March 5, 2008 by Barbara.

 If I’m lucky, Roger is on afternoons and will get to read this while it is still his birthday. Given the “unluckiness” of the snow that has been falling today, I’m not optimistic. Still, I’m glad to be celebrating my littlest-big brother’s birthday. I have a list of things I like about Roger to share.

* I can’t help but start with the fact that he shovelled the driveway and sidewalk when he was visiting in January. It was appreciated then and even more so today as I write with my socks still wet from my second round of shovelling in 4 hours.
* Roger always pitches in when he visits, whether it’s with something around the house that needs a few minutes attention or Reid who needs a tickle and even if she needs some direction.
*  Roger sends me politically incorrect jokes now and again. Not too many but enough to provide the occasional laugh.
* Roger has a web cam so that Reid can see parts of the family even though they’re far away. He does a mean “head flying through space” move on it.
*  Roger is teaching Reid the joy of walking - at the Wheatley Provincial Park, near Grandma Joyce’s house, wherever.
*  Roger has a yellow house. This gives him significant status in Reid’s eyes.
*  When our grandmothers were still alive, Roger took me to visit them. I was a teenager and trying to be cool or maybe independent (and self-centred as teenagers are) but he wanted me to remember the importance of family. It was a good lesson and I’m so glad that he lives it daily. I know that I try to.
* Roger notices things like beautiful moonrises, rabbits in the ditch next to the road and that sort of thing. He’ll point them out to you and you’ll be amazed at the things that are around you.
* Roger used to make jokes when I was younger, like, “Does your face hurt?” and I’d say, “No.” He would reply, “‘Cause it’s killing me,” and then we’d laugh. No wait a minute, he would laugh. I would harrumph. It was funny that I got caught more than once but I missed the humour back then.
* Roger took me on a little trip just before I started highschool. We went to Niagara Falls and other places, I think. It was great to hang with my big brother.
* Thanks to Roger, I was exposed to really good rock music as a teenager. It gave me street creds with the boys back then and that was important. 
* Roger walked me down the aisle when I married Ken. He kept me from tripping and falling in front of all those people. (Not an enitrely improbable thing to happen.)
* Roger took Reid and me camping when Reid was only 2.5. He did most of the work, took Reid for walks in the stroller at naptime and showed us the ropes.
* Roger is my go-to guy for financial advice and for other practical matters. He doesn’t try to replace Dad but he definitely helps to fill the void.
* When I was small, I was choking on a red, hard candy and Roger performed the Heimlich Manoeuvre and dislodged it. Thanks isn’t enough but that’s all I’ve got.

Happy birthday, Roger.

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March 5, 2008 by Barbara.

Reid and I spoke with Brianna one night this past week. At one point during Reid’s turn, as she carefully ennunciated “Bawanna”, her tongue let her down and she said “Banana” instead. A smile moved across her face and her eyes danced. After nearly 4 years of knowing Brianna, Reid discovered Brianna’s nickname and it delighted her. The next time Reid spoke it, she smiled before saying Banana. When the conversation ended, I told Reid about Chantelle and Donald’s last name and she grinned at that, too. I wonder if she’ll mention it to them at Easter.  I’m sure Brianna is used to this sort of discovery, in the same way that Ken and I have become used to the expression that comes over people’s faces when they make the connection between our names or the Barbie and Ken jokes that they somehow think no one else would have told one to us before.

The next day while I was doing Reid’s hair, I sang the “Name Game“. It seems to have been the first time that I’ve sang it to Reid or maybe it was the first time that Reid paid attention when I sang it. In any case, Reid enjoyed the song and didn’t make a fuss as I did combed and braided her hair. It was a good distraction and helped me to practice the names of kids in Reid’s class. I think we might use it to remember family names.

On another night we spoke with Kathleen. We’ve been talking about Kathleen more lately as we try to make arrangements for her wedding. Reid wanted clarification as to where exactly Kathleen fit into the family. I told her that Kathleen was Melissa and Sari’s little sister. Reid objected with a grin, “Kafleen is not little!” I reminded her that I was Grandma Joyce’s baby even though I was not young and she nodded and filed Kathleen as a “little sister” as well as Uncle Chris’ daughter. And so it was that I asked Reid if she wanted to speak with Cousin Kathleen when I held out the phone. Reid accepted it quickly and said, “Hello, Cousin Kathleen.” Reid was in a chatty mood and since we rarely speak with Kathleen, in couldn’t have come at a better time.

Have a safe, snowy day.

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