Valentines Day 2016 Daddy-Daughter Dance

I witnessed a strange phenomenon Friday evening at the Daddy-Daughter Dance at Leila's school. It was oddly familiar, and yet not. For much of the time, the walls of the gymnasium were lined with fathers focused in on their phones. They were completely oblivious to their daughters, who danced their hearts out in the center of the room.

As I observed the middle-aged wallflowers, I thought back to the dances I attended as a teen, when I spent the bulk of my time holding up gym walls with my back. That night, however, I was no wallflower. When you are north of age 40, and your kids are south of age 10, it doesn't matter whether you can dance or not. I happen to have all the grace of a pig on roller skates and all the rhythm of a dead cow. But I danced with my daughters -- at least until the girls ran off and began dancing with their friends. Then I stood mesmerized as I watched them flawlessly dance carefully choreographed routines to song after song. And when, at long last, the DJ's played one -- count 'em, ONE! And no, I'm not bitter -- actual daddy-daughter song, I picked up all three daughters at once and danced with them.

Of course, in doing so, I screwed up my back and hips, but never mind. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My girls loved it. And so did I.

Six-year-old Colette's post-mortem on the Daddy-Daughter Dance:

"Dad, why did we even have to go there? I didn't like my cookie. And dad? I feel like it blew out my ear drums."

Me too, kid. Me too. I feel like I've been to a rock concert -- but listening to mindless drivel instead of music. What on earth is Wip it Nae Nae?

Valentines Day Pancakes

For Valentines Day dinner I made pink pancakes with strawberries and strawberry syrup. While I was in the process of making the pancakes, the girls climbed up on chairs to watch me hard at work. I had some of the ingredients in the blender. Leila bent down and took in a deep sniff. She said, "Oh Mom that smells like raspberries." Then Savannah bent down and sniffed. She firmly agreed with Leila that mom was using raspberries to make the pancakes pink. She was so sure that she hollered for Dale and informed him of my clever use of red food to create pink pancakes. Finally everyone was at the table and I brought the plate of pancakes over. Savannah was so excited that she started telling everyone that we were going to have frosted pancakes for dinner. It was a very enjoyable dinner and everyone ate well. I just sat back and thought to myself how nice it was to see my whole family eating yummy beets. Thats right, I used pureed beets to make the pancakes pink. I put in 1/3 cup. I never knew beets could smell like raspberries, but if that is what it takes to get my girls to eat their veggies, then, go raspberries!

Savannah's Valentine's Day commentary (text is at bottom of post)

For Valentines Day I bought Katie red roses. I bought each of the girls a fake rose -- one with a plastic stem and leaves and a rubber flower. Inside the rose is a button-activated twinkle light. Right after I gave Katie her flowers, I presented each daughter with theirs.

A short time later, Savannah observed, "Dad, I like real roses. I would like either real roses or a light-up one like this, not the kind that are just decorations. I don't like those. But a real rose would be good.

Okay, Savannah, I can take a hint. A real rose for you next year, my dear.

An hour or so later, Savannah came up to me with rose in hand and said, "Dad, I love you today more than I used to, and I'm going to love you this way all day today because you gave me this rose for Valentines Day."

Still later, she asked her mother, "Mom, why did dad give you roses, but I just got a rose?"

Katie replied, "Well, because dad is my husband and he loves me. Maybe when you grow up and get married your husband will buy you roses."

Savannah mumbled, "Yeah," and walked away. Then added, "I hope I live in Dallas then."

And later still: "Dad, real ones and light-up ones are fun, but the flowers that just sit on a dresser and are fake are the ones that are not fun."