Unfortunately for those not in the rankings of sister this
equated to being taken care of by Dad for an extended period of time. Some of
the funnier baker stories have come out of these times. My father is an amazing
dad and I constantly feel blessed to have his guidance and love. But I also
freely admit that he could never take the place of Mom. I know this due to
experience. Many times while I was living at home and mom was gone we would get
chicken broth soup for dinner. That’s right. Broth soup. Hot flavored water.
One time dad got so adventurous as to try and make us quiche disregarding the
fact that Kristen is a picky eater, I didn't like eggs, and none of the four
Baker kids had ever had quiche before.
Those weeks of momlessness were filled with stress of food
and carpool duty. After a while we managed to get it down with a minimal amount
of fuss. By the time I went off to college we had learned that Wawa and
Dominoes pizza were our friends and that the kids had to keep track of each
other because we couldn't leave Kristen at church AGAIN.
The best thing about sister trips is that Katie, Kristen and
I got to have our own. After I graduate college and was momentarily unemployed,
Katie was accepted into a study abroad program in Oxford, England. The fates
conspired and had Katie ending her spring term right around the time I would be
finishing my tour of the European continent and Kristen had spring break. It
would have been wrong not to take advantage.
At Tower Bridge with our friend Mia |
Katie at her Fave tea drinking spot in Oxford |
Come that March we all met up in London and had a very
confusing and fun couple of days before heading to Dublin, Ireland for St
Patricks day. I can honestly say I have never had as much fun on any trip as I
did with Katie and Kristen in those cities. I had to pay a price for that fun
though, in the form of an all out row with Katie on the streets of Dublin at 2
AM.
On the Ha' Penny Bridge in Dublin Ireland, March 17, 2009 |
I should mention that Katie and I, if you don’t already
know, are no where near peas in a pod. I am more of a berry on a bush and katie
is a wildflower in a meadow. As far apart as you can be. This often results in
fights as we learn how to communicate with each other and realize that what we
were thinking is not what the other is thinking. Luckily we had a very patient
and understanding youngest sister who knows us both so very well she could
translate for us.
“Jessica, Katie isn’t suggesting that we go to Bath AND
London AND Oxford AND Belfast. She is throwing out different options as she
thinks of them. Katie won’t have made a decision until she is boarding the
train for the next city”
Traveling is such hard work |
“Katie, Jessie thinks that you have made a decision
regarding where you want to go next. She could care less WHERE we go as long as
she can plan it out so that we aren't sleeping under a bridge”
We ended up spending the next day roaming around
Dunlougahary (P.S. I love you anyone?) and then heading back to Oxford. Which as it turns out
regardless of multiple plans and counter itineraries you can still get robbed.
My last sister trip was with Kristen after her semester
Studying Abroad was over. Kristen, Grandmom, and I met up in London, showed
Grandmom the sights (including seeing Les Mis for the first time) and then
shipping her off home while Kristen and I hit up Barcelona (the only city
between the two of us that we hadn't both visited and wanted to). I got to use
my smattering of Spanish and we learned that the Spaniards don’t start partying
until 2 AM. Well past either of our bed times.
This year my sister Katie will be going back to Oxford to be
a graduate mentor to those in the program that she was a part of 4 years ago.
Maybe this will be another opportunity for a sisterly trip. Or even better, we
include John and make it a Baker kid trip.
Either way if someone I know is over seas (I am looking at
you Ali) I will find a way over so that I can experience all the cultures that
I can before settling down.