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Twisted sister
Filed under: Places To Go, Siblings
My sister is older than me by three and half years. Our relationship has never been stronger as we are both lucky enough to benefit from our father's recent building of a cottage, which we find ourselves at every weekend, including the one just past, an extended one up in our neck of the woods. She has three kids, two boys 11 and seven years old, bookending the nine year old girl in the middle.
Now my sister is one of those super parents, managing to instill a sense of beauty, trust, value and sweetness in all three of her kids, while also shuffling them off to soccer, cross country skiing, piano lessons, saxophone lessons, five-day long canoe trips in the summer, and perfect dental records in the winter. She has a modest household income between her part-time job (helping teenage mothers cope - yes I am also nauseous) and her very supportive husband's government job. They live in a smallish town and are very much involved in community and education related issues.
I have no idea how she does it. I get home from work and watch the couch approach my pear-shaped body at rapid speed. Sure I was blessed with the laziness gene, so I got that going for me, but I do not know where she gets the energy to tote her three kids off to various gymnasiums and/or fields six out of the seven days of the week.
I think my kids are pretty great, they are sweet, they give me Popsicle licks, or bites of their grilled cheese, they attend camps, and the occasional city-run classes involving music or learning about the countries around the world. But compared to my sister, I feel like I am sharing smokes with them as we watch the city go by.
I just got back from seeing her. They had just arrived back from the five-day canoe trip I previously mentioned. They were tanned and glowing with the wonderful stink of Canadian nature and I was totally ashamed that Hudson or Tasman had not yet experienced something like that. I know it's not too late, but I also know that me and my family alone on a camping adventure is a big stretch from the Ipodian personal video recorder life we live now.
How do I keep pace?
Or do I just continue with remote control retrieving course I have both my sons enrolled in now?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
8-07-2007 @ 10:13AM
Pops said...I'd ask your sister. Seems she has it figured out.
Reply
8-07-2007 @ 11:02AM
caitlin said...You don't have to constantly be on the go and doing something every day. It also probably won't work that well unless you are doing something you have a real interest in. It is much easier to make time for something you want to do instead of something you're doing to keep up with someone else.
But if you want to get out and start doing more, you could try geocaching ( http://geocaching.com ). They have geocaches all over the world, and there are quite a few regional groups that do things. My two year old has been caching with me since he was 8 months old or so. If you don't want to buy a GPSr at first, you could probably ask someone in the local area to go caching with you.
We live in the DC metro area, but because of caching, my son has been to 24 states and Ontario. Caching has taken us to places we wouldn't have known about (like the gondola over the standing wave pool at Niagara Falls), to some of the most beautiful views in town, and historical markers. We're planning a trip to Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks to go hit the Gravity Hill cache, where supposedly your car rolls up hill.
There are many parks that have caches along one of their trail loops, and also have campgrounds. And if you want to go down to Tennessee next March, there's a geocaching event that's similar to the Amazing Race.
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8-07-2007 @ 11:30AM
Meg said...I wonder if your sister actually thinks the same thing about YOUR lifestyle that you think about hers? We always think everybody else is doing it better than we are, you know? If your kids are healthy and happy, you're already doing everything JUST RIGHT. Relax and enjoy your iPods! :)
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8-07-2007 @ 12:00PM
Jason said...My sister does voice her envy about the differences in our lives, but yet, like me, does nothing to change the kid domination of her time.
We both can learn from each other I guess, which as siblings, is pretty awesome.
j.
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8-08-2007 @ 10:33AM
Kate said...Maybe she just really likes doing all that running around stuff? Are all of the kids close? maybe your kids can join in on some of the camping trips - make them joint and then you can just go along for the ride and she can have extra help :)
i agree with the other posts - each of you has your strengths. i am sure she envies your ability to sit and relax, i am guessing she has a very hard time doing that! :) enjoy each other!
Reply
8-10-2007 @ 3:07PM
Twisted said...Okay, of course the twisted one has to comment. First of all, having three and them being the ages they are, is busy no matter what you have planned. Whether it's going to the store to get milk or traversing the wilderness. You're comparing apples to pomegrantates. So keep us all posted J...just wait 4 or 5 years and then tell me if you're still sitting on the couch! (Especially if you take the plunge and add one more to mix). But I like a little chaos..it make life rich and full and crazy...besides my kids will grow into brothers and sisters and get to have someone just like you to hang with at the cottage. Love ya, M.
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