I've had two days to recover from the Prom experience. I think it takes more out of me than it does the boy, I swear!

First, there is the money. What the hell happened and when did this happen? I know that prom tickets cost a lot when I was in school (yeah, way back then when we bartered livestock for the opportunity to dance in the crepe papered school cafeteria). But now, tickets are like $80. Then there's the clothes. I over heard some of the girls saying that their dresses were $250.00. HUH?!?!? So, since I bought the Beast's homecoming dress in the Fall (and no, I spent nowhere NEAR $250.00), I told Eldest that I'd pay for his tux. He was visibly grateful.

Flowers. God, they gouge kids when they know it's prom time. He picked out the most beautiful red rose and purple something wrist corsage. Then he cops to the fact that he told the florist the color of her dress and his tux and the florist designed it. The boys does have the smarts to know when to hand it over to a pro.

That limo up there cost the kids $74.00 PER RIDER. SO with the group that went, he made 2 grand in one night. Not a bad gig, although I'd hate to think what he paid for that thing. The guys had decided that a limo SUV would be cool, and it turns out that their group DID have the most impressive wheels for the night. They investigated the idea of the limo Hummer, but it cost even more.

No prom is complete without maternal mania. Eldest is such a love. He knew I'd want to take pictures, so he suggested that I follow him over to his the girlfriend's house. The plan was to take pictures there, go to someone else's house where the limo would arrive (and we'd take more pictures) and then they would go to a gazebo where we could take more pictures!

Being true to form, and following in his mother's footsteps, he was running REAL late. We pull into girlfriend's driveway and he panics. He forgot the flowers. Could I run back and get them? Now, girlfriend lives in the next little town, and it's about 5 miles. Usually this wouldn't be such a big deal, but my gas tank us below the "E." Lower than it has EVER been before. And that's saying a lot. I'm not certain that I won't run out of gas, and if I stop and get gas, he very well may miss the limo, as he has no phone number to call and tell them to wait.

I courageously sped home, and called my mom who dropped everything and raced toward my house. In Fosse-esque fashion, my choreography culminated in me flying into the driveway, grabbing the box of flowers from Finchie who was stationed at the door, running to the end of the drive just as my mom pulled up, leaping into her car and speeding off.

I don't know which was going faster, the car or my mouth as I blabbed on and on about every conceivable problem. What if they left? What if they missed the limo? This was supposed to be the best night of his life and it would be ruined....Finally she yelled at me (twice I believe) that I was sounding just like my father. God, when she's right she's right.

We pulled up, threw the flowers on girlfriend's wrist, snapped some shots. They went in his car to the meeting point, while mom and I went to the gazebo on the off chance that the group had already left and we would tell them to wait. I see a group there getting their pictures taken, and I begin my dad-chant again. "Oh, my God, there they are, he is going to be upset, what if they leave before I can get to them, oh my God, oh my God..." And yes, mom yelled at me again.

It turned out that this was not Eldest's group, but my "third" son was there and I got a snap of him in his too-cool zoot suit.

Eldest called me on my cell and although he was completely unable to give me directions, I finally got someone on the line who was able to navigate me the 5 blocks (!) to where they were. That's when I saw the limo. Actually, all I saw was the front at first, and it looked like a van, and I went into a "Oh HELL no, they paid $74 for THIS" rant but stopped just short of being yelled at again because then we got closer and I saw the side and WOW.

Since I knew my boy was where he needed to be, and that no one had left without him and that he was going to have his evening of forever remembered...I suddenly stopped and let it all catch up to and overwhelm me.

Look at him. Look at her.

God, I remember this age. I remember this youth. This brink of adulthood. He seems to handle it so much better than I ever did. He doesn't seem to be in quite as much of a hurry to grow all the way up, he savors the fun. But look at him there. He is growing up and out and away.

I took about 525 pictures and left him to his fun. Mom and sat in the car for a few minutes and had our happy sad faces on without saying much.

She dropped me off at home and although it was only 6:30, I went to bed. Because I had to get up at 10:30 P.M. to go get locked into the Bowling Alley for the "Up All Night" after prom extravaganza. The kids arrive there after prom (or by 11:30 even if they didn't go to prom), and they lock the doors until 4:30 A.M. In the meantime, it's all the bowling, dancing, karaoke, pictures, bingo, etc you want for nothing more than the $10.00 entrance fee. Door prizes for all included 4 19" television sets, VCRs, an X-box, CD players, CD Walkmen, gift certificates and the final door prize was cash. One winner got $750.00, another $500 and 3 people won $250.00. All in an effort to get kids to come and be safe and have fun.

The only problem for me was that it was also all you can eat for free. Pizzas, nachos, cookies and snacks everywhere. I went there having had only 4 points for the day. Throughout the whole night I had 3 small pieces of pizza, 2 rice krispie treats and 1 cookie. Lots of water, and Diet Coke. Not too bad.

I love how my Eldest greets me no matter who's around, no matter how many people are around. He came in all happy and peppy and gave me a big hug and kissed me. I love that. The parents around me noticed. They looked envious because if their kids came in, it was not apparent.

I didn't see him the rest of the night, as I was on Bingo duty. Finally, just before they called off the door prizes and sent the kids out into the wee early hours, I found him.

I love that boy. I love being a mom.

TODAY'S QUOTE

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

*Elizabeth Stone*

---

The Digital Bastard's Claim as of date 5/25/02:

Beginning Weight: 204.5

Goal #1: 184 (Met 5/19/02)

Goal #2: 164.5

Total lost: 22.5

Pounds to go for goal #2: 17.5

Pounds to go to my final target....58.5

I hope to meet my final target by May 1, 2003

---

Won't you PLEASE leave your feedback here?
0 readers left their mark on this one!

TagBoard

Name URL or Email Messages(smilies) Read the previous entry - Read the next entry Who's Who in Ibe's Diary (last UPDATED September 21, 2008) If you would like to be notifed each time this page is updated, stick your email addy in the form and click on "join." Your email address: