Before They Go

My brother and his kids are here. John and I were going to try to get together for lunch, but it didn't pan out. So then we were going to meet somewhere for coffee - but I was at work and he was busy doing other things and headed back out to the farm before he remembered we were supposed to get together.

I called the farm on my way home and he answered the phone. "Oh, you're out there!" "Yes. Did you expect me to be somewhere else?" "Um... well, yeah. I was waiting for you to call me."

I had turned into the driveway of the engineering school (I cut through their parking lot sometimes) and there's a stormwater pond behind it. Canadian geese hang out when there's water in there, but I've never known them to nest there. So imagine my surprise when I saw this:

After pulling over and snapping a picture, John and I agreed to meet for lunch on Wednesday instead.

Darling Man was making dinner when I arrived home and was just about to serve me a bowl of some rather amazing smelling chicken noodle soup when the phone rang. Mom.

"I've just gotten home with enough food to feed an army. Why don't you guys come out here for dinner?" Darling Man had an early day the next day and it was a school night for ZBoy, but I said sure, got in the car and drove out there by myself.

John looked in fine fettle (though a little tired - it had been a long day), and we talked a lot about different things. Even though we are both closer to 50 than to 40, I am still amazed at how grownup he is. That's an emotional amazement. I am the big sister. But he is the parent of three nearly grown children, commander of an Army base, and holds more degrees than I can shake a stick at.

Speaking of nearly grown children... Miss Maggie just graduated from high school last Saturday. Because they live somewhere else, they tend to get frozen in time in my mind. I was looking at her last night and wondering where the time went. Her last solid picture in my head was at my wedding - and she was THREE. Now she's eighteen and about to head off to college in the fall.

Gareth is the oldest. He's already put in a year of college (yow!) and is very musical. I'm not sure what he's going to study in school, but apparently it is NOT music. Which strikes me odd since he's been providing musical background to every family gathering he's been at since he was about 12. Languages is apparently the academic interest here - which will probably be more useful, actually.

Walker is still in high school. He is also incredibly smart, just like his older siblings. I don't know what his interests are, but he can apparently fall into character very convincingly. I asked if acting was something he was interested in, but he claims no. This is something he does for friends and family, but can't imagine doing it for the world at large. We'll see, Cletus. We'll see.

It's funny, being an aunt to these people. They are family, but I hardly know them - and I suspect rather strongly that they are definitely worth knowing. I never had any kind of relationship with them previously. They live away with their mom and we only ever see them when John brings them down, which is usually a flyby kind of visit. But we are all FaceBook friends - and in a way, closer than we have ever been. I enjoy reading their thoughts (even if some of them don't make sense to me), and interacting with them there. Sometimes I think that if it weren't for FB, they would grow up and fly off into the world without ever knowing anything about them except that they are part of my own gene pool.

John, on the other hand, was the brother right behind me. We grew up together and apart (apparently there was great resentment on my part when he showed up) - worst enemies and best friends. I am happy to say that the enemy days are long behind us. They pretty much ended when we became teenagers. And I'm glad. He's a great adult and a wonderful friend.

Even if he makes me look like a midget.