Once Upon a Time, I Had a Mini-Me

March 28th, 2010. Posted in My Life.

My sister and I are 9 years apart.

When I was a teenager I used to get annoyed with her copying my ideas and following me and my friends around all the time. My parents often reminded me that she looked up to me and I was her role model. One day I got so frustrated to the point where I made a copyright sign on a poster I made and explained to her that she’d get in deep trouble if she copied me now. Good times when she was gullible and easy to fool!

The hardest part was when I was away at college for 5 years and missed out on her growing up from age 9 to 14. When I came home for the summer, she would sleep in my room all summer long even if it was on the floor or on an uncomfortable cot. She just wanted to be in the same room even if we weren’t doing anything together. While I would be on my laptop she was watching shows on Disney channel. I’d drag her to the pool with me and to the store to rent movies.

We even order Shirley Temples everywhere we go. We both love smoked oysters with RITZ crackers, cream cheese and sweet pickles. Another food obsession of ours that we take after our Grandpa is pickled herring with crackers. We’re both picky when it comes to food except for smoked oysters & pickled herring.

She’s lucky she was able to stay up late all the time since I’d let her. Our parents’ bedroom was all the way over on the other side of the house. Although I had tricks for when I needed to get her to bed but couldn’t. When she didn’t have her hearing aids on, I would stand outside her room and pretend to scream for Mom & Dad. It for sure worked for a while!

When we moved back home after I graduated from college, things were different. Tyler was living with me and we both had to look for a job so there wasn’t time to play or hang out. Also my sister was at the age where she was going out more and on MySpace a lot. Every time I tried to talk with her and see what was new, she would always say, “nothing much”. That was always the end of our conversation. I found myself sometimes lecturing her because I didn’t want her to do some of the things I wish I had not done. Please do not tell me I sound like a Mom already!

When I ask her to hang out these days she tells me I’m too old to hang out with. I don’t know if it’s just me but if I had an older brother or sister that was 25 when I was 16, I’d definitely want to hang out with them sometimes. I’m hoping that she gets out of this phase soon and we’ll be able to have a better relationship where we can actually hang out and have a conversation that doesn’t seem like I’m interviewing her.

I have had to learn to accept that she’s not that little girl who follows me around anymore. She’s not my mini-me anymore. Life goes on.

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  • http://www.suburbansweetheart.com Suburban Sweetheart

    She’s adorable! I don’t have any siblings, but I definitely notice that as we grow older, most siblings I know become closer – it just takes getting to about 20 or so to start to appreciate them. I think once your sister moves past her teenage years, she’ll begin to appreciate you again. Maybe you just have to wait it out! <3

  • http://www.writingtoreachyou.com Ashley

    I bet you guys will be close again pretty soon. I have never had a relationship with my sister that is as close and you and yours, but even still, we went through a rough patch at about this same time. She was still treating me like a little kid and I wanted to do my own thing, I guess.

    Your sister as such pretty eyes and you guys look adorable together.

  • http://hoperoth.com/blog Hope

    My older sister is 11 years older than me and I still look up to her! So, I think you still have hope. :)

  • leslie

    Awww – hearing about your relationship really touched my heart! We all go thru a stage when we’re too cool for our old friends/siblings. Hang in there – she’ll come around. :)

  • Walking on Sunshine

    How cute is your sister!!!??? My brother and I go through patches as well, but at the end of the day I know he’s always there for me!

  • http://www.myeverydayadventures.com Jessica

    Aww what a great post. My brother and I are 3 years apart and hated each other growing up. We were awful to one another. Then I went away to college and our relationship totally changed for the better. We actually missed each other.

  • http://stephanywrites.blogspot.com Stephany

    Growing up, my brother and I did not get along at all. We’re only 14 months apart so we bickered like cats and dogs all the time! When we were in high school, we began to get along more and even like each other. Now we’re closer than ever!

    I also have 15-year-old cousins who used to think the world revolved around me and now they think I’m the dumbest person ever. So, I get it. It happens to everyone, I think. ;)

  • http://wearingmascara.com Julie @ Wearing Mascara

    This is such a sweet post! :-) I honestly think she will get out of her phase.

  • http://hoshigirl.com Gel

    Accepting that your younger sibling’s growing up is something I could relate to.. it’s pretty hard, no? My younger brother and I used to be pretty close and yes, I tried fooling him with some silly antics of mine but he’s the best. At the moment he’s also at this phase where he has his “own world” and all and it’s pretty hard to deal with sometimes. Maybe I can’t get over the fact that he’s growing up so fast.. oh well. :\

  • http://Callitaclan.blogspot.com Stephanie

    She will probably grow out of this phase soon…hopefully! My sister and I were really close growing up, but in high school we couldn’t be in the same room very long without fighting. Even when I moved home after college, we fought any time she was home. But not she lives in Africa and I miss her a lot!

  • http://emily-jane.net Emily Jane

    Great post – I hope she’ll grow out of her phase and you guys will be close again soon <3

  • http://www.knitinpublic.com Windsor Grace

    She’ll get over it. Probably in the next 6 months to a year. She’s just trying to be her own person and doesn’t want you to know how important you are to her. She loves you :)

  • http://yeahhonestly.blogspot.com Stefanie

    I have the exact opposite “problem”. My sister and I are not even remotely alike. We both have completely different views on life. It’s annoying most of the time because I wish we were on the same page and I wish we were closer. I am working on it though.

    PS: Your sister looks like one of the Olson twins in that first picture.

  • http://www.countingtheyears.com/wordpress Lizzie

    Wow, she’s stunning :D Lots of my friends are in their late 30s, early 40s and I like hanging out with older people a lot more :) She’ll come around when she realises what an awesome big sis you are hehe

  • http://messycarsandmuddyshoes.blogspot.com/ Angie Vik

    Hi Steph Anne,
    Thanks for visiting my blog. I was so excited to read your message. I met you once when you were a little girl. My husband, Keith Vik is the son of Elmer and Marie Vik. Elmer and your grandpa were brothers. My husband went to seminary in 1987 in Portland, Oregon. Keith’s parents came out to visit and we drove up to Seattle one day to visit your grandparents. We met your parents and you were a cute little girl.I’m pretty sure you were too young to remember. Keith’s parents really enjoyed spending time with your grandparents. So I think that makes you and my kids third cousins. I’m so glad you got in touch with me. I wrote kinda tongue-in-cheek the story about Grandpa Vik immigrating to America.
    We are all glad that the family name was shortened from Vorpsvik to Vik. Now that we found each other, please keep in touch. God Bless.
    Angie

  • http://www.hernewdeal.com Her

    Sometimes I feel terribly sad about not really knowing my siblings anymore, but a lot of that just has to do with our very different interests and places in life. They are both coming to visit me this summer, and I am hoping that we’ll grow closer again.

  • http://littleelle.wordpress.com/ elle

    aw, that’s a tough age!

    she’ll come around… my brother and i are only three years apart, and there was a time where we couldn’t get along. but then we more or less became best friends, and i hate being away from him.

  • http://sleepyjane.wordpress.com/ sleepyjane

    Your sister is so pretty!!

    I don’t have a good relationship with my younger sister either, and I hope that it’ll get better. I get along great with my older sister (we didn’t always) so I’m positive that you guys will once again have that closeness.

  • http://www.alightson.still-sharpe.com/blog.html Ys

    I actually kinda raised my younger sister from when she was 11 ’til she was about 16/17. I really miss those days cos when she got older she really pushed me away. We’re getting back on track now and we’re like sisters again but I miss the close bond we used to have.

  • http://stevenandbrooke.blogspot.com s + b

    girl, i hear ya. i practically have to bribe my sisters to come visit me.

    you are darling!

  • http://www.knowingthedifference.com mandy

    You and your sister will eventually be close again. After a year or so she’ll realize the full benefits of having such a fabulous older sister.

  • http://caity.nu Caity

    Oh my gosh you guys are so cute! I have a younger sister too and I can totally relate. It’s so strange when all of the sudden your little sister isn’t so little anymore. It’s very weird to deal with. I still think of my sister as being way younger than she is sometimes but I always get used to it after we hang out for a while. We don’t live together either.

    As you grow you become closer again. Don’t worry. My sister and I are both in our 20′s now and we are closer than we ever were.

    I found your blog through the 20sb ‘WeLoveComments’ Group! :)

  • http://hotchpotchery.blogspot.com hotchpotchery

    My sister is 7 years younger than I am and we went through years of being exactly as you describe. But now that we are both adults, we are extremely close. Be patient, she will come back to you!