Grab a cuppa Joe... Rollercoaster ahead.

Can you say, "WHEW!!!  I GET TO SIT DOWN NOW!"?

But you know what happens on Mondays...  I blow you away with what I was able to pack in on a weekend!

Here we go.

Friday - took off work early and headed to my home town to enjoy dinner and some visiting time with my parents at the nursing home.  

Stopped by my sisters on the way and took a nephew with me.  He was reluctant but I gave him some dirt on his mom and then we were tight!  I spent the night at my sisters and Josh volunteered to come back with me for breakfast with Mom and Dad the next morning too!  I gave him some more dirt on his mom.  None of the really GOOD stuff!  I'll save that until he's a full fledged teenager!

 

Immediately following breakfast, I dropped off Josh and headed for Des Moines where Meri was doing the Reader's Theater performance again at the State level.  Robb met me there.

Immediately following the performance and getting her coaches permission, Meri and I high tailed it to her hair and makeup appointment at a beauty school near home.  

The Shirley Temple locks were a little overwhelming on Meri (almost Cowardly Lion-ish) but she was given strict instructions not to pull them apart until just before heading out the door to the dance.  

Our hair dresser in training was a LOT of fun!  With my hearing problems though and the noise level in the salon, she might have been cutting me down while laughing and smiling.  Not sure.  I'll ask Meri later...

 

 

Immediately following her appointment, we stopped by Claire's boutique and replaced the brand new necklace Meri bought last weekend which had broken before she truly had a chance to wear it!  

Immediately following that, we got home and Meri cleaned up and changed while I ironed her dress, brought her various items that she required and Robb sat in shock and awe at the whirlwind before him.

 

Meri dipped into the Diva mode.  And by that I mean, she was THIS close to tears with anxiety...  Nervous and worried about every single detail of her hair, makeup, eyebrows, dress, legs, fingernails, skin...  Getting somewhat angry about various things beyond her control.  She was panicking that there might have some flaw that will warrant her being ostracized at the dance and ultimately shunned by all her friends and/or possible friends.

But she wasn't...

Here is the gang of friends she went with.

  

Here is Meri with the only other freshman of the group.

We met for pictures at one of the kid's houses before the kids all dispersed in various cars to meet up for supper, then get to the dance and coronation.  

Meri had a great time and got home at the magical hour of midnight.  Even with an early end to her evening, she was exhausted all day on Sunday.  Her legs and feet hurt from all the dancing.  However, she'd gotten so many compliments on her looks from guys (including Seniors) that she was cloud nine for a while.  

That went away by the time we had a 4H meeting, visited with my bestie and her husband and then hightailed it back home for a quick supper and a scheduled Skype with Maddy.  Oh and then Robb and Meri headed off to see the next Hobbit movie upon which Meri came home crying.  I'm not sure I want to see it now!

Got some news from Maddy during the Skype...  She wants to spent ten weeks of her summer in Colorado...  She's been offered a job there through school for the summer and really wants to do it. 

Dang.