I came across QTPies7′s blog today whose author was participating in a Thursday Thirteen meme (like a theme with links to other people who are writing on the same topic). I had in the back of my mind that I should write about Chris since it is his birthday and all. Being a time-challenged person, I’m going to post this as a two-for-one.
Here are thirteen reasons that I’m glad Chris is my brother:
1. When I was wee little, he bought me a yellow dress that I’m told I looked quite fetching when wearing it.
2. When I got a ladybug radio for Christmas and was looking for batteries for it, he told me that he knew where to find them. They were in the last place I’d look, he said. When I asked exactly where that place was, he admitted he wasn’t sure but there wouldn’t be any point in me continuing to look once I found them.
3. He always has a brain teaser to share and even has a solution.
4. He was born so much sooner than me that he gave me a niece to play with when I was only 6 years old.
5. He let me stay at his house even though I walked in my sleep when I was a kid. It’s a big responsibility to have a house guest that might wander away and how would he have explained that to our mom.
6. When Reid was just days old, he came to visit and told me that he thought Reid looked like me in the eyes and across the bridge of my nose. No one else had suggested she looked like me at all. She barely did and so it was especially nice to hear.
7. He installed a ceiling fan in Reid’s bedroom when Ken was at work and I was whining about it being hot in Reid’s room. Chris takes action on things because he can and they need doing.
8. He takes great pictures of Reid.
9. He gives me tips for when I take pictures.
10. He always blinks when you first take a picture of him. The second picture is good. In this world of constant change, it’s good to have things you can count on.
11. You can count on Chris for the definition of “want” versus “need”. As in: a parent must provide what his or her children need but not what they want. Therefore, if a parent provides food that the kids don’t like, well, tough. Good parenting advice, really.
12. He never complained when he got me, another girl, instead of a brother who would have evened up the family at 3 boys and 3 girls. Or he got over it before I was old enough to remember ;+)
13. He won’t be offended that I’m a day late writing this because I fell asleep with Reid last night.
Happy (belated) birthday, Chris!
Edited to add: I wrote part of this on Thursday. I hope that counts for the Thursday Thirteen rules.