Dancing with Daddy

Last night Mallory and I crashed the Daddy-Daughter dance at the girls' school.

Coryn loves dressing up, so it was no surprise when she disappeared into her room and emerged wearing a long fuchsia gown. Jo first insisted on wearing a long sleeve tee and skirt, but in the end I convinced her to wear a dress.  Dad even donned a tie and sport coat for the evening.

When we arrived at school there was a line up of dads and daughters waiting to have their photo taken. Thanks to a crew of moms the gym was completely transformed with bright balloons, twinkling lights and a rainbow of flowers. The girls went straight to the refreshment table for trail mix and kool-aid popcorn. A DJ played pop music, and when the moms figured out how to turn the overhead lights off, the dads joined the daughters on the dance floor.

The music was mainly Today's Hits. Which meant the dance floor was primarily occupied by the daughters, but there were a few brave dads who attempted to dance to the new age music. When I asked which song they liked dancing to best, Jo said Cotton Eye Joe and Coryn said Party in the USA.

It wasn't long before shoes were kicked off. Jo and Coryn only left the dance floor for bathroom breaks or to re-fuel with snacks. This is the view we had of Cokes for most of the night, running off with her best bud:

With her big sisters off with their girlfriends, Mallory was happy to be Dad's dance partner for the night. Or at least until her adoring fans cut in.

And yes, there were tears when it was time to leave. Coryn didn't want to miss out dancing with her girlfriends. She tells me she wanted to stay and dance until midnight.
The crying subsided when the girls found out they each got a balloon to take home. Tied to the end of the balloon was a rock and a poem:

I am your little prayer rock

and this is what I'll do

Just put me on your pillow

until the day is through.

When you turn back the covers,

and climb into bed,

Whack! your little prayer rock

will hit you on the head.

Then you will remember

as the day is through,

to kneel and say your prayers

as you had wanted to.

And when you are finished,

just dump me on the floor,

I'll stay there through the night

to vie your help once more.

When you get up next morning,

Clunk! I'll stub your toe,

so that you remember

your prayers before you go.

Put me back on the pillow,

and your clever little prayer rock

will continue to your aid.

Because your Holy Father,

cares and loves you so,

He wants you to remember

to talk to him, you know.