I have officially claimed my rite of passage as an old a$$ mom with an almost grown daughter! Saige had her Junior Prom this past Saturday and needless to say, I had stomach pains all day (it might have been that spicy chicken sandwich I ate at like 1130am, but my “woe is me” excuse sounds better). Actually there were many factors that played into me acclaiming this rite of passage. Let’s do a recap on the events of the day…
Prior to the weekend I did what all Prom mommies do which is get the dress steamed, buy shoes, order the boutonniere, work out hairstyles/make-up, make appts, etc. The special circumstance that we had to incorporate was the fact that Saige had two games that day before Prom. That makes timing for the day crucial…and let’s face it, my time management skills blow. I have a ton of great skills, but time management is laying stagnant at a solid #80 out of 100 (I mean, if I had a list of my skills…in a journal, next to my bed…but really, who does that? Er…).
Back to the events, the boys and I (with a surprise visit from Uncle Alex and Camille) watched the games and as always I get super excited admiring “the beast” as she does her thing on the field. She is so talented and it keeps getting better. They won both by the way and Saige even hit a home run (did I mention beastly yet?). After the games it was go time…I needed to pick up the dress, grab the boutonniere, get back home, set out jewelry, coordinate with my girl Amee to come over..she did Saige’s twists in her hair and it looked amazing (thank you my friend), and throw in a last minute trip to the store. And so you ask…where does is get cra cra?? The place where I took the dress to be steamed was a cleaner/tailor shop off base run my some random Turkish dudes…it was my first time using them since the one on base was going to take too long. I prepaid, thankfully, earlier in the week and hopped on over there around 2:30pm after the games. To my complete and utter disgust, what I stumbled upon not only made my stomach turn but it made me want to tackle somebody. The blinds were drawn, the inviting and shiny neon OPEN sign was gray and shunning, the word on the door saying open daily til 8pm had a disclaimer…Saturdays, we open til 2pm!!! I up-chucked slightly, starting slapping the glass like a mad woman, looked to my right and saw my worst fear become a reality…Saige standing there with her mouth dropped, despair in her eyes, and screaming “It says 2 o’clock, Mom….what is happening?”. Immediately, the stark raving mad Diane sense left me and Warrior Mom Diane entered the building, literally . There was no way I was going to let this ruin her day. I barreled into the adjoining store and begged, pleaded, stood my ground, and made someone help me. After searching and going through about 18 keys and a couple phone calls…we broke in that place!! I walked right behind that Turkish guy’s counter and grabbed that dress like an intern for Vogue would do, flipped the key lady my dress tag receipt, and I was out of there in 7 seconds flat!!! Most importantly, Saige’s confidence and trust in her mom remained…and that’s what it’s all about for us in parenting isn’t it?? Fast forward to the prom prep…Saige had gotten her hair shaved the night before and wanted stars etched in her hair in conjunction with the prom’s theme “Written in the Stars”, but the Germans are limited in hair art apparently (just another minor perk you stateside folk probably take for granted…LOL). But we got pointed zig zags and then Amee came in and whipped out some side twists and Saige finished up with the curls…ever since I showed Saige a pic of her when she was two and I cut her bangs crooked, she forbids me to touch her hair…sigh, so touchy! She chose a beautiful pair of blue gem earrings passed down from Maria’s collection (I love that she has the ability to incorporate a piece of her Gramdma into her growing up even though she is not here with us physically). She wears a piece of her jewelry every single day…and it becomes a part of her daily life…from talking about it with her friends to remembering where she saw her wear it in the past. I’m so glad she has those memories forever…
After the dress was on, I was standing there thinking how blessed I was to have such a healthy and happy daughter…and that she was embarking on yet another huge milestone in her life that I could be a part of. My life really is grand…
A group of the kids met up for dinner at Milano’s and coincidentally, there a perfect picture spot right next door and so the photo ops began 
Stunner Saige!!
Sissy Brother Action
Corsage and Boutonniere time
Awwwww
They were hilarious, even with the nervous energy lingering
Totally Cute!!
This could be a billboard, for reals. Great modeling guys
The age old “Prom Pose”
Proud Daddy…no really, that’s his expression for elation!! HAHAHA
Saige and Lauren being Cra Cra!
Softball Girlies
Gorgeous girl group
That’s a big party
Nobody wants a sucker punch coming at them from these chicks!!
Work it girls!!!
Can’t wait for the next adventure that comes her way…and watching her shine right through it!
P.S. We play probably our most toughest team to date this Friday against our local rivals for the Division title to end the season…say a lil prayer for the Lady Raiders to end with an undefeated season!!
Thx for looking…
Di
