new year @ home

i was determined to be asleep early on new years eve. we got early dinner (and by early i mean, like senior citizen early). and i was going to put on a movie for the kids.

but my dear friend jaime called and she was around with her kids. so we went and played for awhile. then, i went home and was going to bed.

me and jaime grew up together - from like the day i was born. her grandparents lived across the street from us, and her and her sister were there a lot. and chuck and judy were just like my grandparents, too. back in the good old days when people actually knew their neighbors and everyone looked out for everyone else's kids. 

we walked the wall next door, played tag and wall ball and got in trouble. 

so at 11, jaime came over and we rang in the new year, old school style. her kids came out with pots and pans and ran up and down the street like crazies. then we sat around making fun of the drunkies walking up the street barefoot (because we live on a hill and stupid people decide to go partying at the bottom wearing stilettos... it's amazing that there aren't more broken necks on party days).

so, bed at 4am when i had planned an early escape!

here we are standing in the middle of the street under the street light trying to get a picture. i've got a blanket wrapped around me because it wasn't really cold enough for a coat. but i'm too carribean now to brave it out.

we've got just a two days left in philly and then we're headed home. i'm doing magic tricks to get all of this stuff packed into suitcases and ready to go. (cross your fingers that i can figure it out)