The Big Dance

Saturday night was a night that I hope Merry will remember as long as I do. It was a night filled with firsts for a very special four year old little girl. Any reservation I may have entertained were swept away in the joy Merry felt on her very special day.

Merry's first appointment was scheduled for 10:30 am, hair and nails at Margaret's Salon, Nails Etc. While Mommy, Merry and Thomas were at the Salon, David dug dirt and I painted the exterior of our house. Merry's hair appointment was for 3:30pm the moment she got back I had to dash to pick up my tuxedo. I arrived home to a house full of family and friends to see us off.





Merry looked as beautiful on the outside as I know she is on the inside. I rushed upstairs, showered and got dressed, coming downstairs I had the awkward feeling I had picking up my date on Prom night almost 18 years ago. Only this time I was escorting my daughter, not the object of my affection.

We jumped in Grampy's car and were off to the ball. We were among the first to arrive and got right to the dance floor. We showed off our moves and had a special time together. The place filled up and many of Merry's friends from dance class arrived, I believe that my little girl had a magical evening.

When Merry returned from trying on the glass slipper which did not quite fit, she informed me that it was not really Cinderella and Prince Charming. She told me that Cinderella was a girl wearing a wig and that Prince Charming was wearing sneakers. The cool thing is that it did not bother her. She was just happy they were there and entertaining her.

Mercifully the evening was only an hour and a half, any longer would have been too much. Not for Merry, for me, I painted through lunch and the only food they had were cupcakes and cookies. My one gripe was the raffle, I did not know there was a raffle until the end of the evening when they asked all the girls to sit and wait to see if their name would be called for a special prize. I was not the only Dad who was unaware of the raffle, five girls out of fifty seem to have won all of the prizes, it was very uncomfortable, Merry waiting for her name to be called, me knowing that it wouldn't be. Next time I will buy a stack of chances.