On Friday, the 12th of December, I took Emory to her first dance. That's right, her first date was with her daddy. If it is up to me, she won't have a different date until she is 30, she told me that was okay with her (I wish I had a recording device). We had a blast. Of course, it started with getting ready for the ball. Emory had been anticipating this night for a couple of days now, so when she got to put on her white dress that she wore as a flower girl last summer in a friend's wedding, she even stopped watching a TV show to do so. After getting dressed, mommy came home and acted as the beauty salon. I had to bite my tongue a couple of times, because we were running a little behind in my planned schedule, but I feel I was pretty patient. I am sure this will only get worse, the older she gets (Emory, I mean). After mommy snapped a few photos (as you can see above) Emory and daddy were off to the 5th Annual Father/Daughter Winter Dance.
The dance itself has raised over $10,000 for the needy over the past four years and only promised to get bigger. We arrived at the ball, checked in our coats, and proceeded to wait in a very long line to have a picture taken (I will post this when I get a copy). Then we sat at a table and met a nice young lady and her daddy (who proceeded to hand me a business card so he could appraise my house for me). After waiting in another very long line for a child-size portion of frozen lasagna, we dined over a nutcracker centerpiece and a plate of homemade cupcakes staring us in the face. For dessert, we made an ice cream sunday. Needless to say, daddy had to worry the whole time that he would get in trouble when he got home for allowing Emory to eat chocolate sauce with a white dress on, I accepted the risk with nervous reservation, I might have even said a small prayer (no...I am not afraid of my wife...I wear the pants in my family.....when she lets me). After eating every bite of ice cream and drinking, as Emory puts it, "the soup", we hit the dance floor and cut a rug. Emory twisted and jumped and did things I had never seen her do before. Daddy pulled off moves he hadn't even thought up yet; I was going to enter the daddy dance contest, but Emory wouldn't let me. As we slow danced, I told her that if any other boy ever asked her to dance, what would she say? Her answer: "You're going to have to ask my daddy." Of course, the whole evening was wonderful and I couldn't have had a better time. I only hope she continues to think of me as the only man in her life. I am a blessed man with a beautiful little girl and a beautiful wife from whom she got her looks....oh, yeah....and a son that is just as much of a hottie as I am.
Emory.....you swept your daddy off his feet last night, I love you.
