Questioning the Sister

Hi, this is Summer again. I know you've been waiting for an update on the strange situation with my twin sister showing up out of nowhere after disappearing for awhile. And I know I should really have been asking her questions. I know you guys want to know... and I realize that we need to know.

To be honest, though, I've been putting off asking those questions, like where she went, or how she got here, or how she knew where to find us, or why she isn't contacting her parents. I was scared to ask. I was afraid she'd disappear again, like she did the last time I questioned her. I'd rather know nothing than lose her. So I didn't ask.

The adults weren't quite so relaxed about it, though. They gave her a night to settle in before pushing the issue, but then Blakeney said Marigold had to call her parents and let them know she was alright, because if they thought we'd kidnapped her than we'd be in big trouble. Marigold said okay, but then Blakeney said that one of the adults needed to talk to them too, and then Marigold didn't seem quite so happy about the whole thing. She put it off for several hours, and then when she finally called, it just rang and rang and no one picked up. We've tried calling them many more times since then, but no one ever answers.

Obviously we're starting to get both worried and a little suspicious about what's going on.

Inna took Marigold aside and asked her if anything bad was happening at home. If someone was hurting Marigold or mistreating her, she needed to say something, and we would make sure she was safe and got help. Inna promised not to do anything that would put Marigold in danger, and not to say anything to anyone who might harm her... but Marigold just smiled and said again that nothing was wrong.

Marigold has been cheerful most of the time, and we're having fun. She and Kaya have been comparing modern dance moves, and they tried to teach the rest of us - hilarity ensued. Marigold has even been hitting it off with Kiwi, which is good, because I was afraid Kiwi would be jealous again. Instead, they're out turning cartwheels together in the yard.

We're not sure what to do, though. We're happy to have Marigold stay here as long as wants. She can even move in, according to the adults - but it's hard when everything is so secret. I hope that soon she can open up.

There's something else weird, too. Bree, Inna, Fiona, and Senara all get the sense that Marigold has some kind of fairy ancestry. But... she's my twin! How is that possible when I don't? Very weird...

Love,
Summer

Dossiers: Added Fiona

Like we did before with Bree, we're adding Fiona to our big long dossier post. We want to have a central location for those. Once again, though, in case you don't want to wade through the whole thing to read about our newest addition, here's just Fiona's. :-)

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Name: Fiona

Age: 10

Where he/she attends school: Anglican parish elementary school

Favorite color: Pink and peach

Favorite food: Plain noodles with butter

Personal Causes: Foster child rights, juvenile mental health, the arts

Favorite passtime: Jumping rope, playing with dolls and stuffed animals, singing, musical theatre

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Spontaneous, fun, mercurial

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Exciting, happy, star

Favorite Quote: "There's always something." -Violet Baudelaire

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Fiona is Bree's biological sister, though they often lived separately when the family split up. Fiona ended up in foster care when her mother wasn't able to care for her properly or keep her safe. She was located again by the Green Family, and now lives with them. Fiona is an energetic and interesting kid. She loves theatre, musicals, and dance. She has some challenges, though, in that she has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and sometimes acts out in response to her traumatic past. She is fun friend and a good sister, and has ambitions of Broadway someday.

Dossiers: Added Bree

Hey everyone! As you know, we're eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new sister. In the meantime, she answered some questions for us so we could make a dossier for her. That way we can all get to know each other better, and she won't be a total stranger when she shows up.

We added Bree's dossier to the long post with the rest of them, so you can find our whole family in one place. In case you don't want to wade through that to see, though, we're reposting it here so you can get to know our cousin/new sister. :-)

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Name: Bree

Age: 15

Where he/she attends school: Local public high school

Favorite color: Red, blue, and black

Favorite food: PB&J sandwiches, dried fruit

Personal Causes: At risk and homeless youth, mentoring, poverty relief, educational support and reform, anti-censorship

Favorite passtime: Reading, mocking stupid movies, jogging, sketching

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Thoughtful, determined, creative

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Ordinary, shy, timid

Favorite Quote: "In this beautiful life, there's always some sorry. And it's a double-edged knife, but there's always tomorrow. It's up to you now if you sink or swim. Just keep the faith that your ship will come in. It's not so bad..." -Great Big Sea

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Bree is the Green girls' cousin, now adopted sister. Prior to living with the Green family, she alternated between living with each of her divorced parents, and they rarely had enough money. Her rough experiences growing up led her to be very compassionate and made her very aware of poverty, particularly as affects children and young people. She is quiet and rather shy, but is a deep thinker. Bree aspires to be a psychologist or a librarian someday... and she gets lots of practice with the psychology keeping her new sisters in line.

Dossiers

They have this section over at AGPT, and we decided we'd put ours on our blog, too. That way people (OK... mainly us...) can find them and see what we said. :-)


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Name: Kirsten

Age: 16

Where he/she attends school: Local public high school

Favorite color: Blue and purple

Favorite food: Curry Vindaloo

Personal Causes: Racial equality, gay rights, immigrant rights, anti-war, fighting poverty, social justice

Favorite passtime: Political activism, writing to legislators and letters to the editor

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Stubborn, practical, intelligent

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Dedicated, eloquent, smart

Favorite Quote: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to just everywhere." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Brief biography in 250 words or less: As the oldest of her siblings, Kirsten is prone to being a little bossy toward her younger sisters, but her passion for her social justice causes is genuine. She is determined to change the world for the better, and is already working hard for what she believes in. Her future is on the world political stage, fighting for what's right.




***





Name: Bree


Age: 15


Where he/she attends school: Local public high school


Favorite color: Red, blue, and black


Favorite food: PB&J sandwiches, dried fruit


Personal Causes: At risk and homeless youth, mentoring, poverty relief, educational support and reform


Favorite passtime: Reading, mocking stupid movies, jogging, sketching


Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Thoughtful, determined, creative


Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Ordinary, shy, timid


Favorite Quote: "In this beautiful life, there's always some sorry. And it's a double-edged knife, but there's always tomorrow. It's up to you now if you sink or swim. Just keep the faith that your ship will come in. It's not so bad..." -Great Big Sea


Brief biography in 250 words or less: Bree is the Green girls' cousin, now adopted sister. Prior to living with the Green family, she alternated between living with each of her divorced parents, and they rarely had enough money. Her rough experiences growing up led her to be very compassionate and made her very aware of poverty, particularly as affects children and young people. She is quiet and rather shy, but is a deep thinker. Bree aspires to be a psychologist or a librarian someday... and she gets lots of practice with the psychology keeping her new sisters in line.

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Name: Felicity

Age: 15

Where he/she attends school: French language immersion school

Favorite color: Green and pink

Favorite food: Homemade berry tarts

Personal Causes: Felicity doesn't do much outside activism, but her current mission in life is to keep the peace between her siblings

Favorite passtime: Reading, writing poetry, knitting, crafts

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Quiet, creative, empathetic

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Shy, mother-hen, homebody

Favorite Quote: "Where we love is home, Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." -Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Brief biography in 250 words or less: It's easy for quiet Felicity to be overlooked amongst her more boisterous siblings, but she is crucial glue in holding the family together. Her unfailing calm diffuses tense situations, and her understanding and trustworthy nature mean everyone can confide in her. Felicity doesn't always stand out, but she's always important.



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Name: Josefina

Age: 14

Ethnic background: Mexican American, born in the United States

Where he/she attends school: French language immersion school (she also speaks fluent Spanish)

Favorite color: Red, orange, and yellow

Favorite food: Spicy black bean quesadillas

Personal Causes: Immigrant rights, cultural awareness, respect for non-majority languages

Favorite passtime: Writing fiction and articles for the school newspaper, reading, travel, hiking

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Bright, loyal, knowledgable

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Friendly, curious, spontaneous

Favorite Quote: "Sólo con una ardiente paciencia conquistaremos la espléndida ciudad que dará luz, justicia y dignidad a todos los hombres. Así la poesía no habrá cantado en vano."/"Only with a burning patience can we conquer the splendid City which will give light, justice and dignity to all mankind. In this way the song will not have been sung in vain." -Pablo Neruda

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Josefina was born to a Mexican immigrant mother. When her mother died, Josefina was passed from relative to relative for several years, but eventually came to live with her half-siblings and adopted family members. Josefina is smart, creative, and very proud of being Latina and her Mexican heritage. She is also interested in learning about other cultures and visiting other countries. When she grows up, she wants to be a travel writer.




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Name: Molly

Age: 13

Where he/she attends school: Gifted program at the local public middle school

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite food: Chirashi sushi

Personal Causes: Using her art to communicate with others

Favorite passtime: Painting, drawing, sculpting, fashion design

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Brilliant, talented, stormy

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Artistic, creative, odd

Favorite Quote: The art of Henri Matisse is what most speaks to her, and what she would communicate to others

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Molly is very artistically talented, and is dedicated to developing it. This dedication often reaches the level of extreme single-mindedness. Molly has reactly been diagnosed as being on the milder end of the Autism Spectrum. What she is unable to communicate through words and personal interaction, she finds easier to express through her paintings and drawings. She is prone to being rather moody, but is a brilliant young lady and is often a lot of fun.





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Name: Kaya

Age:12

Ethnic/racial self-identification: American Indian, Nimíipuu (Nez Perce)

Religion: Along with many other modern members of her tribe, she practices a combination of Christianity and traditional Nimíipuu religion

Where he/she attends school: Local middle school part-time, and accelerated online distance courses part-time

Favorite color: Red and umber

Favorite food: Blueberry muffins

Personal Causes: Pan-Indianism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Indianism,) Native rights, and heritage preservation.

Favorite passtime: Dance: traditional and Pan-Indian dance, ballet, modern. She's also very interested in learning about science and likes to read science fiction.

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Smart, funny, deep

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Quiet, unique, motivated

Favorite Quote: "It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Albus Dumbledore

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Kaya joined the Green family through permanent special guardianship. She still maintains deep ties of loyalty to her tribe and participates in cultural events whenever possible. Kaya is prone to being quiet and introspective, and is calm and level-headed, but she also has a wicked dry sense of humour, which takes people by surprise if they don't know her well. She does well in school, but puts more effort into subjects she finds useful than those she doesn't. Kaya is social, and has close friends both at school and through her various dances classes and groups. She is also close with her adopted sisters, and enjoys being part of a large blended family.



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Name: Charissa

Age:10

Ethnic/racial self-identification: Latina

Where he/she attends school: Specialized elementary school for hearing impaired students

Favorite color: Yellow

Favorite food: Pinto beans

Personal Causes: Animal care, wildlife rescue, the environment

Favorite passtime: Spending time with animals or learning about them, playing outside, playing sports with her friends

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Shy, friendly, patient

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Quiet, unusual, fun

Favorite Quote: "Everyone needs friends." -Friend Bear, from the Care Bears

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Charissa was the youngest in the family for a long time, and sometimes settles into the role of "the baby," but she is capable of independence too. She has a hearing impairment, and is in fact almost completely deaf, but she is a capable lip reader. She also has some learning problems that make her struggle in school, but she is good at practical tasks, especially those that involve animal care. Charissa is shy and takes time to open up to people, but she is a good friend once she lets down her guard.




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Name: Fiona

Age: 10

Where he/she attends school: Anglican parish elementary school

Favorite color: Pink and peach

Favorite food: Plain noodles with butter

Personal Causes: Foster child rights, juvenile mental health, the arts

Favorite passtime: Jumping rope, playing with dolls and stuffed animals, singing, musical theatre, ballet

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Spontaneous, fun, mercurial

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Exciting, happy, star

Favorite Quote: "There's always something." -Violet Baudelaire

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Fiona is Bree's biological sister, though they often lived separately when the family split up. Fiona ended up in foster care when her mother wasn't able to care for her properly or keep her safe. She was located again by the Green Family, and now lives with them. Fiona is an energetic and interesting kid. She loves theatre, musicals, and dance. She has some challenges, though, in that she has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and sometimes acts out in response to her traumatic past. She is fun friend and a good sister, and has ambitions of Broadway someday.

***




Name: Evelyn


Age: 8

Where he/she attends school: Anglican parish elementary school

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite food: Pasta with meatballs and veggies

Personal Causes: Helping foster children, like she was

Favorite passtime: School and learning things, playing with her toy horses, playing outside, going to the park, gardening

Three words YOU would use to describe their personality: Active, smart, funny

Three words HE/SHE would use to describe his/her personality: Hyper, cuddly, playful

Favorite Quote: "It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home." -Author Unknown

Brief biography in 250 words or less: Evelyn spent much of her childhood so far in foster care with her biological siblings, although sometimes they were placed in different homes. Eventually, she was adopted, and she gained new adoptive family members, but she hopes that her biological siblings will be able to join her in her home in the future. Evelyn is the youngest child in her new home. She's a very energetic kid, and enjoys playing outside, but she is also very enthusiastic about school. Evelyn is a quick learner, eager to have new experiences and make new friends. She sometimes has trouble sitting still, but once her interest is captured, she becomes fully engrossed for the long haul.