Sisters - A Special Love

BodeFest 2011 - Race bibs on and ready for some fun!

Well, this weekend was one of ups and downs for the Costantino squad.  Yesterday was a stellar day of spring skiing on an incredible 9" of fresh snow at Cannon Mountain.  The girls got to ski and race against Olympic Gold Medalist Bode Miller who grew up skiing Cannon and went on to become the United State's finest Alpine ski racer ever. Every year, Bode holds a fundraiser at the mountain for the Turtle Ridge Foundation which he founded to support adaptive sports programs, youth sports programs, and Green initiatives.  Bode is a cool and low key guy despite what the news may report, and he is really revered by all of the kids at Cannon Mountain.  It is an awesome opportunity to have the girls see someone who has come so far in sport, and that started just like they did, as little rugrats skiing Cannon Mountain like nuts.  Thanks for running a great event Bode and crew!  We finished up Saturday hanging with friends at the mountain and then having a family dinner out.  Ailey proudly paid for half of that meal with a gift certificate that she won in a previous ski race.  She had skiied amazingly and won her age group in that race.  I love it!  Keep it up Ailey!  Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!
    Well anyway, today went a little differently.  We woke up this morning at about 6:30am and Abby immediately said her stomach hurt. I felt her head and she felt a bit warm.  About 5 minutes later, she managed to hurl all over the bed.  That makes 3 kids out of 3 managing to puke on furniture during this latest round of stomach sickness!  I don't know if they're all knuckleheads, or if this bug just brings on instant vomiting, but they all followed the same exact pattern of furniture puking.  Ughhh.  Well, Everyone except Ailey, felt like staying in today.  Of course Ailey was dressed and ready to go to the mountain to ski first thing.  My body, after repeat crashes this year, is begging me to stay off the slopes.  My list of maladies has grown over the weeks - I won't bore you.  
     Even with all the craziness today, one thing really caught my eye and impressed me.  Ailey's consistent empathy for her sister Abigail.  Now you have to know these two kids to appreciate it.  Abby and Ailey are just like oil and water.  They fight like cats and dogs most of the time.  They are about as polar opposite as two people can get.  Abby is mellow and laid back about almost anything and Ailey is intense, competitive and likes things the way she likes things.  Not a great combo.  They hang out all of the time though, and are buds, but they have their fair share of brawls.  What is incredible is how much love actually shows through when the chips are down.  Today, I watched Ailey help Abby in the beginning of the puke-fest by getting her wet towels and making sure she had a hair elastic to hold her hair back away from the nasty bucket.  She kindly, and without a fight, resigned herself to the fact that we were not going to make it to the mountain today to ski since Abby was so sick.  She deferred to Abby all day, letting her decide on things like what movies to watch on the car ride home from NH (always a source of fights on non-sick days).  She kept making sure Abby had food she could eat that would not upset her stomach, and kept asking her if she needed water, or anything else.  I have watched Abby do these same things on days where Ailey has been sick. Their concern for each other is so genuine when one of them is hurt, sick or in trouble.  Being an only child, this whole sibling-bond thing really is a foreign idea to me.  I am learning how strong that bond is as I watch my 3 girls grow up together (I saw it today as well in my 3 year old.  While she used a public bathroom for the millionth time, I kept asking her "what she was waiting for", and she kept answering, "for Abby to feel better" - Now, I wanted her to finish "her business" and she was worried about Abby who wasn't even with us at the time - Cool!).  
I believe that Abby or Ailey would do pretty much anything for each other if it really came down to it.  I know Ailey even went nose to nose with a bigger kid at the bus stop one day to defend her older sister (Ailey has brass balls and big attitude when she needs it!).  I didn't even hear about this from Ailey, but from Abby, who was brimming with pride that her little sister was that tough!
     It is days like today that remind me how important your family is.  They are always there for us when we are sick, hurt, or blue.  It makes me so proud to watch how my girls are learning to watch out for each other and handle themselves like little "Marines" and take care of their own.  Semper Fidelis little ladies and keep up the good work!

Bode signing some Cannon trail maps for Ailey and Abby

Love,


Wacky Dad     
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 Bode, along with my girls, giving an unusually big 
"Bode" smile for the camera.