the back door

i'm not really sure when it all began, but i have this thing about feet. it is weird, but i have a love-hate relationship with them. i don't remember when it registered with me that my big toe is really a big toe....it is fat and smooshed and big. i decided i hated it and would NEVER wear sandals again. but then the summer before my junior year of high school a friend talked me into a pair of sandals. i remember them well. they were red, and frankly, are the same kind of sandal back in style today. with great fear, i bravely wore them in public. i feared the pointing finger, the shocking faces, the questions about my BIG toe. amazingly, noone really seemed to notice. i guess i should back up and say, that i always preferred to be barefoot and i'm not really sure why it never struck me that people could see my toes when i would romp around barefoot. i think the whole color of the sandal seemed like it would draw attention to my feet. anyways...that purchase started...

you gotta love them right? those field trips where you pile on the bus with a bunch of kids and settle in for a great day of shuffling kids on to the next thing... while field trips aren't my favorite thing...this is one of my favorite boys and he really wanted me to tag along with his class to science central. i will say, 4th graders are much easier to manage than 1st graders:) actually this was a great place. it was full of hands on fun and i only had to really stay with him. this was his group...we had another mom with us so between us 2 moms we were able to keep the boys in sight:) his elementary years are drawing to a close in the next several days. i'm proud of the young man he is becoming, but dreading homework and all the struggles that come with that. but for now, we will welcome a break from school and enjoy our summer!!

one spunky, always right, lover of all things sports, shaggy haired boy one sweet, lover of books, quirky, spunky, tooting little girl i love these kiddos that keep me on my toes, on my knees, and everywhere in between

these ladies really crack me up. let me introduce you to my mom's girl cousins: front row: janene, diane, jane, marilyn back row: pat, rosalie, carolyn, my mom, jeanette (you are all impressed aren't you - and i didn't have to ask my mom!) now....let's just say, this is one amazingly funny group of ladies. when i was in high school these cousins starting getting together every other year for a long weekend. they take turns hosting the group. this year, the destination was right here in p-town! my dad was smart enough to head to china, but i was more than eager to spend some time with them. they arrived on thursday night and from what i hear stayed up late into the night, but were more than eager to set their alarms, don their tiaras and watch the royal wedding. when i joined them for breakfast they were in pj's and beds were still askew. but watch with great glee we did. they made my mom and i pose for a picture. i like to call her "mum" in this ...