Our Swing Set

I tell people all the time that we had a MASSIVE swing set in our back yard growing up. But, I don't think they realize how big. My Dad got it from a park that was being renovated or replaced with construction or something. The slide was so big that if we climbed to the top we could see in everyone's back yard... and that we did! Poor neighbors couldn't have a get-together without all the Goulet kids joining the party from the top of the slide.

One of the fun things about that slide was when we used to take old potato chip bag inserts (remember the days chips came like a box of cereal ... with an inner wax bag that held the chips??) and slide down the slide over and over and slick that baby down! We used to FLY down that thing!

I got my head stuck between the hand rails once and had visions of living the rest of my life with my head stuck until my brother, Jim, came and pulled me out - HE SAVED MY LIFE! I was so grateful I cleaned his room for like a month! (It was just like a scene from the Brady Bunch.)

This is our dog, Skeeter. My Mom sent me an email reminding me about how much Skeeter enjoyed the slide. Skeeter used to line up with the kids to take a turn sliding down the slide. He'd climb the ladder up the slide and slide down just like one of the kids. When he slid down, he'd get right back in line behind the kid that slid before him!! I guess Skeeter enjoyed the view of the neighborhood as well because when there were no kids in the back yard, Skeeter would sit at the very top of the slide. Mom said some mornings when we woke up ... that's where he'd be.

My sister, Valerie, and (I think) Kristin

Those were the days when playing in the back yard was about all there was to worry about!