I’ve never been a huge fan of summer. Sure, school is out for a while, but it’s hot and uncomfortable. If I’m not working or doing projects for the upcoming school year, I find I don’t know quite what to do with myself, with one significant exception: my two wonderful siblings.

Reecie is five years younger than me and is reminiscent of Tinkerbell with her blond hair and quick fuse. My brother Sam, a true baseball player and athlete at heart, is two years behind her. Since I was 13, I have stayed home with my siblings, with me acting as a babysitter of sorts. From the very beginning, the summers alone were spent playing sports outside and competing in a variety of board games.

Lunch also became a central part to our day. As the years went by, simple corn dogs became less and less appealing. The kids and I also found that experimenting was more fun anyway. Homemade mini pizzas, double-crusted chicken nuggets and mixed-up Lunchables are a few of the many popular dishes. We made a mess of the kitchen, sat down with our slightly undercooked balls of croissant, ham and cheese and enjoyed whatever YouTube video we chose that day. It has really become a bit like a tradition, expected and welcomed.

Now that I can drive, the possibilities of trouble we can get into are endless. One of our favorite things to do was drive into Amarillo and grab some yogurt from Orange Leaf. All three of us are vastly different, and our frozen yogurts reflected that. This event was often followed up a trip to GameStop, the theater or the bowling alley, Sam’s preferred choice. No matter where we go, we always manage to make each other laugh. We have countless inside jokes, that would make anyone else think twice. (Seriously. Just mentioning George Clooney sends both the children into a laughing frenzy.)

Even chores, as odd as it sounds, were enjoyable. Give us five minutes and all three of us would be singing along to Come and Get Your Love, while our dogs look on, probably very amused at our poor dancing skills. Life, Reecie told me once, is always better with music. And she’s correct, but the dishes rarely were washed well. We sure had a lot of fun doing it though.

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We also like to tease each other whenever possible, however it’s all in good spirits. Every once in a while, someone’s feelings get hurt or a nose is booped too aggressively. They are kids after all, but many of my best memories include them. Chilly water gun fights, sleeping on the trampoline under a starry sky, and staying up way past midnight playing video games and watching movies are just a few of my favorite moments from this summer.

I could go on for ages about all our ridiculous times together, but the truth of it is simple. It sounds corny, probably because it undoubtedly is, but I would never want summer to end if I could be with my siblings through it all. Not everyone is as close as we are, and I can confidently say there is no one I would rather have dance parties with.