happy hirthday hane

dear sister,

remember that time when you were babysitting and you wrote me that letter about all the fun things that we would do when the parents were away (which probably included the old standbys: house, school, playing with boxes, dressing David up, taste testing concoctions at the kitchen bar), and at the end of the letter you made a big promise about not being bossy, likely trying to win back my love after the last time you made me pull you around in the box or sing only/all boy parts from the disney tunes while you sang the princess parts? i dare say that letter worked, little miss bossy boots.

To you I attribute:
-my love for music, country to opera and most of what's in between (though I take credit for the Beatles.)
-my love for loud music in every room of the house, and shall we say the student has surpassed the master?
-whatever fashion sense i have, including with make-up, though you have always had a more artistic vibe for all that. let's not forget the era of platforms, particularly the rubbery velcro ones, or the backwards sweater, or the bell bottoms, or the insane number of times you tried to pull my hair back from my face with a barrette.
-my compulsion to turn every slight event into a memory.
-my love of air-popped popcorn. you fueled my ego pretty big on this account, convincing me that no one makes air-pop like i pop, and thereby ensuring that i would make it at your whim anytime you asked. though i've usually made it for myself before you ask.
-my silliness.
-my ability to sing along with music in the car.
-my wardrobe, since half of it is yours
-my free-spirit tendencies
-my self-esteem, as you encourage me way more than my skills merit

To many hours staying up late in bed, watching movies, singing, cooking, hiding from swim lessons, and so on:
You are my biggest fan.
(this is a line where tone is everything--comes from a movie, or maybe just from Steph...)

But really. Love you sister. Love you muchas smoochas. Thanks for keeping things interesting (see picture above).

P.S. I know you don't feel like you're something amazing with your baby boy, but I do. And Mammina is proud.