Sunday, January 22, 2006

Saturday Night Fever

Her first formal.
Her first dance.

Looking in the mirror, the ten year old gets a glimpse of the woman she will soon become.
She is beautiful, she feels like a princess.
She is my niece and tonight she will be out late.




But she will by no means be the youngest belle of the ball. This little gal, not yet two, was set on stealing the show. She danced and giggled infectiously. Although Mom had a hard time finding heels and an evening gown in her size. She impressed everyone with her warm up stretches!
My Daughter wore a black gown with pink darts, she looked so grown up. Usually, tending to be a wall flower, tonight she let her hair down and joined in the fun.
My eldest and his girlfriend got close on a couple of slow dances. What a cute couple they are. These two are some of the older kids in the crowd, Although there are 'kids' participating in their early 20's. But of course they are just there to help chaperone!! Ya right!

All 50 or so kids did a bunny hop type dance around the hall to the Proclaimers "I would walk 500 miles". They made me dizzy just watching them. They were all smiling and laughing.It's very rewarding to see them having so much fun. Makes it worth while having to be up until 1:30 in the morning when I have to be up for work the next day at 5:30 am.

The many trials of parenthood are balanced with rewards such as this Saturday night. To see all three of my teenage children, laughing, dancing and just having fun together, with a mutual bunch of friends. Times like these make it easier to suvrive the occasional yelling matches and the whining over homework and chores. To see the friends they have become, is the biggest reward there is. To know that when i'm long gone from this world, they will still have eachother to lean on. I know that may sound morbid, but knowing they will be there for eachother as adults, gives me great peace of mind.And if that bond grows to include cousins, then I will truely be one happy old lady.