let me start with why i put quotes around the word sisters. i have one little sister. kristin. she's beautiful and hilarious and way taller than me. she's 21 months younger than i am. she is very smart, already has her masters degree, and works very hard. (total opposite of me). she's basically better than me in every way.
i'm really not sure when this really happened, but when i was probably about 2 or 3, our family met a wonderful family who had 2 little girls just about our age. michelle is my age (grade wise...she's actually 10 months old than me) and danielle is my sister's age (1 month younger). so, when we were 4...5 michelle and i started going to montessori school together. then, the next year, we started at john paul II catholic school. and when nin (that's what i call my little sister...kristin...because when i was a youngin', i couldn't say kristin. i said ninin. thus, i call her nin) and danielle were about 4, they started pre-school at jp2. soooooo, we spent basically our lives together. we carpooled everyday. either my mom or their dad would take us to school. and, sometimes their way magnificent grandfather, tatay (pronounced: tah-tie). so seriously, favorite family in the world when we were growing up. and to be honest, on of our most favoritests today.
so, junior year, 2005-2006, michelle and i were roommates at an apartment on robbins place on west campus. danielle lived at kinsolving dorms and nin lived at prather dorms. both had horrible roommates, but, you live, you learn. anyway, since michelle and i lived in a place with an actual stove and oven, we would cook dinner for our incompetent little sisters once per week, pretty much every week. it was magnificent. we LOVED when our sisters would come to our tiny apartment for dinner. that was where my sister made up the "black eyed peas dance" (you'd really have to see this dance to a whistle...it's phenomenal). after that year, all four of use moved in together, so the dinners became less frequent since we saw each other every day and basically, took each other for granted. then michelle graduated. then i graduated (a year late). then danielle graduated. then nin graduated (a year late...but with a masters. ugh!). needless to say, dinners went bye bye long ago. but, michelle got into graduate school at UT in June of 2009 and the dinners slowly started up again. once a week was a bit too often for us, but we all made it every couple of months. and family dinner is the best time i every have. EVER. i love these girls more than anything! i think i speak for nin in saying that knowing michelle and danielle since our baby-hood is the best relationship outside of ours that we have ever made. seriously, bfflfeae. figure it out. we love them.
soul food from my last family dinner
colin, nin, ilene (our other sister ♥), danielle, michelle, and daniel enjoying soul food
now, daniel's sister has initiated simons' family dinner. mama cooked for us a couple of weeks ago (OMG! lasagna AND pot roast!!!) and holley cooked for us the week after (mmm, squash spaghetti! look it up. to die for!).
i love that the tradition lives on in all aspects of my life. i LOVE being cooked for and i LOVE LOVE LOVE cooking for others. it is a WONDERFUL feeling being a host. a bit stressful, but a lovely feeling all the same. i SERIOUSLY cannot wait for the next sister dinner and i also can't wait for the next simons family dinner. both will be a blast!
and blah blah blah, i'm semi drunk...but i meant everything i said!!!
