Ok - so I haven't been that good about writing in the blog for a while. What can I say - I've been lazy, er I mean busy.
Actually, ever since my sister wrote this, I've been writing something up in my head, something really good and poignant. Then I would see something shiny and I would get distracted and completely forget what I wrote and I'd have to start all over again. These thoughts have been bouncing around in my head long enough - I figured it was time for me to put this in writing.
When Erin was born, I was around 15 years old and was experiencing the whole teenage angst thing - wanting my independence, but not quite ready for it. Pushing my parents away, but not really wanting them to leave. When I first heard that my father and step mother were going to have another baby, I was excited about it. However, I assumed that they would hear my silent pleas and have another boy, and thus my reign as being Daddy's princess would never end. But alas, Erin turned out to be a girl. How dare she! I have to admit that I was not pleased at first to hear that I would have to share my princess tiara with this newcomer, but then, I met her and I quickly forgave her for being a girl.
Erin turned out to be a real cutie. Always happy, always smiling. She had those big chunky baby thighs that just call out to you to squeeze. (I can say that, because she doesn't have them now.) I could make her laugh, and from a very young age she could make pig noises on demand which required her to squish up her face into the cutest expression. It would always make me laugh. How could you not love that!
Because of our age difference and geographical separation, I only got to see her maybe once or twice a year. I got to know her really well when she came to live with me for a summer. Just to make sure that she knew her place though, I made her sleep under my daughter's bed. You're probably expecting me to say that I was just kidding - but nope - I'm not, she really did sleep under my daughter's bed for a summer. Calm down, it's not quite as bad as it sounds, the bed was about 4 feet off of the floor, so there was space underneath it, and we were in our old house and didn't have anywhere else to put her. She went there willingly - honest she did! I have fond memories of that time - napping in the afternoons, cleaning out the fish tank, and creating gourmet meals together. I'm thankful for that time with her, and I look at that time as the beginning of our transition into the friend/adult stage.
As I've watched her continue to grow she has gone off to college, gotten married to the most wonderful guy and she's actually working in her dream job. I'm always struck by how she's done everything so right. Don't tell her this, but I'm quite jealous of her. I'm so impressed with how strong she is and how far she has come - and at such a young age. She hasn't made any of the mistakes that I have made. I guess since I couldn't be the good example of how to do things right, the least I could do was to be the horrible warning. She is incredibly responsible with her money and hasn't ruined her credit at a young age, she also doesn't eat through her emotions and therefore has always had the body I'd kill for. I can only hope that my daughter Bailey follows in her footsteps. She is a shining example of how to do things right.
I may be the older sister, but I always have and will continue to look up to her (even if she did like Hansen as a kid).
Actually, ever since my sister wrote this, I've been writing something up in my head, something really good and poignant. Then I would see something shiny and I would get distracted and completely forget what I wrote and I'd have to start all over again. These thoughts have been bouncing around in my head long enough - I figured it was time for me to put this in writing.
When Erin was born, I was around 15 years old and was experiencing the whole teenage angst thing - wanting my independence, but not quite ready for it. Pushing my parents away, but not really wanting them to leave. When I first heard that my father and step mother were going to have another baby, I was excited about it. However, I assumed that they would hear my silent pleas and have another boy, and thus my reign as being Daddy's princess would never end. But alas, Erin turned out to be a girl. How dare she! I have to admit that I was not pleased at first to hear that I would have to share my princess tiara with this newcomer, but then, I met her and I quickly forgave her for being a girl.
Erin turned out to be a real cutie. Always happy, always smiling. She had those big chunky baby thighs that just call out to you to squeeze. (I can say that, because she doesn't have them now.) I could make her laugh, and from a very young age she could make pig noises on demand which required her to squish up her face into the cutest expression. It would always make me laugh. How could you not love that!
Because of our age difference and geographical separation, I only got to see her maybe once or twice a year. I got to know her really well when she came to live with me for a summer. Just to make sure that she knew her place though, I made her sleep under my daughter's bed. You're probably expecting me to say that I was just kidding - but nope - I'm not, she really did sleep under my daughter's bed for a summer. Calm down, it's not quite as bad as it sounds, the bed was about 4 feet off of the floor, so there was space underneath it, and we were in our old house and didn't have anywhere else to put her. She went there willingly - honest she did! I have fond memories of that time - napping in the afternoons, cleaning out the fish tank, and creating gourmet meals together. I'm thankful for that time with her, and I look at that time as the beginning of our transition into the friend/adult stage.
As I've watched her continue to grow she has gone off to college, gotten married to the most wonderful guy and she's actually working in her dream job. I'm always struck by how she's done everything so right. Don't tell her this, but I'm quite jealous of her. I'm so impressed with how strong she is and how far she has come - and at such a young age. She hasn't made any of the mistakes that I have made. I guess since I couldn't be the good example of how to do things right, the least I could do was to be the horrible warning. She is incredibly responsible with her money and hasn't ruined her credit at a young age, she also doesn't eat through her emotions and therefore has always had the body I'd kill for. I can only hope that my daughter Bailey follows in her footsteps. She is a shining example of how to do things right.
I may be the older sister, but I always have and will continue to look up to her (even if she did like Hansen as a kid).
2 comments:
awww! I cried, I laughed, then I craughed. That was really, really nice to read. Thanks big sis! we're a pretty rockstar pair.
(I'll verify that she did make me sleep on the floor-best summer ever!)
Yup, still makes me cry.
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