happy picnic, mr. president

yesterday was $1 smoothie day at robeck's. so that's always a good day.

and tuesday was the congressional families picnic at the white house. so that's always a good day, too.






last year, as you might recall, this happened:



this year i got another handshake, but only had time to snap this little number before el presidente was whisked away.




because, you see, the obamas were late to this year's picnic (not like there is oil leaking into the gulf or anything else that might take their time) and michelle had a bad cold, so she didn't meet the assembled crowd at all and the mister worked his way through pretty quickly.

seriously, though, even a fast handshake is enough to put me in cardiac arrest. i just sure do love that obama.

other handshakes of the night: nancy pelosi, al franken (and his wife. guess what her name is? frances!), barney frank and rahm emanuel, who is shorter than you think he is, but also much less vitriolic.

the biggest drama of the evening actually unfolded before we even left the house, with a very spirited discussion of what everyone was wearing. heidi had on too much jewelry (i actually thought it looked fine but she took some off), heather wasn't wearing enough (she put on what heidi took off), i looked like i was going to church (i changed) and why was aunt joyce the only one of us ladies wearing pants? (she didn't change.) the vote was split on uncle bob's baseball cap (he ended up not wearing it, and also did not take my advice that a cowboy hat might be the way to go), it was pointed out that nathan was wearing the same shirt he has worn to the picnic three years running, and we spent a long time talking about whether beth should just be allowed to wear her princess outfit to the white house, or if we should put her in a real dress. the real dress won, sort of. because halfway through dinner she was wearing this.




following the theme of "taste of the states," there was food from all different regions of the u.s., with the pecan pie being the clear winner for deliciousness.








there were condolences all around for uncle bob, and we told the kids to soak it all in because it was our last chance. at least until one of them is elected to the senate (or the presidency!) some day. because if al franken can get elected, there is hope for the bennett dynasty yet.