MOM-ents: Hair Spray, Dancing and Cookies

This past Monday, Matt took Ryann to the Daddy Daughter Date Night hosted by Trenton Parks and Recreation department.  I wasn’t sure what to expect as this was their first year attending, but I have heard great things about it from other moms so I thought that Ryann would really enjoy it.   

The $4 entrance fee includes a corsage, cookie, juice, a picture, and the evening’s entertainment, which comes in the form of music for the girls and chasing their daughters around for the dads.  I imagined all the little girls standing around in circles talking and dancing while their dads stood behind them in silence holding their things.  However, that was not the case.  Matt, of course, met with some of our friends at the party and ran into people he knew but did not know would be there, so he had people to visit with in case Ryann wanted to dance and he didn’t. 

I came home from work and immediately began the process of getting Ryann ready, which included more primping that I have done for a date since the day we got married (sorry honey).  I wrangled her into some hot rollers, did her nails, got her clothes on, and coated her in a fine hairspray mist (see, you can learn something from watching “Toddlers and Tiaras”).  Then we waited for Matt to get home so they could leave for dinner. 

Matt got home from work and informed me that they were going to go to dinner after the dance. (Here's a hint for Dads that have never been to one of these dances: Going to dinner afterwards will ensure that your daughter will actually be willing to leave, as they still have something to look forward to.) So, I had to follow Ryann around for an extra hour making sure she didn’t mess up her hair or outfit so she would look cute for her picture.  

They left for the dance and got there about ten minutes to seven. (Second free tip for Dads: Get there a little early so you will not be stuck in the corsage and picture line. You need that picture as proof that you were actually at the dance–it’s like homecoming all over again.) They waited inside for their friends to show up.  They had a great time, although Ryann takes about a half hour to warm up anywhere that she goes, so for the first half of the dance Matt had to hold her.  She was, of course, fine by the time they brought out the cookies.  They went to dinner with some of the other dads and daughters from the dance and then came home and went to sleep.  I assume. As soon as they left I caught up on my shows and went straight up to bed to read until I dozed off (which probably took about 10 minutes). 

The popularity of this dance is another direct result of the city of Trenton giving its mothers what they need, because it isn’t just a night for dads and daughters; it turns out to be a great night for moms too.