works:

Post the rules

Answer 11 questions the tagger posted for you

Create 11 new questions to ask the people you tag

Tag 11 people

Let them know you’ve tagged them

Here are Corinne's questions and my answers:

1. When you think of childhood, what comes to mind?

Summers at the cabin (jumping in the waves, climbing in the rocks, treats from the bakery, thunderstorms, talking with my brother in our bunkhouse before we fell asleep), gymnastics, Christmases in Florida.

2. What is your current favorite song?

 

It’s too hard to pick just one. Here are my 5 most recent itunes purchases: The Scientist (Coldplay), Drive By (Train), Payphone (Maroon 5), Fine By Me (Andy Grammer), and Jumpstart (These Kids Wear Crowns). Munchie likes ‘Jumpstart’. It was playing one night when it was just her and I for dinner. When the song says “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!”, she jumped up and her chair hit the wall and left a hole in it. Thanks Jumpstart. Too bad it’s not sung by “These Kids Patch Holes”. Heh.

 

3. What is your reading? (online, offline, magazine, book)

 

I just finished Catching Fire in the Hunger Games Trilogy. I also recently picked up a copy of the Dovekeepers that was waiting for me at the library. But I haven’t started it and it’s so very big and I only have 2 weeks and I don’t think I’ll get through it. I’ve recently added my recent reads to GoodReads. If you're on there too, I’m Lyndsay0676. I think. Or maybe LyndsayW? Or maybe you should just tell me who YOU are and I'll find you!

4. You’re given the choice of having a maid or a personal chef… which one would you choose?

 

Hmmm… I will pick the maid. I don’t hate cooking. For me the worst part is the deciding what we’re going to have day in and day out. I plan our meals out weekly so that I can do 90% of our shopping for the week in one stop. That’s one big step that saves my sanity many times over. Cooking can be fun. Cleaning? Never. (Though I do enjoy a good purge every now and then.)

 

5. Coffee, tea, or both?

 

Coffee in the morning for sure. Just one cup though, usually with Hazelnut creamer although I’ve also got a bottle of mint chocolate truffle creamer in my fridge right now too. Tea is for the afternoons, right now it is preferably iced and some exotic flavour from the tea store in the mall.

6. What is your secret for a happy life?

Well if I told you, then it wouldn’t be secret would it?.... (just stalling while I wait for something profound to hit me…) There’s a small round ceramic dish I’ve been stalking on etsy that says “I choose to be happy because it’s good for my health” (Voltaire I think?) I like that. Because I do believe that to a large extent we CAN choose to be happy. Another quote I like is “not every day is good, but there’s something good in everyday”. So how would I instruct somebody to have a happy life? Love, laugh, be thankful, be encouraging, dance, and eat candy.

 

7. Favorite smell?

 

Freshly baked anything. My husband's shoulder. Munchie fresh from the bath. The beach. The first breath of air when you step off the plane somewhere tropical.

 

8. What is something you are looking forward to in the future?

 

The Big Mac I plan on having for dinner (I started writing this on Wednesday - it was McHappy Day, I was being CHARITABLE). Meeting my new nephew. Taking Munchie to an outdoor theatre production of Annie this summer. Going for pedicures with my mom and Munchie on Sunday. Going to Hawaii one day.

 

9. What is your comfort food?

Pretty much anything my mom makes me (the most recent – gingersnaps). My Grandma’s curried chicken and rice recipe. My mom’s hamburger chow mein casserole recipe. A warm beverage.

 

10. Are you an introvert or extrovert?

Introvert. Though hopefully not anti-social. I genuinly enjoy being out among people 95% of the time that it happens, but I typically need a bit of a push (from myself or somebody else) to make it happen.

11. Where is home?

49.8833° N, 97.1500° W (or so says Google)

 

And now for my 11 questions:

1. Name a movie that made you laugh

2. Name a movie that made you cry

3. What sport do you wish you could play but haven't tried?

4. Pick a vacation: beach, mountains, big city?

5. What is your greatest accomplishment (besides your kids if you've got them)

6. What music should I download from iTunes next?

7. What book should I read next?

8. Where do you buy your bras?

9. Favorite yoga pose?

10. If you could only use one piece of makeup in the morning what would it be?

11. If you could only wear one accessory, what would it be?

And to tag 11 people?

1. You

2. Lindsey

3. Sarah

4. Leah

5. Stacia

6. Cindy

7. Kristi

8. You

9. Barb

10. Erin

11. You too.

things I've been doing instead of blogging - part 3

I’ve been sweating a lot and it’s been FANTASTIC! A swanky new yoga studio opened downtown (they’re calling themselves “the largest yoga studio in Canada”, though I assume they’re counting the top two storeys which are currently completely undeveloped). To bring new members in, the studio offers a 2-week unlimited membership. A friend and I bought the 2-week membership last Friday and I’ve done 4 classes since then. One was a ‘hot core’ class, one was a ‘hot yin’class (where you just do a handful of poses, but hold them for a looooong time. Parts of my anatomy frequently fell asleep), and two were TRX classes. Have you heard of TXR? Oh my goodness what a workout. After the first class I was quite literally a wet noodle. For a good 72 hours after that class I couldn’t fully straighten my arms or descend stairs without groaning. But last night I had my second TRX class and today I feel great. The studio is so new and clean and pretty and the change rooms have fancy rain shower showerheads. I basically want to marry the studio and live there forever.

I’ve been sad about losing our family cabin. The ‘for sale’ sign went up on Sunday and it’s now up on MLS. I knew the day was coming, but to see it there on MLS was sickening. We can’t afford to buy it from my parents, and we truly don’t want it and all the responsibility that comes with it, but it’s still so sad to see it go. Some of my very best times in my whole long life happened there. I really wish Munchie could have had a few more summers there. (sigh).

I’ve been rediscovering the tea place across the street from work. Today’s flavour of day has licorice root, chamomile, rosehips, orange peel, peppermint and goji berries. There is so much happening in my mouth right now.

I’ve been rearranging closets to get all the heavy winter gear out of sight. It’s finally green out there folks!! Green, green, green!! I’ve also had to dig out the soccer gear – Munchie started on Monday. This year her team jerseys are yellow and the kids have named themselves “The Beat Box Bananas”…. Doesn’t exactly roll off your tongue when you’re sitting on the sidelines let me tell you.

I’ve been booking flights to go to Vancouver in June to help out with my cousin after her surgery. And researching potential road trip/vacation options for the summer. I’m kind of stuck with that. Flights are expensive. Drive-able places are far away. And you know, I DON’T’ HAVE A FAMILY CABIN ANYMORE. (sigh).

But overall? Things have been busy, happy, sunny, spring-y, good.

you're all so very lovely

I haven't been around much. Not around here, anyway. I'm not sure why I'm less inclined to blog these days. I don't think there's any particular reason really, it's just how it is. Over email a few weeks ago a bloggy friend and I were discussing the fact that our blogs and many of our regular blog stops were quieter than usual. And were becoming increasingly quiet. We wondered why.

I'm not sure why I started blogging way back when. I'm pretty sure that I thought it was going to be one of my great ideas that lasts for a few weeks and then flames out. But it's lasted in one form or another for a few years now. And what's happened is that I've met some lovely, extraordinary women.

I've found these women and read their words and 'met' their families and they've become people who make an actual difference in my day. They are people who I know would be there to support me, or cheer me on, or just listen to me rant.They tell me what to read and what to cook for dinner. They motivate me to get off the couch and get some exercise. They let me take a peak at what life would be like with 5 more kids. Or with kids with special needs. They've supported me through dark moments and I've tried to be there for them too. They've expanded my world beyond my four walls or the perimeter of my city. There are women slogging through days just like mine all over the world! Who knew?

So if I'm feeling like I need this space a bit less right now, it's only because my bloggy world has moved beyond the posting/commenting realm. It's emails and tweets and horrible midnight drawings. It's knowing that when I truly need to vent I can always find you, or you, or you.

So thanks for being you, and you, and you (and you, and you, and you too.)

Things I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging - Part 2

(Again, stolen from the lovely and talented InTheFastLane. Who's kids just found her blog - hahaha! Ahem. I wonder how long I have until that's a problem for me. Munchie can already distinguish between the alerts on my iPhone - "Mom! You just got a text!")

***

To start with - here's something I haven't been doing - cooking! Hooray! I have not eaten dinner in my own home since last Thursday. We were invited to dinner at friends' houses for the past three nights. Which, while somewhat exhausting for this introvert, has been lovely. Who wants to invite me over tonight?

Instead of blogging, I've been:

Loosely supervising dress up playdates. (By "loosely supervising" I mean, I'll sit here and play Draw Something. Call me if there's blood. And please stop asking for a snack every 7 minutes, you're not actually hungry.)

(This was actually a playdate, I just didn't think I should put the other kid's picture on my blog.) And! of interest, the dress Munchie is wearing was my friend's high school graduation dress. And!! a reminder, my child just turned 7.

We've also been bowling! I tried my hardest. I did not win.

We went to a 4th birthday at the Aviation Museum!

Munchie and the birthday boy love each other so big. The sweetness kills me.

Munchie and I did a little shopping. Actually "browsing" I guess since we didn't buy anything. I did however want to move this whole display into my home.


And we welcomed a little boy into our family. This is my new nephew and I want to jump on a plane rightthisverysecond and go see him. (Right now my Twitter and Facebook friends are groaning - not the same picture of the baby with the weird knit hat on his head.... sorry, it's all I've got and I've kind of been plastering it everywhere today.)

(For those of you who have asked about my cousin (thank you!), she got a great report from the doctor last week after a bunch of scans - her tumor has shrunk 30-40% and a lot of that is now dead tissue. It's another big week for her - she'll probably hear the plan for surgery tomorrow. Any prayers and positive energy greatfully accepted!!)

Things I've been Doing Instead of Blogging

There has been a lot of discussion about plagerism around the corners of the internet that I sometimes visit. So let me be clear that the title and theme of this blog is totally and completely (but with her permission) stolen from the beautiful and talented InTheFastLane.

Instead of blogging, I have been:

1. Taking Munchie to her first NHL hockey game. She has become a very informed, very enthusiastic fan. It was pretty much the best day of her life. We got there early to watch warm up and the captain of the team flipped her a puck.

And then she was on TV! This is a picture of my TV. That's her with the bright green sign. I'm hiding behind the sign.

2. I've been to two choir concerts. Different choirs, but same venue - this beautiful old church with an amazing pipe organ.

3. Eating a lot of this. I got the recipe on Pinterest. You're suppose to roll it into balls. I roll half of it into balls for Munchie (she loves them so I don't tell her they're healthy), and leave the rest to eat like cereal. Because I'm lazy that way.

4. Visiting with my cousin. She's doing okay. She's a tough chick. They've found a new med that has reduced her vomitting a LOT, which is a huge blessing. Munchie and I are going over to see her again tomorrow. I love that my cousin is turning to me more than I can explain. All I want (all anybody wants) is to make this all better. But we can't. I can't. But the fact that my cousin seems to like me being around... seems to want me around... that it seems to help her - that (selfishly) makes me so happy.

5. Visiting with one of my bestest friends who was visiting from out of town with her happy, smiley, sweet, handsome little man.

6. Playing in the snow and then watching it melt. The weather this week is gorgeous and spring-like. I love the open windows and chirping birdies.

7. Getting my hair cut, colored and straightened.

I can make you cry in 31 seconds