Friday, May 8, 2009

DUDE!

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This is one of my favorite photos.  It shows every ounce of love Bug has for her aunt. 

And…a nice view of someone’s elbow?!?

This is my baby sister.  I was 17 when she was born.  It was a little like having a real-life baby doll.  It was FUN to get up in the middle of the night and feed her a bottle back then.  But of course, that’s because her mother was there as a back up in case I didn’t want to get up or didn’t hear her.  With Zman, Bean, and Bug it was totally different.  Something about if I didn’t get up they just starved because there were no bottles at our house.

Anyway…I called her Dude.  What can I say?  It was the 80’s. 

My father hated it.  She’s not a boy, he would say.  Fine…..DUDETTE!  I would reply.  And then I would continue to call her Dude behind his back.

Dude was about 18 months old when Fadre and I began dating.  She was his first introduction to “babies”.  She taught him:

  • Small children will mimic you.  She wore a baseball hat from the time she was about 4 until she was 12, just like him.
  • You CAN train a toddler to go get her own diaper and wipes when it’s time to be changed.
  • “If you don’t behave, you’ll have to come home and spend the night with us” is not a THREAT to a young child, but rather an INVITATION!  He learned that one quickly and never made that mistake again!

She’s tough.  She’s played Tball/softball since she was four.  The bruises and battering she’s suffered over the years would leave me on the floor, writhing in pain, begging for the Lord to come quickly and save me from my suffering.

She’s cool, relaxed, has a good sense of humor, and does not suffer from lack of self-esteem!

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She loves all of her nieces and nephews and has a very different relationship will all of them.  In fact, Zman is closer in age to Dude, than iNik is to Dude, or iNik is to me! 

This August she’ll graduate from college.  A couple of weeks ago it was Senior Day for the softball team.  There were roses and a plaque.

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My parents are so proud!

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Here’s the whole gang.

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And a cookie cake in her honor!

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And even though it was a big weekend for her, Dude and her dude took time after the game to fly kites with Bean and Bug.

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One of the coolest things that happened that weekend?  While in line at Wendy’s for lunch, Bean, Bug, and Almost Mine yelled out – Look!  It’s Dude!  And sure enough.  There was Dude – on a university poster – in the restaurant!  Four athletes on the poster and she’s one of them!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!

7 comments:

  1. What a nice way to say Happy Birthday! Love the picture of Bug hugging her. So very sweet!

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  2. I never heard of someone training a toddler to go get his/her own diaper and wipes when it’s time to be changed. Pretty nifty, I must say.

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  3. Happy birthday to your little sister!! (I call one of my sisters Dude too. Heh.)

    And happy (belated) Mother's Day!

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  4. Hey, Missi!
    Couldn't find your email so just click on the link below and it'll take you straight to the tomato soup recipe. It's from a blog with nothing but crockpot recipes. And the blogger is hysterical! Hope you find some good stuff there.

    http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/restaurant-quality-crockpot-tomato-soup.html

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  5. Hi I'm just very new to this bog thing and have accidently come accross your blog. Had me laughing out loud as I can totally relate. my youngest sister was born when I was 15 and she too was only 18 months wgen I started dating my husband. And I used to take her out and pretend she was mine (after all she looked just like me!) She's now 14 and my oldest child is only 4 and a half years her junior so they have grown up like cousins. Love your cheerful blog. From Bridget, New Zealand

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  6. Please excuse my lack of spell checking in that last comment. I also taught all 4 of my own children to fetch their own wipes and nappy (as we call them over here in NZ) I thought it was pretty normal lol

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