As per our usual normal behavior, the doll and I met my sister Ann Marie at the mall to find an appropriate dress for the homecoming dance, the morning of the dance. “Nothing like waiting until the last possible moment,” My sister teased over my objection, “It’s not the last minute, we still have about eight hours until the dance,” and laughed. The doll smiled but, like her mother, was eager to get this (shopping) part done. Thankfully, only few hours later, we managed to find her a pretty dress (on sale too) and a nice pair of flattering flats.
About three hours before the dance, we met up with another pair of freshman girls Callie and Maria; to have photos taken at our local botanical garden. “Look at all the other couples,” Maria, one of the girls remarked as groups of dressed up couples walked passed, on their way to a gazebo. “This is a very popular place to take photographs for weddings and dances…” Callie’s mother explained. After a short careful walk across the mildly wet grounds of the gardens, we we found the perfect spot to stop and commence picture taking.
Once all the pictures from the botanical garden were taken, we parted company and drove across down to pick up the doll’s best friend, Allie, who was unable to attend the garden photo session. All the way to the dance, the two girls laughed, talked in high voices (so high, I had a hard time deciphering what they were saying) and expressed large amounts of nervous anxiety about what their first high school dance would be like.
When we arrived at the dance I had the girls stop long enough to snap one more photograph, chronicling their next big step into their Freshman year. As they turned to leave I said, “Have fun doll, take picture and remember to tell me everything that happens…” “Okay mom,” She replied automatically. Then the two girls turned and ran toward the entrance while I watched from the car…envious of all flies on the walls in that gymnasium.
Mean Mommy's Memoir 