Where to begin.....

This past week has lasted about a month. Part of me wants to weep with exhaustion and the other part is so hopped up on adrenaline I may never be able to sleep.

I'd planned for a few weeks to take Thursday and Friday off to catch up, relax and do a few "pampery" kinds of things. I did manage some shopping, a manicure and going to lunch with a friend. It was the extraneous stuff that threw me for a loop.

• My parents came in for three days. They flew in Thursday afternoon. I went with my mother to look at the assisted living facility where, she's fairly sure, we will move my Nana. They spent Friday with their realtor touring THIRTEEN houses. I met up with them and Sib#2 late Friday night to review the pros and cons of each. I'll try to go look at their top two this week.



• Friday afternoon I drove to the airport to pick up a former co-worker of the Saint's. Frank flew in from New Jersey for a funeral and stayed with us as well. The funeral was for a man the Saint has worked with for over twenty years. He was fifty six years old. It was sudden and we are all still in shock.



• The visitation and funeral were Saturday. The service was lovely but very sad. I think it will be a long while before the idea of John being gone really sinks in.



• We went to a small lunch following the funeral and then Saint dropped me off to have my hair done for the fancy schmancy affair we were attending Saturday evening. Then he went off to organize the soda, water and pizza delivery for the post-prom party. Oh, because Precious Youngest's Prom was also last evening.


• When I got home from the salon yesterday afternoon there were six girls in my house getting their hair done for the dance. And a mother of one of the girls doing a few last minute alterations to her daughter's dress. In Precious Youngest's room. Mortified is an understatement.


• The boys started arriving about six o'clock to pick up the girls and we did all the usual pictures. The kids left for the dinner and dance and the Saint and I headed off to our fancy schmancy affair.


• We enjoyed the cocktail hour, caught up with a few people and had a decent dinner. After the entrée, and unfortunately for the Saint before the dessert, we hopped in a cab and sped to the hotel where the Prom was being held. Because Precious Youngest was up for Prom Queen and we didn't want to miss it. We tried to be inconspicuous but as the Saint was in a tux and I was in a ball gown we were not entirely successful.


• The five couples in the "Court" looked lovely. We've know most of them for many years and it was wonderful to see them so happy. Precious Youngest was not in fact crowned Queen, but she said it was an honor just to be nominated. (I think she learned that line from the Academy Awards.)


• We then hopped in another cab and sped back to the first event and danced until the orchestra called it a night.

Up, down, side to side. I'm going to bed EARLY tonight.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

The Dress Rehearsal

The Presentation

The Dance

Are you crying?

NO! Now give mom a kiss!

And....she's OUT!

Show Time

We're off to make some memories. Hair, nails, gowns? Check, check and check. We leave shortly to check in to the hotel and get ready for the dress rehearsal.

Catch you on the flip side.

I Can't Believe

I'm still sitting here watching the Emmy's. OMG, the WORST EVER. I find myself cringing at each ever lamer bit. And yet, I seem to be too lazy to get off the couch and find something constructive to do.

I have been looking at Homecoming pictures. I'm having difficulty finding any I can edit to post because there were THIRTEEN couples in their group and I can't figure out away to crop out all their little faces. So I'm just gonna post this one and let you in on a little secret - THE cutest couple is Precious Youngest and her date!

We have a winner!

I knew I could count on Daisy Jo!

"I say #3, although I'm not 100% certain. I'm waffling with the Junior League presidency."

Seriously people? You think I was in a BEAUTY PAGEANT? I'm 5'3" tall for crying out loud! Her waffling on the Junior League presidency made me chuckle. As I drink and swear like a sailor it hardly makes me Junior League material now does it? HOWEVER I was an active member for fifteen years and did, in fact, serve as president.

AAAAnyway, were any of you secretly cringing at the thought that perhaps Precious Youngest had her sites set on the Pageant circuit? Or worse, that I was sitting here nodding my head saying "Yes, EXCELLENT idea!" and "You look so PRETTY in sequins!" Because she's not and I'm not. I have been spending a lot of time looking at sparkly dresses though. More specifically ball gowns.

Yes, I've been extra busy because my daughter is going to be a Debutant. Following in her sister's footsteps, Precious Youngest will take her father's arm, courtesy deeply, and be presented at my Junior League's Ball later this year.

So please feel free to talk among yourselves. Question my family's participation in this archaic rite of passage. And if I'm out of pocket on occasion? It may be because I'm contemplating tiara styles.

Drama

I know I’ve explained the Precious Daughter’s reluctance to let go of inability to walk away charming habit of remaining friends with the majority of their ex-boyfriends? (For the love of god, if you plan to read the rest of this entry PLEASE read the LINK!) Well I’ve got a mini teen drama playing out and I want to go on record as saying I think someone is going to get their feelings hurt.

Precious Youngest has known a young man we’ll call “Boy A” since Kindergarten. They “went out” some time during eighth grade if I’m remembering correctly. Boy A went on to a different high school (Jesuit, all boys), but he lives in the neighborhood, they have friends in common, so they still see each other a fair amount. Additionally, if you attend an all boys school? You will need Precious Youngest and her pals to go to various dances with your friends and you will not hesitate to call her. In fact, it was through Boy A that Precious Youngest ended up with Homecoming Date #1 last fall.

As a refresher, Precious Youngest is a high school junior. At the aforementioned all boys school, in place of “Junior Prom”, they have “Junior Ring”. Here in Whoville, the word on the street is that this is THE high school dance. Not to be missed. THE BEST. Boy A, who still carries a wee torch, wants to take Precious Youngest. Problem? "Boy B". Boy B was Homecoming Date #2 last fall and morphed into Boyfriend around Christmas.

Precious Youngest has had “hard core talks” with Boy B and he has “agreed” that Boy A can take her to "Junior Ring" with the proviso that, the weekend of the dance, he can complain as much as he wants and she can’t say anything.

Are you still with me here? Do I need diagrams? Flow charts? OK, here’s the thing; I don’t see this ending well. I’ve TOLD Precious Youngest this. She insists it will be fine. That she just wants to go to the dance. That Boy A KNOWS it's "just as friends". That Boy B is really OK with this.

I remain uncertain. Any thoughts?

Prom

I just had to show you these pictures from Prom last Saturday. (And can someone please explain to me this trend of having Prom so early? Ridiculous!)

Precious Youngest is in green and the B.F.F. (a.k.a. Precious Middle) is in brown.






I know, I know, pictures of headless high school students are weird. Still, aren't they cute?





All the young ladies were fabulous in their vibrantly colored dresses. So glad we've moved on from black!




I have very fond memories of the dances in high school. Do you?

Sadie Hawkins

The Sadie Hawkins dance was Saturday night.

Precious Youngest looked beautiful.