The Gala Prep

 Warning:  The photos at the end of this post were taken after the gala, and it was raining earlier in the evening, so...you get the idea--not the best.  There will be more later when others release what they've taken.

Here's how the afternoon went down....

I, walking around zombie-like after minimal hours of sleep the previous night, go volunteer at the elementary school.  I arrive home after finishing correcting math papers and picking up two tired children from a friend's house, start putting one down for her nap and find a message blinking on the answering machine.  It's the Warden reminding me that #4 has a campout tonight and we're to have him at the church at 4:29--no later.  Bad news....we've all forgotten this particular campout, and #4 arrives home from school around 4pm.

I call the Warden, he suggests I go get #4 a bit early from school, so he can prepare for the fun ahead.

Done!  Oh, after I pulled the small one from her bed after just laying her down.

We go back home after picking him up to look for a few extra dollars that might just be laying around so #4 can take a decent sack dinner with him on the campout.  The great desire is Subway, so I'm trying to eke $5 from the remaining budget (remember, payday's on the 20th)--what are the chances?

Somehow, miraculously, I find that the grocery budget for last week wasn't touched, so I find a nice little wad of money.  We get #5, who has just gotten out of school and head to Subway.  On the way there, I call #s 1 and 2, who have decided to walk home from school and tell them the plan.  They decide to walk to Subway instead.

We all order sandwiches and blow a small portion of the wad.  Nice to be able to treat my kids to something special at the end of a pay period on a Friday afternoon.

#2 starts talking about all of the plans he has made with his bubs for the evening.  I'm half listening as I distribute sandwiches around the car.  He asks if I can drive them.  I tell him it's not a problem--not sure what I was thinking.  Let's blame it on the lack of sleep, shall we?

When we get home, #4 goes to pack, and I make the realization that my parents-by-marriage will arrive at 4:30, so I'd better get ready to go.  We have to drive to a hotel near the airport on a Friday evening on President's Day weekend, so it's not going to be pretty.

I get partially dressed with the plan to get the hairspray done before I put the dress on.  #1 does my hair and has quite a bit of fun promming me up for the evening even adding little jewels to my hair.  (I have to admit, I'm not a froofy kind of girl, but it's fun to be a princess for the evening).  Wow!  Two self-created words in one paragraph.  I pull the dress on, stick the earrings in my ear lobes and fasten the necklace around my neck.

After less than half an hour to pull is all together, we're off--#4, #2 and two of #2's bubs.  It's about 4pm.  I already know there's no possible way I'm going to be back home by 4:30.  When we find that no one has arrived at the church a half hour early (why would they?), we decide, last minute, to drop #4 at a friend's house so he can get to the church by 4:29 and then head off to drop off the other three.  About this time, #1 calls to ask if I bought cheddar cheese soup for her crockpot mac and cheese--SERIOUSLY LOVING the kids making dinner thing.  Oops.  I hadn't.  We stop.  The boys run in and get it, and we're off again.

Oh, I did my make up in the car as I waited in the grocery store parking lot.  Typical.

I drop they boys off, inquire as to how #2's planning on getting home, to which question I get the response, "I'm not sure," shrug my shoulders, and I'm off again.

I arrive home, get out of the car and #3's standing on the front porch clapping as she sees me coming.  She tells me I'm beautiful.  Does life get better than that?

I walk in to find my parents-by-marriage and the Warden waiting for me.

We hit the road and after roughly an hour and half, we arrive at the hotel that is only 21 miles away from home.

There, that's the prep for the evening.  I LOVED it!--once we got there.  More on that later....

For now, here are the photos:

The hair--I was going to do this fancy updo, but it was a disaster, so it became a simple bun, glammed up by #1.

And...here's the dress.

Oh, by the way, #2 got home just fine.  I knew he'd figure it out.