Niagara

Canadian weather is nothing if not changeable…last week, we had a massive ice storm, today it feels like midsummer!  It was 28C, sunny and just a wee bit humid.  So absolutely lovely!  My sister and I took a drive through Niagara, trying to break my “curse” — for years, every time I went to the Falls, the sky would be cloudy.  On at least one memorable occasion, the clouds piled in just as we were turning onto the Parkway, the sky turned dark and stayed like that until we were halfway back to Hamilton!  Today was picture perfect postcard weather.  The trees are beginning to bloom as well, so all in all, it was just gorgeous.  My boys are at home, doing well, eating things that are normally restricted (at last count, there were 2 cakes, about 2 dozen tarts and an unspecified amount of “candy”) and I’m not listening to any complaints about upset tummies from anyone who’s overindulging!  My little monster persists in treating me like an unwelcome annoyance, and refuses to talk to me or listen.  But in a few days… Ha!  There will be snuggles and love and cuddles to spare!

Because I was out with my sister, we missed the arrival of the little ones from daycare.  When we arrived, they were out in the back playing with their water table, so we went straight there.  My niece shrieked, “Auntie Sonja is home!” and ran to hug me, while ignoring my sister 😁  She sent me to change my dress so I could play with them in “catching fish.”  My nephew is more silent, but he’s been handing me fish, boats and other toys so we could play.  I was very amused last night… my niece has a toy medical kit, and she’s been enjoying giving everyone “checkups” daily.  She brought out the little “injection” vial to give her mom a booster, and her mom pretended to cry.  My niece looked at her, shook her finger and said, “Mummy!  You’re a big girl, you need to be brave!  Stop crying!”  I confess that it took me a while to stop giggling at that!

I don’t often get dedicated family time with any of my siblings, so when I have an afternoon with just one, it’s awesome.  It’s harder, since we’re scattered across several countries so we can’t even drop in on each other.  It’s not something that you really consider when you’re growing up; your siblings are alternately awesome or annoying, and as you settle into your adult life, you just assume that they’ll always be there.  We tend to take family for granted, don’t we?  For the most part, we don’t go out of the way to maintain links with our siblings as we do with friends, because we just think that they will be there when we need them.  I find it sad that it’s been years since I’ve seen some of my brothers because they’re in other countries from where I am.  We do keep in contact, but there’s a difference when we’re able to sit together around a table (most of our gatherings happen with food!) and informally update each other on what’s been happening.  I’ve got friends whose families are more separated than I had considered appropriate, but I realize that the dynamics aren’t always conducive to family unity.  I’m thankful that I’m part of a close family — not just my siblings, but cousins too.  Extended families are also great, as we can share a lot.  My maternal grandmother was always close to her siblings and their children, so we were too.  It was unusual hearing her called “Auntie” instead of “Granny” (or “Mummy”) but we all intermingled and adopted each other’s immediate families — there were always loads of aunties and uncles and any adult added to the mix was automatically labelled.  I like the support provided by families, and the security of knowing that there are people who have known me since I was born, so I don’t need to explain many details.

That being said, sometimes escaping from the embrace of family is beneficial, as it helps provide some necessary perspective.  If we’re too close, faults become magnified, or we overlook flaws, and arguments that are normally minor can turn into major issues.  Balance is important in all things… as my brother likes to say, “moderation in all things, including moderation,” so we keep that in mind 😁

We’re going to have a quick photo session of the “twins” — I bought my niece a dress that’s just like mine, and she’s very excited about it.  My nephew didn’t get a matching shirt, as I unfortunately couldn’t find one, but he got one with a sassy quote (my aunt says I’m perfect… just like her) and he’s been swaggering around in it all evening.  After that, it’s bed, as we were all out today enjoying the sun and now everyone is tired.  Auntie, therefore, is on story time duty… Good night!