All Hail the Haws!

Today I find myself with no exciting current events, but under slight pressure to blog, as I am at risk of finding myself on Mindy's "To Be Kicked List"...not a place I ever wish to be again. **This woman leg wrestles like no other, I wouldn't want a kick from one of those legs; nor would you, I dare say.
In less than a week, Brandon and I will be kickin' it in Canada with my family (the first time he's been in almost two years!) so I'd like to introduce you to my fabulous family.We all have our unique roles in the family, as I'm sure all of you do. Nicola is The Baby, Daniel is The Boy, Kristina is The Brunette, and I am The Oldest, The Smartest, The Coolest (take your pick).
I'll start with Nicola Jade, because she's usually last at everything, poor baby. But she is the first inventor in the family. She's always been industrious (see the picture below of her helping count change...yes that's real money, it's just Canadian) but now it's really paying off for her.She's going to be on TV in September on a show called Think Big Young Inventors. She and some classmates came up with the Sock Lock, socks with buttons on each that you clip together when you wash and dry them, so you don't end up with odd socks. Genius, as far as I'm concerned. I'm very proud at this point.
Here she is on her first day of school, isn't she precious? Funny story: Mum always called her Precious Baby. Growing up, grocery shopping was hilarious, as people inevitably came up to us and pinched our chubby cheeks (you're probably familiar with my most recent post) but Nicola stole the show. As soon as she could talk, she introduced herself to people as Precious Baby and people just ate it up. It's hard growing up with such cute siblings.
Next comes The Boy. Daniel James is our resident dude. (See below). Many a person has told him that he resembles Harry Potter...this picture may have been taken just after someone else told him so. Word on the street is that he's quite the ladies' man. And this is without my direct tutelage and training. Wait till I get home! Daniel's quite the musician, playing the trumpet, piano and guitar. His guitar skills are especially impressive. We've been known to jam when I go home for a visit. This time will be no different. I've also been known to cut his hair, but I'm told this won't be happening again. Apparently the way his hair looks is important now. Gotta love Daniel. He's a good one.Last, but certainly not least comes Kristina Joanne, our brunette. Having brunette parents, you wouldn't think she'd be the outcast, but we used the mailman line on her a lot. She finally caved and came over to the Light Side and is finding out that blondes do indeed have more fun. Isn't she gorgeous? Now that she's blonde and my height, it's a lot easier to confuse the two of us...especially now that we share clothing. Our sudden similarities came as a shock to most, as we grew up looking like this:
I am very proud of Wedge, who I can't believe will be graduating from college in April. She commutes into the heart of Toronto, and is incredibly street savvy. I find myself asking my little sister if she'll take me into the city, because I'm scared I will get lost, abducted or mugged. She'll be moving there soon, brave little soul. Did I mention she's a Guitar Hero fiend and has beaten me playing behind her back? Looks like the oldest still has a lot to learn.So whose idea was it to start this crazy brood? Here is the infamous pair before we were even dreams...or nightmares: Gay and Kevin Haw circa the 70s. One of my favourite things about my parents is their strict adherence to the British way of life, whether or not we've lived in Canada for 18 years. My dad still pronounces "Haw" as Britishly as possible (I made a failed attempt at spelling that phonetically) always inviting the question: How do you spell that? to which he responds "Haytch A W" which provokes more questions. Kristina and I (the ones born in England) often faked Canadian accents at school to fit in - yes, people made fun. But as soon as we got home, R's were dropped and British-only words were reinstated, which confused a lot of our school friends that called us at home.
My parents just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary (which means a lot more to me now that I'm married. That's a LONG time!) But they're as crazy in love as ever... also just plain crazy. I thought it funny that more than 30 years down the road they were getting in the water instead of posing near it. My parents are pretty awesome. I'm SO excited to see my family after 8 long months, although I've gone longer which is so sad ... a pox on U.S. Immigration! I'm looking forward to late night chats, family councils called to find Dad's TV remote, old inside jokes, making up new inside jokes that include Buddy, group hugs, and rocking out.