My Baby Sis…

To my most amazing, beautiful and incredible baby sis Charlotte or Chaz / Chaz-Laz as we call you, I know you don’t really like me calling you my baby sister now we’re grown up but you are my baby sister so I shall always call you that 🙂 There are so many stories from us growing up together, the first one I really remember is us sitting outside our house in Colchester where I was teaching you to speak and count when you were really tiny.

Then there was your first day at Braybrook Junior School in Peterborough, when the bell rang at the end of play time I had to leave you and line up with my class but I kept watching you like a hawk to make sure you were OK, I could see you were panicking not knowing what to do when you turned and ran across the playground heading for home. I ran all the way after you with the dinner lady in tow to find you back at home sat on Mum’s knee eating sweeties after a traumatic first few hours of school. As I remember I had to go back to school for the rest of the day and you stayed home with Mum and your sweets! We used to take our Great Dane dogs on the field beside our house and when they ran towards us you and I had to lie down on the grass quickly before the sent us flying as they were much bigger than us. You used to be able to sit underneath them and still not touch their tummies with your head!

Then when I was 9 and you were 5 we moved to Germany. The first night in our apartment we were in our bedroom looking out of the window upside down on the beds when we saw all these lights up in the sky, we were convinced it was a space ship and shouted for Mum to look, we thought the aliens were about to land when really it was just a plane flying to Frankfurt airport ! We soon settled into life there, learnt to speak German and made lots of friends. We used to enjoy the ‘Hitzefrei’ days off school when we’d get sent home as it was too hot, so we’d grab our cozzies and head to the Hallenbad with Bandy and the gang or go paddling in the fountain! We used to always be chasing each other round the apartment, often on roller skates playing and messing around. One day we were bouncing from your bed onto mine and back playing trampolines when you slipped and banged your head on the biscuit tin knocking yourself out. I screamed so loud the whole town must have heard me, luckily you were fine but we didn’t play that again! I remember when you had to go into hospital for your leg and we went to visit but I was too young to be allowed on the ward so could only wave at you through the door, it was awful not being able to be with you and I couldn’t wait for you to come home. We used to do silly things together like throwing tea bags to each other across the kitchen to take your mind off you having tooth ache, or sit in the back of the car making up songs together…’moon star, moon star and Charlie’!!! No idea what it was about but we thought it was great 🙂 One time I tried to cut your fringe and got half way across when you decided you didn’t want the rest doing, so you had a wonky fringe til Mum managed to finish it off ! Then I decided I wanted a fringe too, so I cut my hair but didn’t like it so chopped the fringe off leaving a lovely stubbly bit on top of my head !!! Why I just didn’t leave it to grow out I’ll never know!!!!

When I moved back home to live with my Dad I missed you so much and loved coming back to Germany for the holidays, even though your German was getting much better than mine !! I remember one time you had to do a painting for school and didn’t know what to paint so I did it for you and you got top marks!! Who’d have thought back then you’d turn out to be such an amazingly talented artist.

In a flash we grew up, left school, college / Uni etc. and got jobs. I used to come and stay with you in Peterborough for nights out and you used to come and stay with me in Sheffield, that’s how you met Chris. I was showing you the photo’s of a recent party when we came across one with Chris on and you said ‘…who’s that?…’ so we arranged a night out with us all together and hey presto you’ve been together ever since and make the most perfect couple. Then at your wedding when I was your bridesmaid I was told about Habbo from mutual friends, then we got together on a blind date then got married too. Obviously as my baby sis you were meant to be my bridesmaid too, I still remember the ‘phone call now…You:’ummmm I might not be able to be your bridesmaid..’ Me; ‘WHY’ you; ‘well, I might be a bit big by then…’ Me; ‘Huh why??’ You; ‘cos I’ll be 6 months pregnant!!!!’ Me: SCREAMING ‘OH MY GOD THAT’S AMAZING!! Squealing down the ‘phone with excitement. I was so happy for you both even though I dipped out on a bridesmaid I knew how much having Seb meant to you both and it was the best news ever. I kept trying to talk you into it that you could still be a bridesmaid with a bump but you wouldn’t have it. So instead you did an amazing reading at our wedding and looked absolutely beautiful with your rather large Seb bump 🙂 and my gorgeous nephew was worth you not being my bridesmaid! Plus you took some fab arty photo’s of the day too.

Then 2 years later you had my beautiful niece Olivia who is so adorable and so like you when you were her age, full of character, love and laughter and a great little dancer too. Bet you can still do the Shakin Stevens moves Chaz !!  Both Seb and Liv are an absolute credit to you both, such little treasures. You were an absolute rock to me when I was pregnant with Charlie always answering my 101 questions and when he was born too, guiding me in the right direction with things when I didn’t have a clue! If I was ever worried about something I knew you would know what to do, it was so reassuring having you on the end of the ‘phone.

We had some brilliant week ends together, including the one in Barcelona in February 2011 where this photo was taken. A week end of lots of cocktails, shopping, sight seeing and great fun. Although I did have the world’s weirdest taxi driver pick me up from the airport, he had a bird in a cage on his dash board, very strange, so I rang you and Sue as soon as I got in the car until I got out again, I was so pleased to see you at the hotel! You absolutely loved Barcelona as I knew you would, with all the amazing ark work, galleries and buildings, you were in your element all week end and couldn’t wait to go back with Chris, Seb & Liv. Another brilliant week end was the murder mystery week end for your hen do, that was such a giggle, although I’m not sure the other hotel guests would agree as I think we were a bit loud 🙂