Reflections and Skype

As I am reflecting back to my last post... in AUGUST 2011...  I am realizing how much time has gone by, how many little memories are gone, how many funny moments I may not recall.  I couldn't let another day pass without posting on my blog.  I was feeling an overwhelming sensation of guilt.  Ok, maybe not overwhelming and maybe not really guilty but just a wish that I had kept up.  That's all.  With my baby sister moving to New York state, Niagara Falls area, I have also been reflecting on family.  We get spoiled having people so close and being able to say:

• What are you doing today?  
• Lunch at Cafe Rio?  
• Crossword and bagels?  
• Movie night out, my kids will watch Bridget?  
• Temple night?
• Are you going to be home, I'll be out by your house I'll stop by and have lunch?

Sometimes I feel a little sad missing those chances.  Sometimes I realize that with all this fandangled technology we can still be just as close.  It made me reflect back on the time when Norm and I moved to California.  A lot of memories have come flooding back to me with all this happening with Lauren and Tanner.  We were in such a similar situation that it all feels so real like it was just yesterday and not 14 years ago!  I was pregnant with Maddy, our 2nd. I had just quit work and was able to stay home and we moved far away.  Granted California isn't as far as New York but 14 years ago it felt further away.  We didn't have internet at home, there was no email, no facebook, no uploading pictures, no Skype or FaceTime.  We had long distance phone calls that we had to actually pay by the minute for.  So, we called once a week to catch up.  There was actually developing film, taking it to Costco to get pictures printed, getting double or triple prints and putting them in an envelope with a stamp and mailing them.  Grandparents couldn't see the kids every day or every week through Skype or emailed pictures.  Every few months I'd mail some pictures and we had pictures of the grandparents around and the kids could point to the pictures and say "Grandma' or "Grandpa".  I am so glad technology has evolved so that our communications now are so much more visual.  I watch the kids Skype with Bridget and she won't forget them.  She will be able to remember them because she will still get to "see" them once a week.  When she comes to visit it shouldn't take her a day or two to warm up to us.  I remember the kids being like that when we would visit from California.  It would take a day or so to realize that "Grandma" is somebody I am supposed to know.  So, in that way we are lucky.  But I still miss them.

I was so lucky to get to travel to New York with Lauren and Bridget over President's day weekend.  Instead of Tanner flying out and turning around and flying back with them I just flew out instead.  I spent the weekend helping them unpack, organize and stock their fridge and pantry.  My many years of moving experience can be helpful in some situations!  Even though it was a weekend of unpacking it still was a vacation for me.  It was a change of routine, a break from work, time away from home, and made me miss my family.  On Sunday night the kids wanted to Skype with me.  I had never done it so we thought it would be fun.  We chatted for a while and I discovered that if I held the Ipad up above my head on an angle it was a much more flattering view of my face.  Lauren said to me, "You know you don't have to hold it up that high right?"  I said, "Yes, I know, but it's a better angle on my face."  She thought that was funny but I didn't care because I really looked better.  The kids wanted a tour of Lauren and Tanner's house so I turned the camera around to the back of the Ipad so I could walk around their house.  Since the kids could no longer see me, they assumed I could no longer see them.  After a few minutes of showing them the kitchen, bathroom, family room and bedrooms I started noticing that they kept making all these weird faces.  I finally said, "You know I can see you right?"  The weird faces stopped, "WHAT?  You can?"  Hmmm, that explains it, they could see themselves and thought I couldn't see them.  Cole's expression after finding out that I'd been able to see them was priceless.  After that they just sat there and watched the rest of the tour of the house.  It wasn't nearly as entertaining for me.