How do I get pulled into these things? All week a friend of mine has been talking about going to the high school prom. Her son is a sophomore at the high school (not attending prom), so I thought she was just taunting him in some way. Well, yesterday at about 3pm I got a call from her saying that the Prom Moms were in a pinch and they needed another prom chaperon.S: I said that I have a friend. That would be YOU. Can YOU...? Would YOU...? I think we can have fun.
Me: Are you serious? You are really going to the prom? I thought you were making that up? When is it?
S: Tonight, at 9:30. We have to meet at the high school and then we are heading to Chicago for the prom and the prom after party on the Spirit of Chicago.
Me: We are leaving at 9:30? What kind of prom is that? That sounds like a grown folks parties when you don't leave home until after nine.
We did a lot of laughing about it. This is my BEST friend. She is actually much more like my sister. She is my children's Godmother. She agreed to be their legal guardian. She has agreed (without hesitation) to keep my children when I am on business trips. She is traveling with me to Ethiopia to bring my children home. You guessed it...I said...
Me: I don't have anything to wear to the prom. My hair is not done, my nails are not done...
S: All the moms are just wearing pants suits. You don't have to be dressed up like it's your prom. Wear your cute black dress.
Me: What dress?
S: I don't know exactly but I know you have one that's cute. You can do it. (One of our favorite phrases to encourage each other). We will have fun. (We always do).
I decided that after all of that I would get dressed and go. I thought me and my friend would hang out at the prom, sing a few songs and dance on enough records just to embarrass ourselves. It was very different than what I expected.
I didn't get home until 4:00 AM!
We got to the school at 9:30 and learned that my friend and I would be separated once we arrived in Chicago. The kids were already at the prom, we were the second team of chaperons from 10 - 11pm. Then we were split into teams to take buses to the after party.
Each Prom Mom was responsible for chaperoning her own bus! I was given a big list, clipboard, markers, and a flashlight. We had to check kids onto the bus, pass out tickets, check them off the bus, and then back onto the bus for the long, late-night ride home. I was on bus #10 and she was on bus #6 with her own group of teens headed to the cruise boat. We boarded the 3-floored ship at MIDNIGHT! The parents walked the ship, we commented on all the dresses and oh my the dances. The kids partied like it was 2009! We boarded the buses at about 3AM to head back home. We were all wilting, the hairdos had drooped, the girls makeup had smeared, they were all walking around in bare feet. It was a long night, 425 kids and it was only about 45 degrees outside. I was told that we had to make sure all of the kids on our bus had a ride home before we could leave.
Let me say it again, I got home at 4AM! In a week I've been from preschool to the prom. All I keep thinking is that when my children are old enough for the prom, I will be too old for all of this. LOL
5 comments:
I think I might be too old for that right now, let alone when my girls are ready for the prom!
Whew! That sounds exhausting- but I hope you had (some) fun!
I'm with Grace. I'm already too old. (ANd my oldest is only 5) My sister's kids are already having kids and my kids are just babies. I keep telling my sister, I'll be so old and crazy by the time my children start having children, I won't even care. She on the other hand doesn't want to be called 'Granny' because it's too old sounding. So she is Nana.
I'm betting you'll be the 'cool' mom.
Jan
Grace, exhausting trumped fun, but it was an experience. My friends are either planning their children's weddings, celebrating their grandchildren's birthdays or teaching their teens to drive. I don't know if I will be the cool mom, but I will be the old one. It serves me right. My mother had me at 32, she was the quite a bit older than my friends moms. She also grayed early, so kids often asked if she was my grandma. I hated that. I wonder what they will call me when I show up? LOL
Hey Jan. One of my good friends (too young she says to be grandma) is called GiGi. I like it so much, we have decided that my children will call her Aunt GiGi!
This is too funny. My mom is a dean at a big highschool and has to go to all the proms/dances and be the one who busts the kids smoking, drinking, etc. It sounds like torture. You are such a good friend!
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