Happy Birthday

47 years ago tomorrow, we lived in Florida, I was in the 3rd grade, had one older brother and one younger brother. Mom went to the hospital in the early morning - before we awoke for school- to get me a little sister. Much to my surprise and aggravation (and some anger she told me), she came home with another boy. How dare she mislead me this way(there wasn't any ultrasound to tell the sex of the baby then). She told me that I was very angry with her and told her to take him back and get me a sister. I found out many years later that she and Dad actually looked into adopting me a sister, but God knows best. So here he was - Rex Stewart England.

It didn't take me long to fall in love with this little bundle of activity. Mom had been calling him Tad (short for tadpole) while carrying him because he was constantly moving (and still hasn't stopped). Greg was 5 at the time and the nickname of Tad was changed to Saspo by him(I think Mom told me this was Greg's way of saying Tadpole). The nickname stuck much to his aggravation in later years. He was indeed a wiggly baby. I remember trying to help Mom change diapers and you had to keep one hand on him at all times because he would wiggle to the edge of the bed before you knew it.

I had a rocking chair I had gotten when I was 5 and when I would come home from school I would hold Rex in my lap to watch cartoons in the afternoons. Mom said she would not have believed it had this not been her child and she witnessed it but at the age of 2wks, he would be awake and waiting on me to come home and hold him. If I happened to be late for some reason, he would put up a fuss. He was then (and still in my mind) my little baby. I would take my lunch money and get a roll or something to keep my stomach from growling at school and save the rest of it to buy him ice cream in the afternoon when the ice cream truck came around.

He has always had the most wonderful sense of humor - as those in California learned a few years ago. He, like our dad can turn any situation into a comedy. Mom told me once that he had the capability to make straight A's in school but chose not to and one of his teacher's told her not to worry that his personality would get him far and it has.

So, the years have passed and this delightful little boy has turned into a wonderful man, caring brother, loving husband and father (and will be a more doting grandparent than I when the time comes). For all the joy, tears, heartaches, and love, I wanted to take a minute and tell this sibling (who was supposed to be my SISTER) a very happy birthday and I wish you many more. (Actually the day of his birth is Jan 10th, but I will be out of town tomorrow). I love you very much little brother (over 6 ft tall). Cis

P.S. The nickname of Saspo was shortened to Sas throughout most of his life. When the nieces and nephews began to arrive, the name somehow was changed to Beepo. When he was a junior in high school he had a niece and nephew in elementary (same facility for all grades) who would see him in the halls and call out to him - completely embarrassing to him. The name was then shortened to Uncle Beeps which he seems to be ok with now.