Peas In A Pod

First of all, ThAnK YoU so much for the kind words regarding Henry. I am very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who are such a huge support! The Gluten Free/Casein Free diet is going quite well! I'm actually EXCITED to prepare new meals! The other day, I made my very first GFCF cake! You have to bake it differently, and it is more like sponge cake with syrup type icing, so it doesn't look very pretty. (You know how you use like three cans of icing to HIDE the cake imperfections? Not here...as you can see!). The cake...delish! Henry gobbled it right up, like a child eating his very first birthday cake! We all loved it! Best part....the cake has 0 fat! True! So, I'll be testing the waters with other recipes...hopefully without many fails!

But moving on...

My sister, Andee...

four years older.

Growing up, we were never really two peas in a pod.

I'm sure she referred to me as:

(according to Beatrice to Ramona) a little pest

or

(in Olivia the pig's words) the little bother.

or

some words that I cannot even type on this blog! Ha!

*****

My very first crush was on Luke. Luke Skywalker. Andee? Han Solo.

While I then crushed on the blonde cop from ChIpS (remember that show?), Andee was stapling up pictures of Erik Estrada, the dark haired cop, on the walls to the pull down attic/turned into playhouse, of my dad's garage.


Since my sister's very first car (a 1979 silver Regal with burgundy vinyl seats), that girl has had more autos than there are stars in the sky. Me? My first car was a 1988 red Escort GT, her hand-me-down (and she did teach my friend, Jenny, and I how to drive the stick shift on the back roads out in the country...with a lot of jerking, thank you very much.) I've had 3 others...including my auto now.


Andee has traveled from the top of the globe to the bottom working on cruise ships. She's now married to a military man, and loves traveling.



Since I've been on my own, I've owned one home. The home I live in. We did rent while we were building...if you even call THAT a home. (The beautiful sheer Target curtains that I hung up are still there!)


But...overall, there is that sister bond that is greater than anything else in the world.

This is a girl who knows my soul. We can talk for hours over recipes and she can make me laugh so hard to a point that there is no noise, no breathing, laughter so hard that it is just tears. And those boy crushes? Well, both of our husbands know that we would run like the wind, never looking back if Matthew McConaughey came knocking on our doors.

I know that my older sister enjoyed vacationing with me while we went here and there the backseat of my parents' blue Chevette. And of course, whenever I hear the song Ball and Chain, I think of my crazy older sister. She paved the way.

*****

Sweet Emily...the oldest. Laney and Henry look up to her. She is now paving the way. Yes, the others will create their own paths, but her wonderful lead will give them great guidance.

Exhibit A: Reading.

Last week we went to the library. I asked the girls if they wanted to sign up for the Summer Reading Program. Laney was all over it, while Emily declined. With Laney's push, Em signed up and is now using an egg timer to time her 6 hours. Six hours means a prize!

(And yep, here in the Midwest, it's either mosquitoes on steroids or allergies...or for Em and I, both!)

Looky who else is following in his sister's footsteps?

And since it's been hot, hot, hot here...with like 2,000% humidity, out came the baby pool! Henry cannot get enough!

Water fun all the time!

Wonder who he gets it from?

Oh, little sister? She's having just as much fun!

This little guy....attention from his two big sisters....the BEST gift!

But don't be fooled, little brother has these two girlies wrapped around his finger!

Emily...the little one's love her so. Yesterday, Jon's mom (Grammie) and grandma (G.G.) took the two older girls out for the afternoon! Couldn't even get a shot without Henry wanting to grab their hands telling them to Come On (which sounds like Hey Mom)!
Finally got a shot...oh Emily!
And Laney...dressed to the hilt, right on the outskirts of the picture...excited for her sister's big day!
Whatever Emily is doing, it's working. This little guy is always coming up with something new...Here's his latest!

Now, how did he learn that?

Yes, the girls fight like cats and dogs.

Yes, big sister calls little sister a pain.

Yes, Henry gets upset and knocks the girls out with his toys.

BUT...The three of them will always have the greatest bond. They will roll over with laughter when they some day talk about their whack job parents. They talk endlessly to each other about family vacations and celebrations. And they can roll their eyes and giggle, because no matter how near or far apart they are, they will have many of the same mannerisms, the same phrases, and similar likes and dislikes.
My babies, my world, will always have a connected path in life, just like my own sister and I have.

But...I do know that McConaughey would totally pick me to be his Mrs. I'm the younger one. Only by four years, but that's like 20 years in Hollywood. Big sister may have paved the way, but I'd drop her for him. Sorry Andee! :)