Missing Milestones

It's my sister Lizzy's 21st birthday today!

Just hangin' out with Jerusalem back when she lived in Israel for 3 months when she was 19.

Missing milestones is a natural part of my family's lifestyle, and always will be. For me, the milestones I hate missing the most are the ones that naturally lend themselves to parties. If you know anything about me, you probably know that I like to throw a good party.

So, today, I thought I'd talk about what I'd do if I were there, with you, Lizzy, to celebrate today.

First of all, I know you'd be so happy to see me, since I've been gone for over 3 months now. Surprise!

I'd try my best to declare today a national holiday so that you didn't have to work and go to class. If I didn't succeed, I hope that at least your boss would give you a birthday cake in honor of the day.

Once all of that boring "real life" stuff was done with, we both know that birthdays require the wearing of lovely new clothes. I suggest this Modcloth dress. It's your green and I can picture you wearing it already:

And while were talking about imaginary Modcloth dresses, I might as well pick out what I'd wear for the party. What about this one? Festive and eminently suitable for the occasion. Plus, I mean, we have to look as different as humanly possible whenever we're together so that people don't confuse us:

I'd assign Isaac to making Korean dishes for dinner--bulgogi beef and kimbab especially. I don't have experience in cooking these dishes, which is why I delegate.

I'd delegate cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming the house to Angel. He's really so good at both tasks. We can't have the birthday girl doing chores, but you have to have the house looking awesome for company.

(Because we're inviting ALL your friends over, of course, I know how important they are to you!)

I'd decorate--we'd have coordinating muddy brown napkins, burgundy paper plates, and cream-colored plastic silverware. As much as those color kill me, today is for you. I'd make up a bunch of cookies, because cookies are better than cake, and I'd set out all sorts of fixins' so that when your friends came by, everyone could decorate their own cookies with frosting and candies and sprinkles and glitter. I know they're the crowd who, although being over 21, would not scoff at fun of this sort. I'd decorate a cookie for you and it would bear a special message: "21 is not actually old."

(It would have to be a rather large cookie.)

We'd eat our Korean dinner, with tea and coffee to accompany it, and you and your buddies would retire to the basement to play while me and my boys/minions cleaned up the dinner. I'd arrive downstairs just in time to lead everyone in a rousing "Hot Sauce Game."

We'd all stay up way too late, but if you can't do that when you're 21, when can you? Love ya, Liz!

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Guys, my sister, for this birthday, is asking for recommendations to shape her year of being 21. What book or movie or fun/important experience or goal could you suggest to her? I know that most of my audience is over 21, so what sorts of things do you think would make for an extraordinary year at this season of her life? That Lizzy of mine is anything but average.