Care to meet some of my family?
Jun. 4th, 2010 06:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackshoegazerOn Sunday after work I went to Janesville for my family's Memorial Day Weekend Barbecue. I brought my camera along partly because I take it frakking everywhere lately, and two, because it's a good way to get out of a conversation or to steer a conversation into more pleasant territory. Anyway, here is the result:
This is my sister Stephanie and I guess my step-sister Liz. She's the daughter of my father's wife, but since my father didn't marry her until I'd been out of the house for a few years, I don't think of her as my step-mum. Thus, her children are not my step-siblings, but the children of my father's wife. A fine distinction, but there you go. Oh yeah, and these two don't get along much at all and have been fighting since they met and if I remember correctly, have also stolen eachother's boyfriends. Stephanie is the sister who used to be a stripper, but then went to cosmetology school and dated a crack dealer for a while.
This is my Uncle Rick. He's probably my favorite uncle. He's the guy who got me into scifi and old serial novels like Doc Savage. I remember watching old scifi movies when I was little, like this one with a red alien who the scientist claims just wants to play, but then rips off his arms and beats him with them. Rick was unfortunately on the losing end of the Beta/VHS war back in the 80's and for a very long time had the entire Gummi Bears cartoon on Beta.
This is my dad, holding my sister Angela's tiny tiny dog. My dad is great. A bit socially awkward and emotionally wonky at times, but brilliant and big-hearted. He was an ogre when I was growing up, but now that he's in a better place in life, he's like a totally different person. As a teen of the 70's, he did the long-haired Jesus look and hasn't given it up though he's lost most of his hair. I love the man, but someone needs to tackle him and give him a haircut.
I don't know who this kid is. The son of one of my sister's boyfriends,maybe? Anytime someone would hide from the camera, he'd come over to me and say, "No one respects the camera!" and then mug like he wanted me to take his picture.
This is my niece Emma, my sister Angela's youngest. I haven't been around much since she was born so I know her least of Angela's three kids. After two boys, I know Angela was really hoping for a daughter, so I'm extra curious how their relationship is working out. She seems very nice, a bit quiet, but adorable nonetheless.
This is Kaleb, who is Liz's oldest and thus what, my step-nephew? He's a great kid, really fun and energetic. My son, Ethan, was his favorite person when he was younger and he'd always ask "Is Ethan gonna be there?! I wanna see Ethan!" before they'd head to my dad's place. Weird family history moment: Kaleb's dad murdered his father when he was like 8 years old. You know the story: husband is violent toward the mom, kid grabs shotgun, shoots dad while asleep on the couch. Apparently his mother has never really forgiven him.
This is my father's wife's son Kurt. He's quiet but friendly. Definitely on the autism spectrum. He and Ethan were great friends when Ethan was around 8 or 9. They both played a lot of video games together. He currently works for the same company my dad works for and they commute to work together. I should ask my dad what he's like since my dad spends more time with him than anyone else. Though I suspect my dad's a bit of an Aspie, so who knows that those commutes are like.
This is Donovan. My sister Candice and her fiance Randy just adopted this kid. He has a strong grip and freaks out if anyone puts him down. He must be carried!
This is my sister Stephanie's daughter Haley. Stephanie wasn't around much when I was, so I didn't get to know Haley very well. She seems nice enough. A bit of a girlie-girl fashion-nut for her age, but I'm not judging.
This is Christopher, who is my sister Angela's oldest. He's the one who turned hiding from the camera into a sport. He's a big sports and fishing kind of kid.
This is Sebastian, Angela's middle kid. I couldn't really put my finger on why, but he's my unofficial favorite of Angela's kids. I think there's a bit of the outcast in him. I think I noticed it the most one Christmas after Emma was born and I saw how my sister treated her darling oldest and her new little girl. There was Sebastian, getting little attention and that he did get was largely negative. So I think my heart went out to the kid.
And of course, Ethan, who is 6'5" now. He's been grounded for his bad grades so long, they Mayans had to invent the long-count calendar to measure it. Just as he finally got his grades up and was about to be ungrounded, he skipped three classes to go hang out with his girlfriend. Now, he's living with the fear that I might ground him for the entire summer. I probably won't ground him that long, but I think a few days with that fear may spark some serious thought into this decision-making process.
There are a bunch more in my Facebook. These are just some highlights.
This is my sister Stephanie and I guess my step-sister Liz. She's the daughter of my father's wife, but since my father didn't marry her until I'd been out of the house for a few years, I don't think of her as my step-mum. Thus, her children are not my step-siblings, but the children of my father's wife. A fine distinction, but there you go. Oh yeah, and these two don't get along much at all and have been fighting since they met and if I remember correctly, have also stolen eachother's boyfriends. Stephanie is the sister who used to be a stripper, but then went to cosmetology school and dated a crack dealer for a while.
This is my Uncle Rick. He's probably my favorite uncle. He's the guy who got me into scifi and old serial novels like Doc Savage. I remember watching old scifi movies when I was little, like this one with a red alien who the scientist claims just wants to play, but then rips off his arms and beats him with them. Rick was unfortunately on the losing end of the Beta/VHS war back in the 80's and for a very long time had the entire Gummi Bears cartoon on Beta.
This is my dad, holding my sister Angela's tiny tiny dog. My dad is great. A bit socially awkward and emotionally wonky at times, but brilliant and big-hearted. He was an ogre when I was growing up, but now that he's in a better place in life, he's like a totally different person. As a teen of the 70's, he did the long-haired Jesus look and hasn't given it up though he's lost most of his hair. I love the man, but someone needs to tackle him and give him a haircut.
I don't know who this kid is. The son of one of my sister's boyfriends,maybe? Anytime someone would hide from the camera, he'd come over to me and say, "No one respects the camera!" and then mug like he wanted me to take his picture.
This is my niece Emma, my sister Angela's youngest. I haven't been around much since she was born so I know her least of Angela's three kids. After two boys, I know Angela was really hoping for a daughter, so I'm extra curious how their relationship is working out. She seems very nice, a bit quiet, but adorable nonetheless.
This is Kaleb, who is Liz's oldest and thus what, my step-nephew? He's a great kid, really fun and energetic. My son, Ethan, was his favorite person when he was younger and he'd always ask "Is Ethan gonna be there?! I wanna see Ethan!" before they'd head to my dad's place. Weird family history moment: Kaleb's dad murdered his father when he was like 8 years old. You know the story: husband is violent toward the mom, kid grabs shotgun, shoots dad while asleep on the couch. Apparently his mother has never really forgiven him.
This is my father's wife's son Kurt. He's quiet but friendly. Definitely on the autism spectrum. He and Ethan were great friends when Ethan was around 8 or 9. They both played a lot of video games together. He currently works for the same company my dad works for and they commute to work together. I should ask my dad what he's like since my dad spends more time with him than anyone else. Though I suspect my dad's a bit of an Aspie, so who knows that those commutes are like.
This is Donovan. My sister Candice and her fiance Randy just adopted this kid. He has a strong grip and freaks out if anyone puts him down. He must be carried!
This is my sister Stephanie's daughter Haley. Stephanie wasn't around much when I was, so I didn't get to know Haley very well. She seems nice enough. A bit of a girlie-girl fashion-nut for her age, but I'm not judging.
This is Christopher, who is my sister Angela's oldest. He's the one who turned hiding from the camera into a sport. He's a big sports and fishing kind of kid.
This is Sebastian, Angela's middle kid. I couldn't really put my finger on why, but he's my unofficial favorite of Angela's kids. I think there's a bit of the outcast in him. I think I noticed it the most one Christmas after Emma was born and I saw how my sister treated her darling oldest and her new little girl. There was Sebastian, getting little attention and that he did get was largely negative. So I think my heart went out to the kid.
And of course, Ethan, who is 6'5" now. He's been grounded for his bad grades so long, they Mayans had to invent the long-count calendar to measure it. Just as he finally got his grades up and was about to be ungrounded, he skipped three classes to go hang out with his girlfriend. Now, he's living with the fear that I might ground him for the entire summer. I probably won't ground him that long, but I think a few days with that fear may spark some serious thought into this decision-making process.
There are a bunch more in my Facebook. These are just some highlights.
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Date: 2010-06-04 12:41 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-06-04 02:54 pm (UTC)Your family all look very different than I imagined, but I guess that's to be expected. I love "No one respects the camera!" kid.
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Date: 2010-06-04 07:23 pm (UTC)I wonder how you imagined them?
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