Ten Reasons My Sister Will Miss Me Over the Holidays

Today is a very special post as my sister offered to write it. She doesn’t blog or tweet or have a Facebook fan page but wanted to share a post for the holidays.

My family is very close and with less than 5 years between my sister and I, our relationship was hot and cold.

We were the kind of sisters that could hang out one minute and then the next I would be screaming at her because she wore my expensive Mondetta shirt to bed, insisting that she give back everything I had ever given her.

Those were the days. This year I’m celebrating Christmas in Ecuador and trying to figure out what food in Ecuador makes things feel like Christmas.

This will be the second time my sister will miss Christmas. The first time she was working in the Philippines and I was too self absorbed to feel the effects; this time is different.

Every day I think of a reason why Christmas won’t be the same.  Here is my top 10 list:

1. Change in atmosphere:

My sister only comes home once a year and arrives early December. The atmosphere of the house changes; it feels, smells and sounds differently.

When Ayngelina arrives, Christmas has arrived.

2. Decorating the tree:

My sister and I always decorate the tree together. When we were younger it always ended in a huge fight but now we have a lot of fun.

We download dirty Christmas music and blast it to annoy my mother.

Listening to Jingle Bell C*ck alone while putting icicles on the tree just seems wrong.

3. Food

As you know my sister is into food. Every Christmas my mother gets a break as my sister does all the cooking. Unfortunately this year my mother is on her own…with a little help from me.

Will she be eating cuy in Ecuador?

4. 5. 6. Are all related to games:

4. VanBlarcom Game Night

A few years ago during Christmas dinner my sister and I were bragging we were better crib players than my uncle and cousin. That night we headed to their house to prove our game.

That card game turned into an annual game night of Cribbage, Dance Revolution, Skat and Catch Phrase.

My sister and I always start the game off with a lot of smack talk…win or lose we talk smack till the end.

This year I will not recruit a new partner as we are current champs, plus I don’t think anyone can talk smack at her level and talking smack solo isn’t as effective.

5. Christmas Eve Games

On Christmas Eve my sister cooks lobster for dinner followed by drinking and games. My sister has a vast amount of useless knowledge which comes in handy during trivia.

Even when my sister is wrong she make a good argument and convinces us she is right.

This will be the first year I will have a chance in winning.

6. Card Night

Playing the East Coast card game, 45’s was a huge part of growing up with our grandparents. Our games usually lasts extra long for one reason, my sister hates to lose.

She will constantly hold bids to prevent my Nanny and I from winning going further and further into the hole.

Short and sweet card games are no fun.

7. Family Portraits

Once my sister became interested in photography we took advantage of her skills. After Christmas dinner all the girls in the family gather for photos.

Not only doing we have a lot of fun coming up with new poses we always come away with hilarious photos. Who will take the photos this year?

8. Lounging

We spend a lot of time over the break lounging. We veg on the couch watching countless high school drama marathons such as The Hills, The O.C., Gossip Girl, or rewatch classic Christmas movies.

We don’t eat lunch and choose to chow down on my grandmother’s shrimp dip or my mother’s surprise dip.

When you’re lounging with someone else it feels like you’re doing something, watching six hours of a teen show and devouring a bowl of dip alone is just pathetic.

Number 9 and 10 and two things that I won’t miss this year

9. Late Night Pickups

My sister always gets the latest most inconvenient flights back home. As I live in Halifax I am always nominated to do the 3:30 AM pickup although often her flight is delayed till 4:00 AM or later.

Late night pickups don’t end at the airport.

When my sister goes out at home she refuses to get a taxi home (even though it is only 5 bucks) so often mom or I are called to pick up a drunk Ayngelina.

10. Beauty

Just as much as we take advantage of my sister cooking and photography skills she takes full advantage of my esthetics skills.

My sister will come home hairy and grey knowing I will wax her brows, color her hair and do her makeup every night she goes out.

This list could easily be a top 100 list as Ayngelina contributes so much of our Christmas spirit.

Christmas will be fun this year but it won’t be the same.