New addition

You usually don't get a new sibling when you're 35...unless, of course, you're one of Larry King's older children. I'm not a King, but I did score a new sister.

On March 4th, I sent my sister Carolyn, who was given up for adoption, an email. The next day she replied. Two weeks of daily (or more) emails and pictures back and forth and then she called me. Our first phone call lasted five hours – at night, and I had to work the next day. But it was worth it. Our conversations are easy, at ease. We've got some things in common! We talk about what we look like, what our personalities are like, what we think about things and about our kids. We've chatted three times since that first call, for many hours. I think of her constantly and if we're not talking, I'm sending her emails.

I've known about Carolyn since 2003 when she first tried to contact us. The timing was bad, so we vetoed her contact, but I sent her a letter at that time with my veto to let her know why timing was bad and that maybe in the future...

Carolyn is 13 months older than me, but she's shorter. She's married and has three kids. Jack, who will be 10 in June, has red hair. Julia is 9 days older than my Lily Julia and they're half an inch apart in height. Little Kate will be 5 in June.

It's all very exciting. Very emotional. Very crazy. We've even made plans to meet in May. Alone. Which means I have just over a month to get Lily used to the idea that we'll be apart... Everyone should send their best wishes and good luck to Chris.

A friend

Lots of stress these days. My back has been in knots for almost two months. One of the many things we're struggling with is our friend Boonie's diagnosis of a malignant brain tumour in mid-January. The past year had been awful and hard for his family all ready. Just today, his wife's dad died from cancer. Their daughter is only three years old. It's crushing.

Every single day I think about what they're going through. And what is to come. In the week before Boonie was rushed to the hospital, Chris said he wasn't looking well so I sent him lunch with Chris. In my head I'd been planning other lunches he might like that I could send along so that would be one less thing for him to worry about... It all shoots me back exactly eleven years ago because it's exactly the same thing at exactly the same time of year except my dad was 53 and Boonie is only 40. I have an over-abundance of empathy.

We met Boonie in about 2000 after a Unisource event. Chris started working with him at FCC in 2003, always just a few feet from each other for the last ten years. He is the most easy-going, jovial guy you could meet.

I swear the thing I miss most these days is having Chris come home and tell me what he and Boonie talked about that day. The loss Chris is feeling is obviously much more.

Feeling helpless, I made him my first adult-sized quilt. The kids tried it out and it looks like it will work. Those hospitals can be cold.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2013! Haven't made a resolution to blog more, so don't expect much. Pinterest has made a huge dent in my life (mostly at work) and when I'm not there, I try to really be here. With Chris. With the kids. Doing stuff. I only have a few more months working part-time, then it gets hard. While I know that's how most everyone has to do it these days and we, poor graphic designers, just can't afford not to no matter how much we cut out, I think it's absolutely tragic that we end up having to contract out our lives (daycare, housekeeping, food) because we're so busy working that we just don't have the time or energy. And the time we do and will have is short and harried.

So, I suppose what I'm saying is that I propose all maternity leaves last 5 years or until your child starts kindergarten.

I wish.

No one said a girl can't dream.

Until then, I'll continually be posting pictures on Flickr so that's the easiest way to keep up with what we've been keeping up to. Here's a few in case you missed them. Happy New Year!

Bigger

My kids have gotten bigger. Way bigger.

Finn decided that he was ready to pee on the potty a couple weeks ago. Today he even put a "baby" on the potty today and talked for her, "I peed!" before clapping her hands together, then saying, "I'm so proud of you!" He's so funny. He's big into rhyming, especially our names. Mommy Bummy. Nana Banana. All day we sang songs. His fave was Five Little Monkeys, but Wheels on the Bus will always be a hit.

He's kinda rotten at the same time, though I think that naturally comes with being two and a half. We went to the library at the mall this morning. Not only was he not in sight most of the time, he ran from one corner of Safeway to the furthest corner as fast as he could get away. Then he ran away from me in the parking lot. He spent some time getting some negative energy out in the backyard when we got home. And even though he whines incessantly, he is so easy to make laugh. And his laugh makes my heart grow.

And Lily. Oh my. While she bailed on her last potential sleepover at Carly's, she's excited for an upcoming Brownie's science centre/pizza party/sleepover in a few weeks. Carly will have to be right by her side, but it's a step. Brownie's has been good for her. Glad we coerced her into it. More cookie sales. A food bank drive. Being on the Santa parade float coming up. And badges.

She's gotten so independent in the last month or so. She will walk home from school by herself at lunch and after school. She doesn't wake me when she has to pee in the middle of the night or even when she gets up and we're just downstairs watching t.v. She came home from Carly's the other day; Finn, Chris and I were all upstairs napping in bed. She didn't even come looking for us. Just went downstairs to play Barbie games online. These things are huge.

She's still painfully shy, but she spends more time at Carly's and from what we hear, even answers her parents questions. Out loud. I assume she's fine when we're not around, though I can't vouch for that. Even with us, trying to get something that's bugging her out of her mouth is like playing (four hundred and) 20 questions. Trying to keep all dialogue open, so hopefully someday she'll come around.

Gotta pick out clothes for tomorrow. Big kid clothes.

Buddy

Last night Finn said, "You're my best friend, Mom." He's pretty fantastic himself.

Big day!

Lily and I are heading up to Saskatoon after lunch for the Justin Bieber concert. As if we needed to sweeten the pot, Carly Rae Jepsen is opening. I don't know if I'll be able to wipe that grin off her face today.