Gina's 24th: An Exercise in Aging

My Kid Sister, Gina, turned 24 earlier this month. That number really pains me. She's in her mid-20s now, which is striking, but it also means I'll be turning 26 in May. TWENTY-SIX. Let me say that again. TWENTY. SIX. GAH!!!!!! For this first time in my life I'll be on the bad side of 25. I had always thought 25 was the perfect age. It says, 'youthful' but with a touch of maturity and class that isn't found at 21 or 23. Not that 26 doesn't say those things, but it means I only have 4 more years to be fun and hip before I lock myself away in a dark closet and drink for a week. But, I digress. This is about Gina.

Notice how I make all my Gina posts about me? I think this goes back to me becoming an older sister. I must not have liked sharing the attention at all. Imagine if I was an only child?! ::shudder::

But, like I said twice already: Gina. She's 24 now. That's just weird. She's still Kid Sister to me, though she's always been without the blond hair, blue eyes, and creep stare that came with those Kid Sister/My Buddy dolls from the late 1980s. And for that, I'm truly thankful. We celebrated her birthday by going to Rock Bottom in Orland Park. It was a decent time, and like always, I took photos. Why? Because "everything must be documented."

First, I said hello to everyone, thrust a bag into her lap and demanded she opened her gifts. Why? Because I'm damn impatient.

Luckily, she likes Nicholas Sparks. ::pause for a moment, I need to roll my eyes::

(I hope she knows the inner strength it took for me to purchase that!)

We also got her a Chicago Cubs hoodie. Surprisingly enough, she didn't have one. Dad was slightly more interested in it than Gina. Sorry Pops, baby blue just isn't your color.

To keep things interesting, I gave her a few more books. She's found that she enjoys reading a little more than she used to, so I'm trying to help foster her new-found hobby. This is a much better strategy than when I was 8 and shoved a book in her face and shouted, "SUBMIT!"

Because I'm still a child and I'm pretty sure I have Adult ADD, I took a picture of my beer. It was really good, and had hints of banana. It sounds weird, but it was surprisingly delicious.

Family shots!

In case you missed it above, Gina is wearing the hoodie we gave her. See? I got good taste, ya'll.

All in all, it was a good birthday. Gina enjoyed herself, and as The Birthday Girl, I'm glad she did. It's always a good time when the family gets together.