In the Blink of an Eye...

My little brothers and sisters are getting so big... and it happened in the blink of an eye.

I remember holding each one of them at the hospital (except for Kris). I also changed numerous diapers and helped potty train all of them (except for Kris).

I have helped them do their school work, play their games, pick their clothes... I have been a nasty mean sister to them some days, and I have been the best on others.

When they were all a year old they wanted only me to hold them (because I am so awesome). When they turned six, they learned that I could twist their leg before they knew what had them. When they turned eight, they were always mad at me... until I got on the floor and played with them.

I remember thinking when they were in diapers "I wish they would hurry up and get big! It is going to take forever."

But here I am, watching C. show the others how he can jump up and touch the door sill now without a strain. He is doing a ton of school work and is challenging my alpha position among the siblings every chance he can. Maybe someday he'll get to have that roll.

When I fold laundry I get Kris's jeans mixed up with L.'s jean because they are almost the same size. He is reading his books like a pro, even though his speech is still a problem.

K. is almost as tall as me and is just as bossy and mean as I am. She has got the chores under her thumb, races through her school work, and trains the critters as well as Kris and I do.

The Baby Boo now hurts my back when I pick her up, and she is wearing the dresses that I used to wear when I was little. She is already writing some letters of the alphabet and is determined, and I mean DETERMINED to write cursive before she is eight years old. She is the only one that likes to dress up pretty with bows in her hair and still wants me to hold her at this age.

Kris is graduated from school and is looking forward to getting a house of her own. She is into music and horse training, and hopes to make something out of one or both of them. She has already had one fella interested in dating her... but no worries. She didn't take him seriously, so I got to wool him over like a cat does a mouse. Bwhahaha!

They are all growing up. It all happened when I blinked. That fast. I shudder to think that in '09 I was considering leaving it all. What would I have missed? How many precious memories would have been sacrificed? I have not regretted making the decision to stay with my family no matter what. I lost a lot of friends because of that decision, but I would have lost much more than that if I had taken the other road available at that time. Instead, my siblings have become my best friends and fellow companions, and my parents have become my elf friends or the wizards that I can turn to when in need of counsel or advice.

Now, don't get the idea that I live in a happy fairy land where everything is good and right... NO SIR! Sometimes I think my companions have been replaced by goblins, and the wizards possessed by wraiths! I'm sure they too often see me as a fitful, grumpy dragon that shape shifts like a teenager has mood swings.

We all have our differences and arguments which sometimes turn into fights, but what grand company of fantasy creatures do not quarrel when they are on a quest through an unpredictable land such as life? It is because of our differences that we are in-conquerable!

But it all goes by so fast. We think the road is long and the time goes by slowly, but it doesn't. Before you know what happens, you blink, and everything has changed. Some for the better. Some for the worse. Some of your decisions could have been better. Some of the things that your companions did was dumb, could have been worse.

The thing to do though, is to keep moving on when the bad things happen. Try to fix them if you can, then move on. It fixes nothing to stay and weep and wail over it.

But when something good happens, stop and have a party for it! When you move on again, remember it forever.

Next to that, the best thing you can do is this: try not to blink as often. The next time I do, one of my siblings might be married.