Prom - How Times Have Changed

I remember prom when I was in high school. All the girls anxiously waited to see if someone was going to ask them to prom because if you didn't have a date you didn't go.

This year as prom time rolled around, our daughter started talking about the pros and cons of going with a date to the prom. The conversations went something like, "If someone asks you and you say yes then people assume you "like" this person and you are dating. Also, that means you are stuck with one person for the entire evening - like you have to entertain them. I think I would rather go with some friends and be able to just enjoy the evening."

So, that is exactly what she and a couple of her friends did. They made reservations for dinner at a nice restaurant. My husband was their chauffeur for the evening. He dropped them off for dinner. Picked them up when they called and delivered them to the prom. When prom was over he took them to an after-party and then onto Krispy Kreme for hot donuts!

I love that it was an option for her to just go with some good friends and have a great time. Based on all the chatter afterwards I am pretty certain she will carry fun memories of her prom night into the next chapter of her life.

The Empty Nest

Our daughter is getting ready to graduate from high school. In the last month or so I have been asked questions like, "How are you doing with all this?" or "Are you guys ready for the empty nest?"

Truth be told I think we are doing pretty well. There are a lot of things we intentionally decided to drop or not do when our daughter was born. I think both of us are looking forward to picking up some of those things and investing more time in some newer interests like sailing.

I'm sure things are going to be very different and it will be an adjustment. Guaranteed the house will be much quieter and my husband won't be walking around behind our daughter reminding her to pick up her shoes, books, purse and various other things and take them to her room. But - - I think we are going to be okay.

When our daughter was a newborn a wise friend told us to be sure to take good care of our marriage because even though there would be days when we thought 18 would never come, it would arrive and we would be back to just the two of us. Lately I've been asking myself where the time went and I'm glad we heeded her advice.

So for all you guys who are already emptynesters, what's your best advice?

Are you a Happy Wife?

The other day I ran across this website, happy wives club. I am definitely a happy wife. In this day and age when we mostly hear about how unhappy people are it was refreshing to run across this site.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that my husband and I never have disagreements or tough times. I'm just saying overarchingly I am a happy wife. I think part of it is my mindset, but I give a lot of credit to my husband who is very intentional about taking good care of our relationship. That is a real blessing.

Are you a happy wife?

Oscar Night and Sandra Bullock

I have to confess that I don't usually watch the awards shows, but this past Sunday I watched the Oscars. I was really pulling for Sandra Bullock to win an award for The Blind Side.

I watched the Barbara Walters special beforehand. In her interview with Bullock, Barbara commented that Sandra's parents were married for a very long time. Then she asked Sandra what she thought her mother would say about her nomination if she were still alive. Sandra responded that her mother would be mortified if there was a tear shed during her acceptance speech. She also said that her mom always worried that her kids would be normal. Her mother encouraged them not to be like everybody else, but to be original. What a gift.

I have to say I thought Sandra Bullock was a class act. Her dress was stunning. Her humility was clearly evident along with her sense of humor. Her acceptance speech was gracious. I loved the way Sandra talked about her mother, how her mom clearly protected her, taught her the importance of hard work, that everybody is important no matter who you are or where you come from and how to love.

I got kind of emotional when they showed her husband looking at her with adoration. You could so clearly see how proud he was of her.

When your children are grown, what do you hope they will say you taught them about life?

Prom Night

Do you remember prom night? Most people would agree that there have always been crazy things that have happened on prom night. While this night is considered a rite of passage, there are some things that just don't mix well with prom. Alcohol and drunk driving are a given, but what about getting a hotel room? I have racked my brain to try and figure out what good could come from juniors and seniors in high school having a hotel room? The other thing that doesn't work well is not having a real plan for the evening. It's just too easy to follow the crowd when you don't have a plan.

As parents our goal is to help our kids make this a real night to remember, not because of bad things that happen, but because of the great time they had. So, how do we do that?

Be clear about your expectations.

Ask for an itinerary including where they will be, who they will be with and what they plan to do after the prom.

Discuss the risks of drinking/drinking and driving and remind them that if they do this and they get caught chances are good they will lose their license for a year never mind the potential to hurt innocent people in the process.

Consider hosting a prom after party or a midnight breakfast at your house with no alcohol.

Encourage your teen to attend Prom Night 4-1-1 so they don't have a 9-1-1 on prom night.

One of the best ways to show your teens you love them is to set limits and help your teen understand the limits are intended to make sure that the best laid prom plans are played out in a safe environment.

What do you remember about your prom night????

Dads and Daughters

It was tooo much fun watching all the Dads bringing their daughters to Father Daughter date night at Chick-fil-A. Girls young and old were stylin' as they stepped out on the town with their dad. The looks on their faces were priceless.

Linen tablecloths, long-stem roses for the daughters, and candles on the table set the tone for a great dinner with dad.

Once dads and daughters were seated, someone came and took their order. While they were waiting for their food, there were questions on the table for them to discuss like what is your favorite movie, who is your best friend or who is your favorite athlete and why?

I loved watching the interaction between the girls and their fathers. Many of the them were very young. As they were being seated I watched dads help the girls take off their coats. Then they pulled out the chair for them or helped them get situated in a booth. What a great lesson in how they should expect to be treated by a guy.

I loved hearing all the chatter at the tables. I didn't see dads on cell phones or their Blackberries. They were totally focused on their daughters.

Special memories were made that night that will never be forgotten!

SWEET!!!!!!!

More pictures from Father Daughter Datenight

If you're not loving your spouse, who is????

So, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being in the pits and 10 being off the charts great) how well are you loving your spouse? I think I would give myself an 8.