Over the weekend, Pedro and I drove 4 1/2 hours to Walla Walla, Washington to see my brother and sister-in-law for her baby shower. It was too short, too much driving, too much frivolity, but we had a good time and are glad we went. Me especially. Boys were banned, and the girls played.
The title of this post is Aunt Sis because that’s me. Growing up, my parents all called me “Sis.” Blood parents, step parents, parents I adopted because I love them called me that. Since they did, then so did all my brothers and sisters. I am “Sis” or “Sissy” to everyone I grew up with. When my siblings began having children, and asked what I wanted to be called by the little ones, I asked to be called Aunt Sis. Aunt Crystal sounds so weird, when no one in my family calls me Crystal. The only person who does not call me Sis is our boy in Massachusetts, son of my beloved friends Mads and Udi, who calls me Aunty Christmas, but that’s a whole other story…
Karen has a big friends group made up almost entirely of people she met at Cross Fit. This gym can be found in most cities, and from what I have heard, tends to form pretty supportive communities with people who attend. That explains why the shower was at the Walla Walla Cross Fit Gym, with the encouragement of the owner, Nikki, who knows and loves Karen and Ian.
Most of the women actually flew in from Seattle, as this friends group goes back more than a decade, and my brother and SIL only moved here from Seattle two years ago. I think that is so wonderful. I got to spend time with them all (a couple of them I have met before), and Pedro and I both noticed how many different personalities came together in celebration of each other and fitness. They all clearly love each other. It was pretty cool to see.
Karen’s special request was that everyone bring a book that was special to them as a child or with their own children. Pedro chose 1001 Arabian Nights, and I chose The Blue Fairy Book – classics! But because those will be better for later reading, I also brought a little board book of Guess How Much I Love You? which was so special to Kellen and me that we copied those expressions of love for the rest of their growing up years. And even now, we will still say these endearing I love yous. We will look around us and spot something and get inspired, like, “I love you….as tall as that tree!” “Well, then I love you….more than the rocks in that pile!” “Well, I love you harder than a rock!”
Baby Pine (did you get the joke yet?) will be born in June, so I’ll be Aunt Sis one more time. I am SO excited to meet this little one. I am really, really sad that Mom can’t meet him. Ian was her favourite, and she was proud to tell the rest of us kids, right to our faces, that Ian was her favourite, ha ha. She would be beside herself with happiness that Ian was a daddy. But in her absence, I will take over duties of being beside myself with happiness for them.
While we were at the party, Ian and Pedro went to see the movie Project Hail Mary, which they both enjoyed. Due to Pedro not sleeping well in our hotel room, and Ian being exhausted from hosting 15 of Karen’s closest friends over the weekend, with a BBQ the night before, and being the man-on-hand for all the party needs. Both men reported later that they were trying very hard to stay awake during that 2 1/2 hour movie, ha ha!
But Pedro and me…we headed out. As soon as the boys got back from the movie, we took off while there were still two hours of light. It was another 4 1/2 hour drive to get home. Pedro started with the driving, and then switched when it got dark, as I am more comfortable driving at night. Before we switched, I took some neat photos of the Columbia River Gorge from the car.
Yesterday, we were too tired from the trip to be very productive. We decided to go see Project Hail Mary. I read the book and LOVED it. I’ve been dying for the movie to come out. Pedro said it makes a lot more sense when you watch it fully awake, ha ha. I liked the movie. It is close to doing the book justice, which I know is hard for a movie to do. Go see it when you get the chance. It’s got some applicable messages about how important our planet is, and how trying to understand foreigners can be way more fulfilling and critical than you guessed. Also, I laughed through half the movie. And…I cried several times too. Also, Ryan Gosling is handsome enough to make a person blush.
Conscious Engagement 
I don’t even know what to say here. That baby shower is like nothing I’ve ever experienced at any time. It looks like it was lots of fun. I do hate long drives in the dark as well. Of course I no longer do long drives anywhere. I’m glad you made it home safe and had some rest. Great photos of everything. Felt like I was there. The food looked scrumptious and you looked adorable. I looked at the promo for the movie. I would not have even considered it but your recommendation of it make it a strong possibility to see.
It was the sweetest party! I was very lucky to get a baby shower of my own. In 1997 I was friends with a family embedded in the group of Georgians (the country) who live in Burlington, Vermont (SO many Georgians in Burlington). My best friend was from Tbilisi, and she had her baby a month before Kellen was born, and I had been invited to her shower. In Georgia, babies are for everyone, and so her shower had about 35 people: men, women, children, pets, and was an all day thing. It was her that convinced me I had to have a shower too, and her husband, a pastry chef at a hotel, provided treats. And she had me invite everyone I knew, and it was really nice. This shower for Karen was on the level of my friend’s – so wonderful. I took a video of the food. I should add that because it was outstanding and we all stuffed ourselves and had lots left over.
I’m glad you are considering the movie. I found it a bit astonishing in the theatre – loud enough to shake the walls. And jump scares that were maybe unneccessary, like when Grace first sees the alien. Be prepared. The foreigner I mention is the alien, which you probably saw in the previews. The Earth man and the alien form a team and work on the problem of the dying suns together. If he was a typical Earth man, he probably would have blasted the alien immediately, or shut off contact completely, or something boring and predictable and wasteful. So I like that the only reason they got so far is that they stayed curious and open, and figured it out.
This is lovely. I love how colorful the party was and I especially love the book idea! Classics for us were Winnie the Pooh and Dr Seuss. Love the playful “Pine” name, but I’m REALLY curious now about the story behind Aunty Christmas! Thanks for the book/movie recommendation too. Both on my list.
Andy Weir also wrote The Martian, and I loved it as much as Project Hail Mary. For both, the book is better and funnier. But both movies were done pretty well. His book in between was Artemis, and it’s in the same genre, but not as good. I thought of Dr. Seuss, but I can’t believe I forgot Pooh! Well, the nice thing is that I have the next 18 years to send more books.
Aunty Christmas is no secret, so I’ll tell you. Mads and Udi did not know yet about “Aunt Sis,” so two years ago at Christmastime, their boy was opening presents. He had been in a world of Christmas for a month and, like most kids who follow the tradition, had been DYING for the morning to finally arrive. Among other gifts, and fueled on sugar, he opened my gift, and the happy parents told him it was from Aunty Crystal, but the holiday-obsessed boy heard something else. “AUNTY CHRISTMAS?!!” he exclaimed, astonished that there was such an amazing being. Parents thought it was so funny that I have been Aunty Christmas ever since.
Hi Crystal, um, I mean Auntie Sis _ great handle!
Congrats to everyone on expecting baby Pine – truly exciting and worth the drive – also, what a wonderful drive you had and enjoyed those photos of the Columbia River Gorge
Thank you Yvette! I will let everyone know the real name, of course, when we hear it. Karen is a bit frustrated not to have one ready. At the shower, she told us, “I have suggested a THOUSAND names, and Ian does this-” she mimicked her husband with crossed arms and a grunt. ha ha!! That allowed me to tell the baby story that Ian was Benjamin when he was born. He was two years old when his parents were watching movie credits and when the name Ian scrolled by, belonging to some actor, they both thought, “That’s a nice name.” He already knew his name was Ben, but suddenly he became Ian. As a teenager, I thought they were nuts. But I really like the name now.
I like the photos, too. I sent them to Ian and he suggested I paint one. That is a good idea also.
I have never heard of a new name at two – but that is great idea. My high school teacher changed his name in adulthood – to Fortunato Pezzimenti – (something like that) and I think with Baby Pine – they might need to wait until the baby is born – and looking at the little beauty might tell them what the name needs to be!