The One With The Last Dance

April 17 - 19, 2020

So many lasts - happening in a new, FIRST kind of way.  Like the Social Distancing Prom trend on social media.  Emma found this to be interesting, and intriguing.  And in true Emma fashion, she MADE IT HAPPEN!  She came back to Orlando from her home in Ponca City on Saturday to get dressed up on her prom dress.  She called her oldest and best guy friend, Brock, and talked him into it well.  Got her step-mom, and Brock's mom to take some pictures.  And it was EPIC!  Thes photos speak for themselves!

These two best friends forever went to their first school dance together in 6th grade and just couldn’t fathom not getting to have the last one so they made their own. This is just another in a long line of memories these two share!

Lara also had the last of something this weekend, too.  Her last (sort-of) "Senior Night."  The baseball season was basically non-existent.  She has no pictures from this very short season.  But this week, the baseball coaches highlighted one of the 9 seniors and their trainer on social media.  Each day was dedicated to a senior and their memories.  Saturday was Lara's day!  Her final senior sports season came to a new, FIRST kind of end.  And we are so proud of her!

A little more than 3 weeks until they turn 18 and their Senior Year comes to a dramatic, early "official" end.  Still not 100% sure what graduation will look like... *sigh*  This is not at all what I had imagined...

The One That Should Have Had a Prom

April 3 - 5, 2020

What a weird time we are living in.  We have marked everything on our calendar for the month of April as "CANCELLED."  It's sad.  But, it's also nice for a break.  Less rush.  More family time.  More people out walking the neighborhood.  More people checking in on each other.  More kindness.  More love.  I hope it stays that way when things go back to "normal."

I am cherishing this "extra" time with my kids and family.  I get all these extra hours with my Lara Beth before she goes off to college.  Emma has basically moved out of her dad's house and is finishing her semester in Newkirk working for her grandpa and doing her online schooling.  They both have had their last day of school rescheduled for May 15.  ONE DAY after they turn 18.

But there was no Prom on Saturday, April 4.  No make-up appointments.  No hair appointments.  No pictures.  No glam and glitz.  Emma's prom was supposed to be here in Stillwater at the Community Center.  Lara's was to be in the Student Union Ballroom on the OSU campus.  Lara was supposed to take the ACT one last time this day.  And Emma was going to attend Greek discovery day on campus.  None of this happened.  We did get to celebrate Nana's birthday with a drive-by greeting though!

We also got to participate in a fun community social media video challenge.  Our elementary school, Westwood, was challenging folks to make a video of themselves singing the school song.  Lara was nominated by her babysitting client, Gabe (she is his summer Nanny).  He nominated Lara, and his big brother Luke.  Lara and Luke were in the same second-grade class at Westwood 10 years ago (with Mrs. Fox, same teacher Jake had and Finn currently has).  This was her challenge.  She challenged Mrs. Fox and her brothers!


(peep the shirt!!!) 
We spent some time working on graduation announcements this weekend, too.  We got mailing lists together, chose the pictures to put on them, designed them, and now we wait.  Do we wait to see if there is a date for this?  Do we send them now to be ahead of the curve?  What do we do?!?  More on that in a later installment...

Tomorrow, Monday, April 6, we "go back to school."  Distance Learning.  Packets.  Zoom meetings.  Each kid doing different things at different times.  We'll see how it goes!

We had an idea over the weekend to honor the Stillwater High School Class of 2020 and leave a legacy from them for the high school.  Stay tuned for updates next week...

In the meantime:

The One With All The Colors

April 12 - 14, 2019

This weekend, it was Emma's turn for junior prom.  And, it rained on her as well!  Lara spent the weekend home (alone) taking care of our house and our puppy while the Weaver men and I traveled to Northwest Arkansas for (another) basketball tournament.  Lara caught up on laundry, homework, cleaning her room and car, and rest.  She showed up for some of the prom festivities and generally had a relaxing weekend.

Friday night, Emma and her friend Abigail got together to make their own corsages.  They decided that paying florist prices was just not work it, so they got the supplies, so ingenuity, a hot gun, and went to town on the project!  I am super proud of their initiative, and even more so of the results.  They turned out so well!

Saturday was prom day.  There was hair and makeup and food.  Something about McAlister's for lunch.  There was dinner twice - once at Texas Roadhouse and something about McDonald's in the truck on the way.  Caden, Emma's date, let Emma drive.  It was all very fun to hear about.  And I was lucky enough to receive some pictures.  A few from the Student Union (my work building!) on campus, and one from the promenade portion of the night at Backstage.  It looks and sounds like she had a great time.  Here is a photo recap:

Backstage, Stillwater

Emma - Jr Prom Mulhall-Orlando 2019

And because I want them to still be twins and still do everything together, even though I know that is not a reality, I had to make a collage pic of them in their finery

Prom - just another reminder that Junior Year is almost over!

The One With All That Jazz

April 5 - 7, 2019

Another Spring weekend - another crazy schedule!  Baseball, basketball, prom - it never ends.  But the memories!  We are building life long memories that can never be replaced. As a family, as individuals, as teenagers.  These two redheads will thank me fore this someday! It is definitely a labor of love to keep it going, but I am determined to see it through to the end! 

The girls' paths did not cross until Sunday so I will approach this post one teenager at a time.  Starting with Lara - who had a CRAZY weekend!

Friday night, Lara was in Enid with the baseball team for a tournament.  They had an afternoon game and an early evening game.  Went 1-1 on the day.  But, she also had to be back in Enid early the next day for the final day of the tournament.  Even though it was prom, she had promised coach she would be there.  Her commitment to the team is strong, plus she only decided at the last minute to go to prom (More on that in a minute), so she left super early Saturday mornig for baseball, then hurried home for prom prep.

She was going to prom with a group of girls, including her BFF Erika.  BUT!  Erika had only convinced her to go last weekend.  So, we had to find a dress and shoes, get things figured out, and make plans in a very short period of time!  Luckily, this has somehow become my specialty.  We called Emma's friend Katie to ask about a dress Lara had previously tried on when searching for a Wrestling Homecoming dress.  GOOD NEWS!  She was willing to share!  Then, shoes.  Emma had a pair of heels (this dress form Katie was LONG) that she had worn to semi last year, and they fit Lara.  DONE!  Erika helped Lara get a makeup appointment with the  same girl doing hers, I was in tap to help with hair, pictures at 5:30, dinner at 7:00 (all at a friend's house), prom at 8:30 on OSU campus; after party back at the same house, sleepover with Erika (2:00am curfew to be at E's).  WE GOT THIS!  (Oh, and I had to make a side dish for dinner and supply snacks for the after party - WHEW!)  I didn't think about the fact that even the solo girls would want wrist corsages, so I dropped the ball there, but we fashioned one out of an unworn boutonniere for pictures.  And the results were awesome!

Lara. Stillwater Prom 2019. All That Jazz

E and L

Even allowed one with Mom and Nana!

We got to catch a glimpse of our Emma girl on Sunday.  She came by the house on her way to church to pick up the dress and return it to Katie, plus Lara still had a pair of shoes of Emma's from her trip to Gulf Shores last month.  Emma came in and gave us all hugs - so we saw her for about 2 total minutes! LOL!  She did send this cute pic of her with her dog Skye - who thinks she is a lap dog!

31 more days of school for Lara.  24 for Emma.  And then, Seniors!  How can this be possible?