JOYMOUNTAIN: Ready down to their Toes

Senior Year, a wonderful phenomena in the life of a student; full of
" last time " events and bittersweet experiences. Pierson and Katelyn are my two senior grand kids this year and I look forward...sadly to this special time with them. A week ago Katelyn called and asked would I like to come be a part of all her homecoming events. Without considering how, what, when and where I said ....Of course! I soon discovered what the agenda was. :) Read on.....

The week of homecoming Katelyn came by for breakfast before school and forgot her lunch so I dropped it off at her school office on my way to an appointment. ( I am well practiced in this exercise for 40 some odd years. :) I am glad I had the chance to go by because the halls were loaded with Homecoming decorations and gifts for the football players... It was very exciting... :)

I had to miss the Homecoming Pep Rally due to a dental appointment....

but would be attending the game that night... It never occurred to me that I might not feel that great after the pounding I took at the dentist's office....yikes! I was invited though...and those grand kid invitations are precious....so jaw and headache and extreme pain would not prevent this Mimi from attending her granddaughter's homecoming game. As I walked out the door...I got a call from my youngest son...who was dealing with a parenting situation with his 5 year old...and wanted me to weigh in on it. I am always blessed that my opinion matters....so as I drove to the game...we talked over the situation which was about submitting to parental authority and I was only certain of one thing... he was up to the task. :) My advice.... you must win... :)

Lara and James had great seats saved....right next to the band... Boy were we lucky....all those drums and instruments...to lead us on.... :) We were also lucky to get them....because they were the last 3 seats in the stadium! It was standing room only on the Bishop Lynch side of the field!

I should have been pre-warned....when I parked a zillion miles away in another school parking lot because all parking spaces at Bishop Lynch were taken! Soooo after I walked over hill and dale, being led the way by the distant cheers and drum corp of the marching band....I was delighted we even had a place to sit!

During the game I got a text from my son that simply said...I won...He was discovering the pain of parenting. I was right though...he was up to the task...and all was ok.

By the time I left the game to go home...my already aching jaw was even throbbing to the tune of the marching band. I wouldn't have been anywhere else though and loved seeing the smiles of my granddaughter, who happily posed with friends for all the photo ops.

It was worth every minute...including the hike back to the car after the game... On the way home...I decided I deserved a hot fudge sundae from Braums.....and I had just enough time before they closed!! It was just the medicine my poor ole jaw needed... ;)

After I returned home....I prepared my offerings for the next morning. Katelyn and two of her girlfriends were going to have a sleep over at her house to get ready together for the big dance. The day started for them at 10:30 am Saturday with a brunch prepared by her mom and I. Lara and I set it up with pretty fall colors and the food was delicious. Perfect way to start the day!

We were joined by one of the girl's moms...and that was really nice... Lots of mom and grandma chatting as we fueled up for our big day!

After we finished our brunch we headed up to a nearby salon for manicures and pedicures. As a special treat to me from Katelyn and her mom...I joined them for a pedi! Ya'll remember my last pedicure in Australia...complimentary of Wes and Missy. :) see archives May 2009 My Aussie http://joymountain.blogspot.com/2009_05_13_archive.html. There was much fuss and pamper activity , as is appropriate for such occasions, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. My person was Asian and conversation was not as easy as it was with my Aussie. She was cute and fun though...and promised me beautiful nails.. and they were! :)

Time was ticking away and our clocks were synchronized for 5:30 when the boys would arrive....ready for pictures. Make - up at Nordstrums was next on the agenda!!! .... With car calculations that still leave me breathless, I found myself the driver of my daughter's very long, large white suburban, headed...who knows where! She drove 'KK's friend's small blue car...and I was to follow. I followed. :)

After circling Nordstrum's for the second time, (a complicated maneuver)

I got a call from Lara...seems I was following the wrong little blue car!! She gave me instructions for how to get on the interstate to connect back up with them. This part is a bit sketchy to me and I think they are missing an opportunity on America's Got Talent in the Magician's genre...because we somehow miraculously dropped off a girl...and ended up with another girl ...I think....and we were taking one of them to do hair...and left one behind... which was probably me! Girls were disappearing and materializing in three places...and we were here and there...on the road to what seemed like no where! Definitely a Laurel and Hardy Keystone Cops experience!! It's the math...I am telling you...don't try to figure it out! So now...we were headed downtown....for hair. Did she say downtown!! My stomach was in immediate pretzel knots reminiscent of my Australia driving escapades!

This particular area of downtown...or more properly called...uptown.... can be hard to negotiate. I was traveling on Central Expressway, which is a perfectly nice expressway, but there is a place on this highway...and you Dallasites know what I am talking about... where roads start converging....and that is exactly where I had to exit. One look at the maze of underpasses and overpasses and highway splits make your head spin....especially in a big ole tank passing for a suburban. I jumped every curb for 5 miles....and it was a guess every time I turned. Once I was almost in a pile up that had me sending fresh Jesus help us pleas heavenward. Lara, bless her, encouraged me the whole way by saying..." You are bigger than they are...don't worry about it. " Yes, my girls just overflow with encouragement. :) And lets see...how would I know if I was going the wrong way?? Why easy as pie. That would be if I was headed to south Texas. THAT makes sense! :) I think my poor guardian angels were on overtime this day...running interference...directing traffic...coaching and the such ....because I somehow made it to my exit and onto the streets of uptown. Whew!

My delight at the accomplishment was quickly snuffed out when I discovered a SEA of people and cars. Hmmm...Saturday....shouldn't be traffic or this many people..unless.. Lets see... People...October...State Fair....Football.... yep......Texas / Oklahoma weekend!! OM Gosh! The biggest game of our football year....and we were where they gathered to watch the game...holler and party!!!!!

The streets were so lined with cars I could hardly drive my tank down it. Lara was off somewhere looking for a couple of inches to park the little blue car she was driving. Murmuring pleas for help from the Almighty, I circled complicated narrow streets full of party happy people.

I finally found Lara among the throng of revelers....waving madly. She called on her cell phone and said..."slow down...I'll jump in." God surely has a special reward for mothers because with no effort at all....she jumped in! That's my girl! :) We finally found a great illegal parking space that she vowed she would fight in court if she got towed.... Towed!!! OM GOSH! More prayers!! Time was now racing toward our DDay synchronization Deadline!! On foot...grateful for our illegal parking space ....we made our way ONLY a few miles to the hair salon... Once there Lara took right over and ordered lunch to be delivered. I could have sworn I heard the little da da tune of the twilight zone. In no time at all KK's hair was beautifully done with photo documentation of every portion of the transformation. We tucked her in her car to dash home before the guys got there. All we had to do was rearrange in KK's old parking space the little blue car.... with the help of an angel who happened to be passing by and understood new keys. I won't explain...but they don't make keys like they used to. We then headed off in the direction of the rendezvous.

All in a day's work

Beauty in the making

Wow!

Lara made frantic calls to James on the way home to light candles and pick up things before the boys got there. We arrived as they began to show up. Quickly we dashed in to snap " getting ready " pics... posed I assure you ....because we had been doing that all day! They were perfect though....and all was going smoothly with the only hitch that we were missing one of the girls. She was still getting her hair done...in uptown!! Yikes!.... James was masterful though.... Dads are so great the way they just take charge. He herded all the arriving dates to his Man Cave for the remainder of the football game. No explanation needed of course...the girls weren't ready... :) Finally our last little girl...the homecoming queen ...arrived...and dashed in to put on her clothes... whew!! Ready to rock n roll!!

Ready down to their toes

The guys in James' Man Cave

My Girls

Dad to the rescue

As they drove off....excited for their Last Homecoming Dance...I had to smile and thank God I didn't miss a minute. :)

Afterward...tired and happy... I snapped some pics of Justin....who knew Mimi was "on" in the photography department....and had a few action shots to show me/ us. My grand kids know...I am not shy about sharing their wonderfulness with the world. :) Lara, James and I hugged. No words were needed for the satisfaction we felt for having sent off our beautiful KK to her special event.

I got a text later on that evening from KK that said...

"Thank you so much for spending the day and experiencing homecoming with me. I love you!"

sniff! :)

Lara sent me a message on Facebook as she and I worked feverishly to get the pictures posted. The kids would be waiting to see them... :)

She said...

Thank you for all your help... I couldn't have done it without you.

Being needed and wanted is just what this Mom and Mimi wants to hear.