Naming conventions and distance

So the Christmas decorations are down and packed away. Alice, our Elf on the Shelf, is hibernating comfortably in her box until next year. The Christmas tree is drying out even further in the back yard ready to be cut into fireplace logs soon. 


After this weekend, the lights are down and the decorations are all back in storage.  My living room has been reclaimed for living and our eating habits have returned to normal.  I dropped three pounds by January 4th because there was no longer a constant barrage of food into my gullet.  I will sadly miss the Cherry Mash Bars until next season.  Good night sweet, sweet, sugary prince.
While there is a relief to have the holidays over with because seriously trying to maintain that pace of constant activity and planning and logistics is overwhelming and tiring and stressful.  Seriously I have never been so excited to do laundry and house work than I was this Sunday.  But sadly, my sister and her kids left on Saturday.  I don't talk too much about her on here.  No particular reason.  I have cute little monikers for everyone, or not so cute (Schmacey) and I can't think of one for her.  She is a teacher and is very active in her teacher's union.  There was a lot of hubbub about it recently, this election season, and she deeply aligned with the union and their efforts.  I called her Norma Rae a few times and she referred to herself as Hoffa. So I think I'm gonna call her Norma Rae here.  There ya go, my sisters AJ and Norma Rae.  I will have to make an effort to not type Norma Raw. 


Quirky and cute...best
combination EV-ER

Anyways, when Norma Rae left she took with her Al and Baby S. I've talked about both of them before here.  But I don't think I talk about them nearly enough since they live so far away.   Al gets funnier and funnier these days in the quirkiest of manners.  I'm not too surprised because her mom was the exact same way growing up.  My dad gave Al a plastic snake - I'm still unclear if this was a Christmas gift or just an after thought.  Well that snake was named Ricky.  And Ricky went everywhere for Al went while she was here.  Ricky watched movies with us, cuddled on the couch. Ricky went to the vet with my mom's new puppy.  Ricky played dress up in Al's clothes.  You see quirky, but entertaining.  When Al was born everyone marveled at how she looked like her dad.  I always said that looking at her was like looking at him, but Norma Rae was looking right back at me.  She might have her dad's looks but she has her mom's soul and I think she lucked out on that one.  I have no idea where she is going to go with her life, but its going to be done with perseverance and never in a way you would have thought, just like her mom.


Who wouldn't buy stocks from
this face I ask you??

Then there is Sweet Baby S.  Like I said before he is the sweetest thing, but man when he is mad, he is mad.  Thankfully, his bouts of anger are usually short lived.  He used my parent's walker while in town and that kid could take out Achilles tendons like no body's business.  We've joked and laughed at how he looks like a little banker.  I'm not sure if any one else thinks this.  Perhaps its the name.  He is named for his grandfather on his father's side, which is a very old, very rare name.  Al is named for her great grandmother and when she was born it was hard to call this sweet little baby a name I associated with an old, slightly harsh woman.  But like Al, Baby S will grow into his name and make it his.  He might go into financial planning or he might be a doctor or he might be a high school drop out smoking weed behind the Meijer's, who knows!  There is lots of time to figure that out.  I just really hope that I'm around enough so that they will have as fond of memories of me as I have of them.  Distance is hard on family bonds, but it can also be the the band aid.