barbara park died and i didn't even know about it.

yesterday, my sister, sidney, turned sixteen. she was right in the middle of opening my gift to her in front of our fam and my two sets of grandparents that were over and my dad, who was standing next to me, proceeds to lean over and tell me, "did you know that barbara park died yesterday?!"

first of all, nice timing, dad.  haha, what a stinker!  but i looked it up today and she actually died in 2013 and i hadn't even known about it!  for those of you wondering, barbara park is only the greatest children's author ever... author of the beloved junie b jones series... practically what my whole childhood was centered around!  i just adored those books and read them over and over and over.  for those of you who have never heard of the series, i'm so sorry.  it's quite the tragedy in my mind... those books are SO FUNNY & so wonderful!  i remember i did a report on barbara park in like second grade and when i was a teenager convinced i would marry nick jonas (;, i always said i would name my daughter "junie b jonas" LOL (i wasn't really that serious, okay?!)  good thing me & nick never panned out (: but really, what a sad thing that she's gone!  i will be reading those books to my children one day.

"then they hugged me very happy.  and they threw confetti on my head.
only not may.
may threw a small potato.
that was uncalled for, i believe."
-junie b