reflections/snoitcelfer

• Just picked up my cousin Ingrid. She's flown in all the way from Germany, leaving her husband and two kids, to be with my mom for about 1 1/2 weeks. I got to the airport mostly just thinking "I hope I remember where the arrival gate is" - I'm not real familiar with the hip new rebuilt Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Then Ingrid arrived and we waved at each other, both very happy to see each other. I pretty sure it's been 8 years since I've seen her - at my wedding, actually.
  
  Anyway, she started down the steps and started to tear up and then I did too and then we were hugging and crying. And we just held each other for a long time, crying together while the other passengers found their waiting friends and families.
  
  I love my cousin, and I'm glad she's here. But all of a sudden I was reminded of why she's here, and that's not such a cheerful thought.
  
  
• The rest of today was dumb. Didn't really get much accomplished except for picking up Justin's glasses and getting some groceries. Oh, and the boys and I watched Men In Black with my mom. I don't think it's age-appropriate, but my mom wanted to watch it and the kids were curious and I knew they'd like it and what the hell. A bit too much violence and foul language, weighed against spending some nice time with grandma? I'll go with the nice time for now and leave the language worries for later. Like the next time Daniel tells somebody, "As of right now all your talents and knowledge mean precisely dick."
  
  
• Tomorrow Chris is on call, we'll be hanging out at my mom's again, Ingrid will get to meet Daniel and Justin, and hopefully my mom will be OK with all the activity. And if she's not, I can take the kids outside or to the park or read to them or something. I may take Justin home for a nap too, as he's been getting grumpier and grumpier the last few days.
  
  
• Canada Day yesterday... mostly nice, lots of walking. Spent some time with Amit and Jeea and Kiran, who is such a cutie (just turned 2). Justin, of course, was totally charmed by her. And it was nice to just hang out for a while. Talked with Amit and Jeea about how they're doing with his dad's death, and some about how we're coping with my mom's prognosis.
  
  It's weird, but I really never thought of how much this could mess you up, even as an adult. If I thought about it at all, I guess I just thought that since almost everybody goes through it eventually, it's not that traumatic. Of course, nearly every mother goes through childbirth too eventually, and I know that bloody well is traumatic. So I don't know how the illogic of "common = not traumatic" got into my brain.
  
  One thing that Jeea said really twigged something - she said that of course since Amit's an only child, that makes it more difficult. ( musings alert )
  
  
  Anyway. Random thoughts aside, Canada Day was pretty good. Unfortunately I was pretty emotionally drained by the end of the day - Chris did his best, but he was in a bad mood and kept snapping at the kids, and it's always a bit tense when I feel like I have to keep stepping in. And it didn't help that Justin was rather whiny and difficult most of the day, either. Thank god the actual fireworks were a smashing success, because they cast a bright light on the memories of the rest of the day :)
  
  
• daf9 and medee6040: felicitations! (that's spelled almost the same in both official languages ;) Oh, and medee6040, Mr. Noth would like to know where and when this hot-tubage will occur. He's seen your 'vintage self' photo and is most pleased :)
  
  He is, however, rather sheepish about having forgotten your memorable night together as posted to the Virginity site. He humbly requests that you give him the chance to 'create new memories' with you soon.
  
  
• Well. Off to wake up Chris. We've been trying to watch the X-Files movie (Fight the Future) for about three nights now. Yesterday we made it all the way past the bee kiss before I conked out.