ride

i've been doing a lot of thinking lately about socializing. specifically the impact of having family locally has to one's social life. i don't think i realized that we are kind of unusual for having both sides of our family in town. i've noticed that we don't have to travel at holidays, but didn't really see any impact beyond that. i'm not particularly inclined to compare myself to others, but i do tend to spend time wondering i'm normal and look around me to see what's normal around me. am i progressing and maturing at a regular pace? am i achieving social milestones? i've been noticing some differences, neither good nor bad. i've overlooked the impact of having family locally, and have ended up concluding that the time we spend with our families other people spend with created family – a group of friends or a few families at the same stage of parenting. there's part of me that feels we're out of the loop, that relationships are being built around us, and we're not included – and i hate missing out of things. but there's a richness and longevity in investing in our parents, siblings, and nieces & nephews. so i'm ok with not being in on other gatherings. our situation is different, and i should stop looking out there to discover what's normal. that being said i'm hoping that soon (when life returns to a less teeter-totter phase) that we'll have more opportunities to hangout with friends :) we also hung out with sarah and paul the other night, which was great, and i want to do that more.

we had a great time yesterday with my family and brendan's family. it was a full day, but really enjoyable. we celebrated birthdays, and shared meals.

one time at storytellers we made a list of things that make us feel like kids. i had difficulty things of things. however, on a daily basis i do things that make me feel like a grown-up. i don't think the novelty has really worn off yet.

moonlight spills on comic books
and superstars in magazines.