I Remember

I remember how hard babies are: colicky, demanding, fussy, refuse to let you sleep babies.

I remember how hard toddlers are: tantrum throwing, stubborn, willful, refuse to be potty trained toddlers.

I remember how hard elementary schoolers are: drive them endlessly, absentminded, tattletale, know it all, “Hey mom, my science fair project is due tomorrow” elementary schoolers.

I remember how hard teenagers are: eye rolling, back talking, door slamming, "I want it now" teenagers.

But my God people, they grow up so damn fast. And if you’re lucky, if you did everything in your power to help them, teach them, ground them and set them free? You will remember them being this.damn.happy.

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.

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?