What I've Been Doing

My sister has been in town since the day before Thanksgiving. It's a treat, in so many ways.

She is the middle kid, to my youngest, and when we were growing up, we were closer than I am to my older sister. Partly this is because when the oldest sister got married, she lived in another state while J (middle sis) and I lived together for many years. I helped her raise her two kids... in a big way, I was their "second mom."

We certainly had our differences. There were times when I would write in my little notebooks how much I hated her and we got into huge fights about it*-- but this was just a factor of living in too close of quarters in tight situations. And being sisters. I'm sure there are very few sisters out there who have not gone through that at one time.

So she's here, and I have help with my babies, one of the people on my rankings list who I trust almost as much as I do myself or Andrew. In the morning, when Andrew is off to work, I can pass one baby to her for that extra hour of sleep we can squeeze out of them (most of the time) if they are cuddled instead of lying in their cribs.

We went to see Santa Claus today, to take pix with him. If you have kids and haven't done this yet, I highly recommend NOW. We didn't wait in line at ALL, at the most popular of malls in town. These babies totally LIT UP as soon as they got on Santa's lap. Maia twined her fingers through his beard-- not pulling, just exploring its cottony texture. Sean's eyes could have powered New York on energy and light. This was a great Santa, too--no fake beard here. (Where do these fellows hang out the rest of the year, anyway? I once had a math teacher who coulda been a Santa-- when I told him that, he smiled mischievously and said "who says I'm not?"). If you want more pictures of the Wells clan, by the way, let me know and I'll send you an invite to the Kodak albums.

We also shopped a bit. I spent entirely too much money in the "DEVIL STORE" (AKA Gymboree. I have a serious addiction to that place's baby hats. I seriously bought like four hats today for them). We did some practical shopping too. But man, it was a lonnng day. And fun. The babies are worn out, lying on the floor with daddy while he watches the Spurs game.

I can take twenty minutes to browse the internet for a baby book (I've decided the one I have is inferior). Or a lonnnnnng shower. And not have to worry about how Andrew will do after having worked a 10 hour day and then having to help with the babies. It's very nice.

This is the sister who lost her home in Katrina, and who is considering moving here to San Antonio to help me out so I can write and finish my dissertation come January. If she comes, my plan is to try to get her to come in a few hours in the morning every weekday. It would be so great, especially considering my much quicker than I thought deadline. But aside from the help with this pressing deadline, it'll just be nice to have a family member of my own in town. Andrew's family is great, but I have no history with them beyond the almost 13 years we've been together. It's good to have her around.

Besides, she owes me one (two.)

So if you pop in and feel you have any influence with the deities of the universe, drop me a wish/prayer/thought to convince her that San Antonio is the place to be....


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*To be fair, my notebook (functioning as a journal/diary) did warn her on the cover not to read it. So there.