20 years in the making

*Tessa's classic happy-sad face

My one and only sister, Tessa is turned 20 today. She's no longer a teenager, yet I can only think of her as my young, little sister. 

I'm really bad at these birthday posts, but she demanded one in a nice way, of course. So for her birthday wish, I'm supplying. 

Tessie, do you remember when: 

::: we would close all the hallway doors and throw all our bouncy balls around? Mom was always worried about the glass lights, but we loved the way the balls sounded when they hit the wooden doors! 

::: I wrote all our names with inedible cherries on the sidewalk? Dad came out to see me when I was scrubbing it to ask if we should go get Slurpees and got mad instead. Could have been a great night!! Instead I scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed!

::: you went with mom to pick up Tapper II and I came home and you were playing with her in the courtyard?

::: dad would cook us big breakfasts? I think you liked the sausage and I liked the bacon... mmm... now I just like them both. 

::: mom would wrap us up in material and give us pots to hold? Then she'd take pictures so she could paint us like we lived in old Israeli times... I think...

::: we would eat crackers in the red bowls under the dining room table?

::: we played Aladdin under the piano?

::: we tried to play all the weird instruments in the cabinet?

::: we would 'ride the waves in' with Dad? 

::: when mom got pummeled by the wave? That was a little scary... 

::: you and I had a lot of fun at the office with Vernadine? 

::: we would fawn over Benny the Jet Rodriguez?? What a stud. 

::: you would go to the hospital all the time and I would cry?

::: remember birthday parties and you would be so sweet to not blow out my candles, but the pictures always caught you thinking about it? You were such a cute little kid!

I remember when: 

::: we would pick the peas off their stems in the garden and eat them right then and there. 

::: we would play in the bushes 

::: I taught you the rain dance on the trampoline and it actually started to rain. 

::: we went to the adoption agency and you were brought in. It was sisterly-love at first sight. 

::: you came close to beating dad at tennis... but I don't think you ever beat me... 

::: we'd fight and I'd push your door open and force you to hug me and hear me say sorry. ha! 

::: our bedtime was 8:00... it was torture.

::: you would sleep longer then me at nap time and I had to wait and wait!! I hated to wait. I wanted to play!

::: you had a bigger room than me so I got my revenge.. shhhh!

::: we would play Jurassic Park in the back yard with the cousins and the Red-Ryder Wagon. 

::: Easy Dinners were amaaaazing. cheese, crackers, and carrots... C's. Oh, and grape juice. mmm

::: I told you the baby was a boy. You said something to the effect of, "what are you going to do?!" I was thinking the saaaame thing, dear sister!! :)

I hope this post was up to your hopeful standards. I love you so much, little seester! You are a brave soul, and I admire everything about you. Your strength, wisdom, humor, intuition, green eyes, and perfect teeth! :) You are lovely. 

Don't you miss the good ole days? 

Look how HAPPY mom and dad look!! This was 1990 after they now had their two little girls. 

*and no, that's not a shadowed mullet my dad has! He was 'all-business' front and back. ha!