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[#1]

“So I’m thinking I won’t go to Homecoming this year, mom.”

Now there’s something I didn’t expect to hear...if there’s one thing my daughter is, it’s an active participant in social and school activities. But she’s also known to be a “mold-breaker,” someone who colors outside the lines. So my next obvious question to her was, “why not?”

Turns out, she and her three best friends had been cooking up an alternative activity for weeks. They went to Homecoming last year and had a ball…but thought that it might be even more fun, special and memorable if this time they organized their own more intimate “Fancy Night Out on the Town.” I was asked if I would chaperone. What do you think I said???  

The girls got to work making dinner reservations, shopping for dresses and shoes, planning out their hair-and-makeup strategies. It was so fun watching these girls plan for their night. And I was honored to be a part of it.

That evening I took photos of the girls, giggled and laughed with them as they stumbled a bit in their new high heel shoes, and watched from across the restaurant (at my “chaperone’s table”) as they ordered their meals and had the time of their lives. Gabby calls this “being grownuppy.”  I call it making momma proud.

The girls grew closer that night, important since they’ll be going separate ways for college in just a couple of years. And Gabby and I grew closer too, if that’s possible. As I watch her blossom and mature, it makes my heart swell. These next couple of years will be full of milestones. And while each one brings us closer to the day she leaves the nest, oddly enough each one also brings her closer and deeper into my heart. That’s what will make this transition beautiful rather than painful.

These lovely gals make their parents so proud! I’d love to hear about special occasions you’ve shared with your kids/grandkids throughout the years. Share your comments with me below!

XO-

Jen