Sisters

I have an AMAZING sister. Her name is Mischa. She is 7 years older than me.

Lately Mike & I have been talking alot about family..his and mine.,.the faults, the goodness that we see with in both..But one thing always remains the same....

I have an AWESOME sister...and Mike has an awesome sister in Mischa too..I mean.. the 2 of us are as lucky as it come in terms of having her for a sis..SERIOUSLY....

I remember when I was pregnant with Andy, I flew home to Ohio for Christmas & walked in on her & my mom mixing cookie dough & my sister asking about my moms friends....Huh???? I NEVER would think to ask about my mothers friends or social life.. yet my sister did...

We had plans to visit them in DC this summer that didnt work out b/c of travel & my choice to not endure a scary long car ride..My sister & her husband Matt sent Mike a shirt ( and astronaut ice cream!!!) from the space museum that Mike & Matt had plans to visit with a note saying how sorry they were it didnt work out....

My sister sent us a chocolate covered strawberry bouquet for our wedding anniversary...She sends the boys random clothes & little gifts, or me a note to remind me how proud she is of who I am... My sister is quite frankly.. Amazing.

I often remember the night before she got married..she SLEPT ON MY FLOOR.. And I chatted with whatever loser I was dating until bed time when she whispered to me how sorry she was she wasn't a better sister...

I had NO idea she was a "bad" sister until that moment..For some silly reason, she thought that her going to school so far away, or not wanting her goofy young sister to hang out with her & her cool friends made her a bad sister!!!! Isn't that funny??
I never would have thought it if she hadn't said it... I just figured..well..I have this cool sister, who understandably doesn't want her silly little sister hanging out trying to find attention from her friends, or who rummages through her perfume & cover up once shes left for school in the am ( oops..ask me about that one Misch..your CK One perfume..now THAT'S an embarrassing story!!!) I never thought my sister was a bad sister, or selfish, or un caring..I thought she was awesome!! I mean.. geeze..I wouldnt want a little monster tagging along behind me in my teen years either!!!

She does amazing things... I remember when my guinea pig died..my mom was away on business, my dad was at the gym & I held PB until his cold little body was warm again ( I know..sick) and her roomie, Nikki, was woken up by my calling & finally.. Nikki got Mischa on the phone & she FINALLY made me feel a bit better& helped me put PB down until my dad got home.... it didn't matter she was so far away..everything just FELT better...

Mischa was always the good one.. shes so smart..Seriously..the woman is a DOCTOR.. She has a PhD!!! She got PAID to go to school (and a REALLY good school at that!!!!) while I dropped out of my "dream school" for lets face it.. some loser I was dating & wanted to be closer to ( well..that & I couldn't hack chem..lol) She was smart, she was good..she was always everything I wasn't...And we never really connected on that..I mean.. polar opposites...But as I've gotten older..I see alot of similarities in us.. and that fact thrills me, where as a few years ago, it might have terrified me!! Mike asked me tonight "How old was Misch when she got married"" ...23...he said "well..your 24 now..and Claire..your thinking about other people..your thinking about HER.. maybe its just that age..maybe your maturing too..and its not that your the "bad" one, like you say..its just you were young..and its in your genes to be as awesome as Misch but you just needed time to mature to it too!!!" and the thought thrilled me... I love how different we are..but the thought of being compared to my sister is something I never would have aspired to in a MILLION years & that makes me feel AMAZING!!!!

My sister & I are as different as they COME. I mean..wow.. In my eyes, the "naughtiest" thing she has done is get her belly button pierced in college.. I laugh out loud as I remember her admitting to to..LOL!!!
Um..I have 3 tattoos, I've had my top AND bottom of my belly button pierced..my tongue..my nose.. and several places on my ears...(Misch... your visiting in 2 weeks..wanna get matching tattoos!!!?????? heheee)

I recall one convo we had ...I came to talk to her about boys & love & growing up..I started to mature as a young adult......and I realized maybe my sister wasn't as perfect or pristine as I thought she was actually NORMAL too!!!..However...I will STILL stand by the fact that she and her husband have NEVER even been intimate..I mean.. ew.. dude..GROSS..( I still have the most descriptive image of the very very very first time I met Matt in my mind..and thinking "wow..he is COOL!!!!" But that's a different story for a different blog.....)

So..ya know.. I have an amazing sister..I really do..and sometime I struggle with my family...my parents are awesome..but I don't think there is a person out there who doesn't think they could have had it better... I have it alot better than most in terms of my upbringing..but I bet Bill Gates kids ( does he have kids??) think they could have had it better too!! But no matter what issues I struggle with in terms of my family..i always know what an amazing sister I have..She is everything I strive to be in terms of the caring, sensitive,love & kindness, graciousness & compassion that makes a woman... She may be older than me, but I wait for the day that she has children* I rally hope that she does.. because the sense of pride I will have when I am able to teach HER something will be unlike anything else...I've always been the one who was "good" with kids..but when I get to see her with Andy ( she will finally meet Ryan in 2 weeks!!!) my heart aches for her to live closer & to have children of her own... I may be the "maternal" one, but SHE will be an amazing parent in a way COMPLETELY different from me.. and its really my hope that someday she & I live close enough that I am able to be a part of that...She is so silly with my boy, so perfect & Andy loves her SO much it hurts my heart that they aren't closer in distance.. I think when she has children, her images of what being a mother/career wise/goals & plans will all change...and I wont talk to her about that until the day comes b/c I don't want to scare her any more than "OMG he shit on the WALL!!!"

..But I KNOW.. I know who she is..I know whats inside of her...

She is an amazing woman..and she has a WONDERFUL husband.... Matt & I only got to REALLY know eachother since I was preggo with Andy ( I think the Punta Gorda jokes really took the cake in realizing how AWESOME Matt IS!!!!!!) But the 2 of them NEED to be parents....

The love & life & joy they will bring to a child will be so amazing that it cant help but be shared.. It would be a crime not to pass those genes & love into this world..God knows we need smart, beautiful caring people in the future generations!!!!
Misch..I love you.. I have tears in my eyes..but I just.. ((sigh)) I love you.. I appreciate every time you listen to me whine, you listen to me moan or tell you stories, or scare you off from children a little bit more.. I appreciate the cards, the emails & the messages you leave me..I wish I did better..I wish I did more..I wish I WAS better..I mean to be..but with 2 kids..its hard to sometimes..I just want you to know..PUBLICALLY..How much I love, appreciate & admire you. I have looked up to you as long as I can remember..if you were bossing me through Cinderella, or whispering to me through heating vents..No matter WHAT has gone down between us..You ARE my best friend. No one could ever be more to me that you., or mean more to me...I just might stop off at Claire's and pick up a BFF necklace if your not careful....

I love you Misch...I am proud of you. I admire you. I envy you & I look up to you. You are someone to be proud of..and I am proud that you are my sister AND my best friend.

I cant wait to see you in a few weeks.. I wish Matt could come too.. And Andy wishes Flash was here too!! I am DYING to see what he does with a dog bigger than Cassie!! Someday... I'll be rich & be able to buy "a really really big house with alot of blueberry bushes & rooms just for all the homeless kittens.." and... you will live next door..

Until then..I'll miss you..and wish we lived closer...Growing closer to you these last 3 years has made me a better person.Thank you for that... I love ya Misch...

xxooxox