"I used to stare at them in restaurants, open-mouthed until my little brother said 'er, Andrea, don't do that,'" she says, emitting a short burst of self-mocking laughter.

On the envelope I always write "Annual Letter to Juli-Ann from her Daddy on the occasion of her 4 NTH birthday-to be opened when she is 21 years old."

Ann has breakfast in bed, but Mary doesn't.