It is close to noon, and I have not finished my morning coffee. Both Little Chirp and Brainy Bird are still asleep. I myself, did not get up until after nine this morning. If I had not woken up to check my phone for the latest update on Yvonne’s husband, I would perhaps still be laying in bed. I felt relieved to find Yvonne’s text message that her husband is up and walking around his hospital room. This is after emergency hernia surgery yesterday.
We are expecting rain today. The over cast skies block the sunlight so much that is dark in the house without the lights on. It is the perfect day to sleep in. I hope that the clouds are not teasing us and that it will in fact rain a bit to water my herb garden. Funny, according to our weather forecast it is raining right now. When is the forecast ever correct?
The boys are both exhausted from an eventful day yesterday and late night. Yesterday, Brainy Bird had his senior prom. We went into his senior year not expecting that they would be able to have a prom. They did not have homecoming this past fall.
Yesterday’s prom day was one of the best days of our lives. The day started with me waking the boys up. Brainy Bird had to get up to help me with preparations for his prom. Little Chirp had the option of sleeping in or getting up to join us for breakfast out and grocery shopping. Little Chirp chose food over sleep. The three of us headed to breakfast, where Little Chirp plugged into the prom plans for the first time. The key highlights of the plans for prom in Little Chirp’s brain – 1) Prom is today. 2) There is steak AND lobster. As soon as Little Chirp became aware of this, his day revolved around what he would get to eat and when.
After breakfast, we went to HEB for the final groceries that we needed for the prom dinner. Little Chirp especially liked being tasked with picking out the truffles. One truffle for each guest, plus one for Little Chirp and Mercedes. Mercedes is the daughter of our friends that hosted the prom.
After grocery shopping, we cleaned up the backyard for the post prom party. We also made four more trips to the grocery store. I laughed when I looked at my credit card activity this morning. I am pretty sure that five trips to the grocery store in one day is a record for us.
We arrived to the host home for Brainy Bird’s prom to find an amazing set up. My friends, Josh and Irma hosted. Josh did the cooking, and Irma did the decorations. They did this as a graduation gift for Brainy Bird. Without a doubt, this was the best graduation gift that one could ever imagine. The guests slowly arrived, and I could see they were all excited and a little nervous.
There were ten kids in Brainy Bird’s homecoming group, six girls and four boys. Two of the boys graduated last fall, but they did not have a prom, so they joined their friends for this year’s prom.
While Brainy Bird greeted his guests, Little Chirp began assessing the food situation. He could not wait to get a slice of the woodfire oven pizza. As soon as he had the greenlight, he grabbing pizza slices right and left. I loved observing the body language of Little Chirp and Josh, while Josh was cooking up the prom feast. I learned later that Little Chirp had lots and lots of questions for Josh, so it is not just me that has these experiences with Little Chirp. 🙂
We took lots of pictures. The kids are so much more willing to pose for pictures than I remember being when I was a kid. My favorite pictures are the one with Brainy Bird and a Texas flag in the background. The one of Brainy Bird and Little Chirp together, and the group photos we took for their colleges. Most of the kids are going to Texas. I love their hook’em horns photo. Second we took the A&M gig’em photo. This photo consisted of one current student and one future student. The energy in the photo makes me proud to be an Aggie. It is no small feat to get into the University of Texas or Texas A&M, and I am so proud of these kids.
Lastly, we took Brainy Bird’s picture for the University of South Carolina. It first occurred to me that I do not know what their hand signal is. The picture is hilarious as Brainy Bird raised his hands into the air as if to say, “What do I do?” I also noticed the pride in Brainy Bird as he posed for his first official “future Gamecock” photo. I know that he is going to miss his friends, but I also know that he is excited about his future at South Carolina.
I cannot imagine a better group of kids. They have all worked so hard to get to where they are, and they are truly future leaders. They are a diverse group of kids that embrace each others differences. They are loyal and supportive of one another. I feel honored to have hosted each of them for prom dinner.
Once dinner was complete, the prizes were handed out. I always like having prices. Andrew, the current A&M student, won first to arrive. Brainy Bird won the prize for sitting at the lucky placemat at the beautifully set dinging table. I am not sure if he saw us mark it, or if he just happen to sit there. Holly, won best dress, and Z won best tie.
I haven’t heard details of the actual prom dance, as Brainy Bird is still fast asleep. I do know that some brave souls swam at our after party because I could hear them in the pool around 3 in the morning. I can’t imagine how cold that swim must have been. It sounded like they were having fun though!
Yesterday, was truly an incredible day. I am thankful that the class of 2021 got to have a senior prom. I am deeply thankful for my friends that hosted prom dinner, and I am thankful that Yvonne’s husband is okay after his surgery. Yesterday, is the type of day that causes me to take pause and appreciate the countless blessings in our lives.
During the college application process, I longed for the days when the decision was made, and we could enjoy the rest of Brainy Bird’s senior year. Those days are here. There is so much that I am looking forward to in the upcoming months, and we are enjoying everyday in between.
Up next, Brainy Bird’s last AP exam and the Top 10% Honors Tea.