Not Such a Stranger Anymore

I have been neglecting my blog. I have a good reason, I think. You see, I've had a lot on my mind. Maybe I should have been blogging about this all along, but, the truth is, sometimes one just needs time to digest everything. So, back to Blogging!

I blogged a little while ago about my sister. Well, we met! Yes, I know I just needed to be patient. I was, and it paid off. She had some things that she was taking care of in her personal life and wasn't available for a bit. So, I'm glad I waited.

My mom got the message she had been waiting for. In no time at all the two of them were making each other's acquaintance. All that remained was for her to meet the rest of us. She called me up that day and we had a nice chat. It was clear from the beginning that she was my sister in the deepest sense, and not just as a blood connection.

Her name is Jill. She is short and cute and looks just like my (our) mom except she has blue eyes. I have talked to her every day since we met. She grew up in Missouri, but was born in Illinois like all of us except Michael (the youngest). She smart and easy going. She loves to read, and hates cities. Unlike her little sis who adores cities. I just..... love her. I don't know how to explain how that happens between two people who have never seen each other face to face. It is what it is, and she is my sister.

I find myself feeling like more of her big sister. She is two years older than me, but she has a vulnerability about her that makes me want to just take care of her. I haven't felt this kind of protectiveness for any of my brothers. One could argue that a couple of my brothers have needed just as much care. I just want her to be happy more than I want anything for myself.

My mom is now impatient to get back to the US. She won't be back 'till July, but I find that I want her back sooner as well. I think she really likes it in Norway, but when so much is going on at home who wouldn't want to be back?

This post has gotten very sappy and it's time to end it. It's just too easy to express my feelings in writing. It's not something I find as easy otherwise.

7 reason's why I'm glad Halloween is over

Without further ado:
1) No more pressure to carve the pumpkin

2) I don't have to worry about getting the kids' costumes together.

3) No more skeletons, zombies, vampires, or ghouls staring out at me from every store window and display

4) I don't have to say "hold my hand!" every ten seconds.

5) I don't have to count heads every ten seconds.

6) No more horror movies on every TV channel

7) The Internet is not crawling with frightening and/or disgusting images. At least not on the sites my children and I frequent.

I just want to add that I'm glad the kids didn't get a lot of candy this year. I will feel less compelled to steal from their stashes, and I will not have to hear "Can I have some of my candy?" every two minutes for the next month or two.

You all might have noticed that I am a bit of a wimp. I don't like scary things. When I was a teenager a was a little less sensitive, but not by much. Horror movies would make me jumpy for weeks after watching one. The first horror movie I swore off forever was The Exorcist. The next was Event Horizon which I was duped into believing was harmless science fiction. Soon I swore off all horror movies and I haven't gone back. Some of us are just more sensitive than others I guess.