twilight33 | Let it come down. let it come down

God but how I missed the rain.

It was so painfully dry in the East Bay that my poor little Welsh niece developed full body dermatitis and possibly a secondary skin infection that is on the mend with some potent & expensive steroid creme. She was not a happy camper, but absolutely adorable. I can't wait to see her again in September, and I am desperately hoping something in our area can work out for her mom and dad in the coming years. It sounds like the expat life is wearing thin, although they have become very European & a transition back would be hard. My surrogate parents have also had enough of CA, and if all 5 of them lived here my close local family would be complete!

Kieran did great with flying both ways, on the way home today he fell asleep 20 minutes before and straight on through landing until we pulled up to the gate. Much, much, much easier to handle TSA/baggage/etc than driving all day, plus I've already put in an hour of telecommuting & feel most rested.

A handful (8, more than my immediate!) of family we met for the first time are absolute loonies and wonderful, I love them. The concept of having a large family (not my inlaws) is still somewhat mindboggling to me, but it's clear that I have been assimilated and there's no turning back. I called my mom the morning after dinner with them to talk over some very unique family tastes they also have, and she was downright creeped out both by those and (again) how easily I can find entire branches of people to reconnect with after decades and generations of distance.

I'm not anymore, for I know why even if I can't explain it in terms that make sense. My ancestors are as much a part of me as my son is, and I don't believe in linear time.