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Chicky Goes to the Prom!

Posted on April 11, 2009 by auburnchick

Well, the day finally arrived!

Four dress fittings, two endless trips to the mall, and several hundred $$ later, Chicky is currently dancing the night away at the Prom.

The day was fairly quiet.  She arose early, did her chores, and then showered.  She then straightened her hair…an ordeal that takes over an hour.  Yeah, she was blessed with my thick, natural curly hair.  It drives her bonkers.  One day she’ll appreciate it.

While she was doing this, I decided to just sit…and be…and knit beside my front window.  A nice breeze was blowing today.  The television was off.

A truly beautiful Saturday.

Early in the afternoon, Chicky’s friend came over to do her hair, nails, and makeup.  Chicky was getting the royal treatment today.  As I sat in the front room, I could hear their teenage chatter…gossiping about the latest news.  Both girls attend different schools but the same youth group, so they were comparing notes.

Time passed quickly, and before we knew it, Guy Friend was ringing the doorbell.

“Whew, it’s hot out there,” he said.  I suspect the heat was coming from nerves as he didn’t look his usual, confident self.

Chicky kept him waiting, tending to last-minute details.

As she came out, they spied each other shyly.  Guy Friend had been with us during her first dress fitting, so he knew what it looked like on her.

However, this was the real thing.

They fumbled with the corsages and giggled nervously.  It was cute.  The thing that made tonight even more special is that it’s the first time that Chicky is allowed “out” with Guy Friend…alone.  It’s a one-night deal because I’m maintaining my stance on no dating.

I took my thousand pictures and then saw them off.  They were headed to his house to do the routine all over again.  I tagged along at a distance because after his house, we were going to another friend’s house, where a bunch of kids were gathering for pictures.  This friend has a dock behind her house…the perfect backdrop against fancy dresses.

You should have seen the parents there.  We poised the kids in various ways.  They were an accommodating bunch, smiling when told to do so or making silly faces when they thought the cameras weren’t clicking (wrong-O…I got a few of these).

I’ll share a couple of pictures…but only the ones that I don’t feel will compromise Chicky’s security.  You know me…protective mom…

This one is probably my favorite…she didn’t know I was taking it…

And, of course, the shoes…

As the kids got ready to leave, Guy Friend assured me that she was in safe hands.  I told him to keep her safe, but keep his hands to himself.

A mom’s got to do her job, fancy dress or not.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Day 1 of Spring Break

Posted on March 30, 2009 by auburnchick

I thought Spring Break was about relaxing!!!

Chicky and I slept in but then hit the ground running.  After making an appointment with a seamstress, we headed to the tux place to get Guy Friend fitted for his fancy threads.  We took the dress with us to get the colors matched up.  Then, we ran to the mall to look for the appropriate undergarment for Chicky’s dress.

After much debate, we bought this:

They are gel inserts for the halter part of her dress.

They fit right into the top, so Chicky won’t have to worry about a strap.  Yay!

We then made our way to the seamstress’ house.  Once again, I was blown away by how pretty Chicky looks with that dress on.  After getting the dress pinned, she was ordered to walk down the hall.

That’s when we discovered that we had a problem.

Chicky cannot walk in heels.  She already had a pair of shoes from another function, but I’d forgotten how hesitant she was…teetering while walking across the gym floor to accept an award.  There was simply no way she was going to make it through an entire night with them on…plus a fancy dress.

Another debate ensued.  What to do.  She wanted to take her shoes off after pictures, but the seamstress reminded her that the dress would be too long as it would be hemmed to fit a higher heel.

So, back to the mall we went…in search of a more comfortable pair of shoes.

We found these:

They are fancy, but flat.  The perfect combination.

Back to the seamstress’ house we went, Guy Friend still tagging along.  He was extremely patient.

The seamstress re-pinned the dress, confident that we had made the right decision.  This time, when Chicky walked across the floor, she did so with more confidence.

Mission accomplished.

We finally made it back home around 2pm…four hours later.

The mail had come, and surprises were waiting for me…

Gifts from my sister

Gifts from my sister

And…

Malabrigo Lace - From one of the West Coast Oddball Knitters

Malabrigo Lace - From one of the West Coast Oddball Knitters

Oh yeah…so very nice to come home to!!

I made dinner, and Chicky offered to do the dishes.  Shock of all shocks.  She was about halfway done when dinner was ready.  I told her I would finish the dishes.  Shock of all shocks.  LOL

After dinner, she left for a visit to Guy Friend’s house.  On her way out, she whispered, “Thanks for finishing the dishes.”

I whispered back, “Thanks for starting them.”

A good day in the AuburnChick home.  A good first day of Spring Break.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Shopping For a Prom Dress

Posted on March 29, 2009 by auburnchick

Saturday was a busy day in the AuburnChick household…so busy that we didn’t let a series of downpours stop us from what we needed to accomplish.

Chicky and I slept in, a rare thing, and got up raring to go.  We were on a mission…

To find a prom dress.

These are words that can strike fear in the heart of any teen’s mom.

Chicky invited a friend to tag along.  This is one of the twins who came to visit her every day after her knee surgery.  A good friend.

We visited Dillards first.  Chicky approached the dresses hesitantly.  She’s a soccer player, used to wearing shorts and knee-high socks.  Dressing up is not her thing.

After a few “no’s” to dresses we pointed out, we finally told her she was trying on dresses, even if she didn’t think she would like them.  The point was to start narrowing down the styles and colors she preferred.

Thank goodness her friend was there with us.  It’s been a long time since I looked at fancy dresses, and some of those straps were like puzzle pieces…fitting around her shoulders in unique ways.

Chicky tried on quite a few dresses, but nothing really grabbed her interest.  We did figure out that blue and silver are good colors for her.  Guy Friend, who will be her date, prefers purple…for selfish reasons.  It’s his favorite color.  It didn’t look the best on her, though.

After leaving Dillards, we visited the only other “real” gown store in town…the one that “all” the girls go to.  Chicky’s good friend was there working, which was nice because she knows Chicky’s tastes.

This store was a dream to shop in…every dress covered by a clear bag to protect it.  Gowns were organized by price, size, and color.  For an organized person like me, this was awesome!  I cannot stand rifling through clothes to find the right size.  Ugh.

Chicky tried on a few more dresses…and then she found THE one.  It surprised her because she fought trying it on…not being very interested in it while it was on the hanger.

Boy, did she change her mind.

Although the dress is a bit too big at the top, and it’s also a bit too long, we could tell that this dress was perfect for her.

We looked for a price tag…the dreaded part of the entire trip…and sighed.  Even with the $100 discount tag, it was way beyond what we could afford.

We walked out, resigned.

We took Chicky’s friend home.  She offered to let her borrow a dress, but Chicky’s heart wasn’t into it any more.

An idea came to my mind in that moment.

Grandparents!

I suggested that Chicky call them and ask if they could help her out.

You could see her mind turning.  Hmmm…

Before she called, she told me she was concerned about seeming greedy.  Now, Chicky may be rude and unappreciative of what we do for her, but she never, ever asks her grandparents for things.  She understands the value of money.

I walked into another room to give her privacy, and she made the call.  The grandparents answered her call for help with the generosity they have always showered on members of our family.

Chicky came into the room with a huge smile on her face.  She was ready to go back to the store.

We went back, as fast as the speed limit and weather would allow…Chicky was nervous the entire way.  “What if someone else bought the dress while we were gone,” she asked.

“Then that wasn’t the dress God intended you to have,” I told her.

The dress was still there though, and it went home with us after I gulped and payed.  A check is on the way from the grandparents, so I’m not overly concerned.  But still…

As Chicky and I walked out of the store, she whispered to me, “This must be what it feels like to be rich.”

I had to laugh.

Oh gosh…you probably want to see pictures of this dress, don’t you?  Ok…here they are…

The front

A close-up of the top

A close-up of the top

The back

The back

Close-up of the back

Close-up of the back

I know that the top looks a bit revealing, but after it’s altered, it will hug her slender body…a body that doesn’t boast cleavage, thank goodness.

I’m so thrilled that we had a wonderful day of shopping…no fighting (amazing, eh?)…just a regular day out with my daughter.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

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