The Loot

The night before Valentine's Day was a special night. It was the annual Daddy Daughter Dance hosted by our community. Emily and Lucy look forward to this dance every year. They love getting all dressed up. They love the time with their dad. I'd have to agree that he's a pretty fun date. But there is another reason they love it.

The prizes.

Let me back up to February of last year. Matt and I were done with the exploding pile of stuffed animals emerging from the girls' toy box. I seriously think that if we didn't do something about it we may have actually lost one of our children in that room. We told them they had to get rid of enough that each stuffed animal could fit in the toy box...with the lid closed. This was a painstaking process! Each of their stuffed animals had some meaning that prevented their banishment. In all fairness I was part of the problem. "Are you sure you want to get rid of that one? That's the one you picked out in Disneyland." or "Grandma gave that one to you for your first Christmas." Meanwhile, Matt was beating his head against the wall. After quite some time the job was accomplished. The lid on the toy box could actually close...with a little weight on it.

Less than a week later was the Daddy Daughter Dance. It was a fifties dance and I had spent quite some time preparing the girls' costumes. They were so excited! Off they went with their dad. I couldn't wait for them to get home and tell me all about it.

Finally I heard the garage door go up. In walks Emily with two very large teddy bears in her arms. Following her was Matt carrying a tired Lucy who was carrying two more cuddly creatures. In exasperation I looked at Matt and said, "What were you thinking?" With the same look he said, "There are four more in the car." WHAT?!! Yes, my lucky girls won a centerpiece. And not only were there eight teddy bears but there was also a chest, a large hollow book (not sure of the significance with that one), and at least four frames with pictures of teddy bears in them. How is that a centerpiece? How big was the table?

For my girls the night was perfect. They danced with their dad, their closest friends, and even Elvis. Yes, this was another prize for the night--having Elvis sing to you on stage. Few times have I seen my girls this happy. It almost made the teddy bears worth it.

This year there was a fairy tale theme. I think I had as much fun as the girls getting them all dressed up. They were beautiful and beaming. As their prince drove away with them, Miles and I took off for a night of our own. When we returned we walked in to what looked like Christmas. The girls were in their pajamas and there was the color pink everywhere.

Oh no...it happened again.

As the dance wound down they started drawing names for the centerpieces. Emily asked Matt if he thought their names would be drawn. He reminded them of the previous year's luck and that this year it was someone else's turn. Well, I guess that someone else left a little early because they had to draw extra names to find winners. I wish I could have been there to see their reaction when their names were called. Matt said Lucy was jumping up and down with her hands in the air yelling, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Well, at least it wasn't eight teddy bears.

It was a pet.

I'm not kidding. Okay, it's only a fish but the progression stands. What will it be next year?

Along with the fish they won another treasure chest, jewelry, several art projects (including sand art), fish to hang on the wall, a toy CD player, and a DVD special edition of The Little Mermaid. Everything Ariel. There is even an Ariel figurine in the water with their fish they named Mystery (quoting Emily "there's something fishy around here"). And they all lived happily ever after.

Despite the girls' different suggestions, I talked them into retiring the teddy bear pictures for a spot for Mystery. Now we just need a few more people to sit on the toy box.