The season of giving

It's December, which means that I am grouchily pretending that Christmas is not coming up within the next few weeks. I am trying to find the perfect gift for a family member who was (un)lucky enough to be randomly assigned to me back in November.

There are now seven of us in my generation of the immediate family, so we have been picking names for a few years. This cuts my stress: instead of finding something meaningful and significant for six people, I only have to find something meaningful and significant for one person. Well, to be more precise, I should say "two people", seeing as how I am in charge of buying for whoever Steve is assigned. But still, this is a better system than the one we had before.

I am never sure what to buy. I have a few tabs open in my browser right now so I can consider the merits of various options. So far, I have ruled out the "Ten Plagues Bowling Set", but it is so awesome that I have to show it to you:
Just imagine the look on my family member's face if he or she saw THAT under the tree. (I especially like the depiction of Plague #6: Boils.) I might buy it anyway so it can be available for parties.

The other one I have ruled out is the package of watermelon-flavoured Sigmund Freud lollipops:
Hmmm. Now that I think about it, this particular family member might like these, because they would give him or her an excuse to yell Suck on it, Freud! at random intervals. Perhaps I shouldn't be so quick to close the tab on this one.

Stacey's visit

Stacey left this morning, and we already miss her.

I am the last of my crop of CBC girls: the young women who came to the Arctic in 1999 and 2000 to work for the MotherCorp after graduating from King's or Carleton. If Stacey hadn't been working there, I probably wouldn't have applied for the job at CBC North. We've been friends forever: we met in 1995, in our first year of journalism school. After we graduated, she moved to Inuvik, and our friend Jaime moved to Rankin Inlet. I worked my way around the east coast for a while, taking short-term contract after short-term contract. Eventually, I found permanent work at the station in Inuvik. I started on the same day Cindy did: she'd been working for the paper here in town, but wanted to try radio. A few others started within the next couple of months, including Sally.

There's always a new crop of CBC girls.

Everyone else has now left the north. Stacey, Jaime, Cindy and Sally all moved away. Josee moved away, and Vanessa moved away, and the other Megan moved away, and even Mack the Hack moved away (although he's not a CBC girl: he's more of a NOPW queen).

I'm the only one left.

I miss my girlfriends.

I'm really back

As in "actually back". I've been away for almost a week, and all of the last few posts have been scheduled posts. Yes, this was a massive violation of the trust you place in me, blah blah blah. Bring it on.

Little Miss Know-it-All is also back. She'll be posting tomorrow. Family comes first.

Congratulations, Capitalist

She is amazing. I can't wait to meet her.

Hey, does Miss Hunter Mabel remind you guys of anyone else?
She's PERFECT. And the timing couldn't be better.

Congratulations, Nate and Michelle. We love you.

Time cast a spell on you

Reader-submitted complaint: Glen is handsome, but not handsome enough to be in our family.

Not handsome enough to join this group?

(Hey, how did the Capitalist get out of being in this photo? Was there some sort of junior-high seminar on emerging markets? I don't remember the day this picture was taken. It's labelled Reunion '87, but this is clearly the early nineties.)

It's sort of funny, because I think that sometimes Glen looks a bit like someone else.

Family

You all know me. At least I think you do.

The people in my family look very similar, but I've always thought that I look most like the Philosopher King, seen here with the Blueberry Princess.

(No, I apparently do not have any photos of the Philosopher King in which he does not either look plastered or like the homeless guys who poke through your trash. You may read whatever you like into this.)

So I was more than a little startled this weekend when I discovered that I look even more like someone else.
This is my friend Glen. We have often joked that we feel a certain kinship (he calls me The Little Sister), but this is just weird. He actually looks more like my brother than any of my brothers.

Not Photoshopped

Steve's balloons are always a big hit in Name of Town Withheld.

Happy birthday, Philosopher King

I was going to post "Mari-Mac", but then I remembered that you thought it was dirty. I definitely would not want to offend your delicate sensibilities. That sort of vulgarity is beneath me.

This sweet, traditional song about a young man who falls in love with a mermaid is probably much closer to your taste. Considering the Princess's stated career goal, this video is probably as close to perfect as I am going to get today.

Happy birthday, Ben

Halifax

Maine

Michael had so much fun on the tube, we could hear him screaming from across the lake. Don't worry: my dad is already going deaf from his years as a guitarist in noisy dance halls. He will probably not be able to prove that this particular incident contributed to his hearing loss.

This is my sister-in-law, Sarah. You know her as the Blueberry Princess.

This is my grandmother: my mom's mom.

My uncle was kind enough to host us at his camp.

We finally got Steve onto the tube, but I couldn't convince him to go skiing.

It's been ten years

Happy anniversary, Steve.

And happy Independence Day, American readers.

Parenting is the hardest thing I have ever done.

Michael has had a falling-out with a friend who said something hurtful. The friend later apologised and explained what he meant, but things have not been the same. There has been an unmistakable chill in the air for the past few days.

Michael has had disagreements and out-and-out fights with other kids before, but this one seemed to completely shatter him. He came home choking tears back, and stayed in his room by himself for hours. When the friend apologised, Michael was afraid that he was lying.

It has affected me, too: I am now constantly second-guessing his relationships with other kids. He suddenly seems more tentative and on the sidelines. I am unsure how to deal with it. Of course, it's possible that I am imagining all of this. Today was the end-of-school pizza party, and when we arrived at the gym, Michael was playing with a bunch of boys. We stayed near the door and watched quietly. I kept asking Steve if he was playing normally. He kept saying that he was; I remained unconvinced.

Yes, I am a crazy mommy.

I am posting this only because it is weighing heavily on my mind. The friend is like a brother to Michael and a nephew to me, and I am sure this will all blow over in a few days. In the meantime, it is hard to watch.

Sometimes I think I am not strong enough to be a mother.

Happy Father's Day

Dad:


Steve:


Capitalist:

Happy birthday, Mom

Don't break the spell

Something about this song is oddly comforting, but I can't figure out why. Something about the bass and keyboards is more familiar than it really ought to be.

I feel like I must have heard it when I was a little girl, but that doesn't make sense. My dad was in a band 25 years ago, so I heard a lot of music at the time, but this wouldn't have been one of the ones they played. Or am I wrong, Dad?

UPDATED: My dad has disavowed participation in anything that resulted in my blog being named after a Stevie Nicks song. He has suggested that I heard it on the radio during the early '80s when Rumours was in heavy rotation. That's certainly possible. At the risk of committing 1970s blasphemy, I will say that the video above feels familiar like the one below:

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

I don't know if any of my readers other than my parents and the Capitalist will know what this is. (Philosopher King?)

My son is now asking for his very own iPod, but when I was his age, we listened to records on my parents' turntable. We LOVED Pete Seeger, and this song was one of our favourites. I am still partial to Sam The Whaler and Sweepy Sweepy Sweepy, but when I pass my iPod on to Michael, I will make sure that Abiyoyo's on it.

A real IM conversation with my mother

Megan: you voted for me in the blog contest, right?
Mom: haven't been there
Megan: WHAT? Get over there now!
Mom: too late?
Megan: it will be too late in a couple of hours
Mom: done
Megan: yay! third place! I am such a geek
Mom: have you contacted the boys?
Megan: nope
Mom: Nate?
Megan: I actually haven't tried
Mom: come on
Megan: you know, people SHOULD have seen my blog and voted! I put a link up!
Mom: I wish you had contacted me sooner
Megan: well if I stay in third place I'll get to the next stage
Mom: I'll call Ben? should I ? it is late here
Megan: nah, don't wake him but MAKE HIM VOTE NEXT TIME
Mom: yeah but it is fun. you might need his vote
Megan: true. it is very close
Mom: yeah, and he might not be in bed yet
Megan: ha, well if you want to
Mom: ok
Megan: seriously, MY OWN FAMILY DIDN'T VOTE???
Mom: calling him now
Megan: I cannot believe you didn't vote
Mom: he didn't vote, yet
Megan: AUGH! you guys!
Mom: I'll call Matt
Megan: hahahah no don't wake him up, but if I make it through you better vote!
Mom: calling matt
Megan: you'll wake him up! he has to work in the morning!
Mom: got his machine and left a message. You should call Nate
Megan: no, HE SHOULD BE READING MY BLOG! do you guys even read it???
Mom: yes!! but not every day
Megan: uh huh. I posted about the contest a few days ago
Mom: calling nate. he hasn't voted yet
Megan: WHAT??? you guys are a huge disappointment. you are supposed to rally behind me!
Mom: he's doing it
Megan: this is sooooooo a blog post
Mom: we all got it done. maybe Matt had already voted
Megan: you'll have to vote again if I make it into the top 3. if you can manage it, that is...
Mom: of course, but you might have to remind me the day before it ends
Megan: Or you could just read my blog and click the link
Mom: I wish we could get more people
Megan: if I'd known you weren't voting, I would have mentioned it
Mom: hahahahah
Megan: I assumed you were voting! It's OK. Next time you're up for an award and need MY vote, I'll just avoid it. Clicking on links is very arduous. I AM POSTING THIS ON MY BLOG.
Mom: hahahahah
Megan: well, check that site in the morning and VOTE if my name is there!!!!
Mom: the next vote will be that soon?
Megan: yep. starts in the morning. do you think you can handle voting again so soon?
Mom: ok.I'll get the boys too
Megan: I believe you. NOT.

Happy birthday, Michelle

Happy birthday, Steve