The Way Back Machine Weekend

I had the somewhat unusual advantage of starting kindergarten and graduating high school without ever leaving my school district.

No moving.
No new school.
I went from Elementary to Junior High to High School with all of the same group. Like a cult, but without plural marriage.

In first grade, I sealed the friend deal with several girls including twin, whose parents knew one another and therefore felt safe allowing all of us to attend birthday parties and eventually attend sleepovers at their house. Somehow, our group was named "the group". Not inventive, but it stuck. Not too many ever got in, and no one ever got out. Permanently, anyway.

My pals at the school track meet. We wore jeans and Twin and I
rocked the three-legged race. Go Panthers!

Twin and I in matching stripes at our birthday party with a
member of the fledgling "Group". Mandie is trying to steal
my Barbie. I am going to sock her in the chops. 

There were bumps...oh yeah. 4-6 elementary-aged girls is a perfect storm for drama and we had plenty over the years. Many a slumber party ended in disaster as we worked our way through 'girl'dom.

As we grew older toward Jr. High and High School, we made other friends, but the bond of this elementary school group never really disappeared. Even completely pissed at each other, even for years, the friendship remains.We're like cousins, all knowing everyone's background, embarrassing family crap, and that they used to stuff their bra.

Not really.

The friend ship may end if she learns
about these photos, so..
don't tell her.
(credit to Funky Jocata for these photos)

We all had our graduation reception together, grew up and eventually married The Navy Man, The Politician and The Business Mogul and Special Agent, respectively. Two work in the medical field, one is in education, and I am still finding myself. Everyone had two kids, one having a third. I am literally tripping down memory lane while I gather up some photos for this weekend when I plan to see them.

Special Agent being a BADASS back in the day.
We couldn't stand each other in high school, and then..
we got married. 

Me in high school, looking like I am dancing like George Michael in the Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go video. 

I love these girls like family and the reunion weekend in ON. I am sneaking off with some of them this very day to stay at one of the group's new ski chalet in Colorado (maybe it isn't a ski chalet, but that is what I am calling it the whole weekend).  I invited Twin, but she couldn't join us. She's scared.

While we all see each other off an on when they return to town, this group hasn't had a full on slumber party(there was never topless pillow fighting, grow up)  in about, ahem, 25 years...unless you count Senior Party, in which we had a kegger in a field and passed out in horse trailers with about 100 of our closest classmates. One of the group drank way too much and threw up in the trash can the next day during graduation practice. We were awfully proud of our DARE student and Class President. Way to go!

You know who you are.

Our plans for the weekend are showing our age. Our host is threatening to drag us to an Arbonne party at the neighbors the first night in. She promised wine. Arbonne does in fact make me look youthful, since I break out like a pubescent teenager whenever I go near it, so I may not partake. Luckily, I am comfortable to lay on the couch and watch TV while they go. With wine. The rest of the weekend will be filled with a winery tour (see a theme here?), maybe a spa trip and if we feel ambitious and the weather cooperates a mountain hike.

I am totally singing Rocky Mountain High...or at least as much of it as I know. Which is only "Rocky Mountain Hiiiiigh, Colorado". That should be enough for anyone.

Happy weekend!