Recital Day

The average American girl possesses the valuable qualities of naturalness, honesty, and inoffensive straightforwardness; she is nearly barren of troublesome conventions and artificialities; consequently, her presence and her ways are unembarrassing, and one is acquainted with her and on the pleasantest terms with her before he knows how it came about. ~ Mark Twain

It's a busy day today.  My girls' dance recital is today, which meant that I had to have two girls' hair curled last night (check), costumes all put together and last minute tacking of costumes complete (check), lunches packed (check), hair put in their first dance 'do with stage makeup applied (check).  And somewhere in there (like around 10am) I had to be online to get Rob Thomas concert tickets (check...is it wrong of me not to be able to figure out if my smile is bigger because of today's dance recital or because I will be seeing Rob Thomas on July 16?  Yes...I thought so).  After making sure the girls had EVERYTHING they needed, they boarded buses to the recital (where we will meet up with them afterwards).  Could you hear the sigh of relief?  Thought so.

In preparation of having anywhere from 20-36 people at my house after the recital, I have 6 - 3 foot long hero subs, cole slaw, fresh fruit salad, a jelly roll pan of brownies and a jelly roll pan of chocolate chip cookie bars.  Balloons are ready, flowers are ready, special 10 year gift for my oldest (a bracelet with "I hope you dance" engraved on one side, the date on the other).
Can I be exhausted now?  No?

So here were my girls before leaving for the recital(minus the lip color).  Believe it or not, Mark Twain's words rang very true, EVEN with the artifice of makeup and costumes.  At least today.  They were cooperative, they helped me and each other, which on recital day isn't always the case.  So  I felt his quote fitting.