Happy Birthday Shane

Only old shot I had.  My hair is shorter than yours Shane!!

Today my little brother turns 30.  The year he turned 28 was the year I realised I was no longer 27.  We are 2.5 years apart and he's starting to make me feel old!

I have many good memories of growing up together.  Me playing teacher and making Shane be every student in my class.  I remember time at the blackboard but I don't remember making him run laps around our backyard, one for each child he was pretending to be.  I do remember rationing out the Shapes biscuits. We were usually allowed 6 or 8 each.  So we made it last.  Each correct answer of a question got a reward. I'm pretty sure I used to get rewarded when he answered them right too.  Big sister duties!

There were also tea party picnics in the yard.  It was on one of these that we discovered Milo, sugar and a couple of drops of milk make a yummy chocolatey snack.

Each time we moved, I chose my room first.  I'm not quite sure if it was that way or that's just how I remember it.  Mean big sister.  The only time I remember Shane getting the larger room was when one of them had purple curtains.  I wanted that one.

I also remember both of us being sent to our rooms and keeping our feet in the doorways while lying in the hall playing board games.

I remember travelling Australia with my arm in a cast and Shane going down the water slide of every child's dreams, giving me a high 5 on the way past and almost pulling me in.  I remember him dressing up as tin man and me as a cat.  I think I helped him out a little at that school, his first year.

I remember being scared for him more than anything I've felt before on more than one occasion.  And I remember counting my lucky stars just as often.  Most recently he called from the hospital to tell me he had shot himself with a nail gun at work.  Those first few words and my heart died.  Thankfully it came back again.  I'm not quite sure we are as close as two brothers or two sisters would be.  It's not like we can share the same shoes.  We are totally different but always there for each other if need be.  We love and appreciate each other and I'm thankful for that.  It sure has been fun to have someone there by my side to grow up with.  Now we get to go down the other side of that hill together as adults and parents.  Advice giving, laughing and serving your big sister her first real cocktail, right Shane?

Happy Birthday little brother.  Hope it's a good one.