no high heels required

I'm so so so glad I didn't wear high heels to graduation yesterday. As I was stepping off the cheap, rickety platform that the school rented for a day, empty diploma case in hand, my foot nearly fell through the air instead of landing on the metal step. My hand shot out and I grabbed the nice teacher's hand that was standing there for instances like this.

Then I hurried back to my seat. Because, um, it wasn't even the first time I tripped at graduation. It was the second. When we were first filing onto the high school football field, I went to sit down at my seat and then remembered we were supposed to stand, so I tripped over my (extremely painful) black AE-knockoff flats from Payless and fell over the chair in front of me. Somehow I remained standing, but because I went to sit down, Steph, who was next in line, went to sit down, and she tripped too.

There were a few hiccups during the ceremony, like when thunder boomed across the sky, threatening our chance at a perfect graduation (and having six attendees--fire limitations stated that we could each only have two in attendance if it rained), or when one of the mikes malfunctioned so that those in the bleachers couldn't even hear the student council president's opening remarks. But otherwise, it was perfect. Except for my stupid shoes. They hurt. A lot. And when we went out to dinner afterward, I wanted so bad to kick off my shoes, but I couldn't because, well, we were in a nice restaurant. And exposing my toes to the world would be "disastrious." I should've brought flip-flops.

But my personal favorite moment was during the procession (I think that's what they call it) when we walked in--because I saw my grandma, who I hadn't seen in over a year. And it made me smile so big that my cheeks hurt and I almost tripped (again). After graduation she gave me a big hug and a bigger balloon and a bouquet of roses and brought my aunt Eva and uncle Dave with her. Then we took bazillions of pictures of me, me with Courtney, me with Jamie, me with Lena, me with Nick, me with Grandpa, me with Grandma...okay, me with everyone =] I mean, it was my "big day" haha and I enjoyed every minute of it! Every minute.

Oh, and one of my other favorite parts was after dinner, when Ashley and Heather and I decorated Mom's car with window paint. Oh, yeah. It looks so awesome!! Thank God Mom was a good sport about it =] because Aunt Shell looked a little dubious, haha.

I'm out. I have more posts to write =] peace out! xoxo, Caiti