The Kid's First Dance

It was a themed dance.  They were all to wear Disney costumes.  The Kid dressed like Cruella De Vil, a costume we built ourselves, turning an old white stuffed puppy into a Dalmatian with a Sharpie and then gutting it, fake blood added liberally.  White felt made into Faux-Dalmatian hide with the same Sharpie was then stitched onto my old black coat, to be her Cruella de Vil jacket.  We turned her hair half-white with a mixture of mousse and cornstarch.  A rolled up sheet of paper for a fake cigarette, eh voila!  She went off to the dance, waving her slaughtered puppy and cackling evilly. Herr Dr. Delagar takes her -- as her daddy, he must take her to her first dance, of course.

Two hours later, she and Herr Dr. Delagar returned.  "I'm soooo tirrred!" she howled.  "My feeeet!"

I am reminded of the scene in Pride and Prejudice, when the Bennett sisters come home from the ball.  She collapses and drops her feet in my lap for me to rub.  We discuss costumes as the Bennetts discuss lace.  HDD, OTOH, retreats to his icy mountain fortress (This is what he calls his office).

Later, though, I pry details from him -- who did our beloved child dance with? I demand to know.

He snorts.  "It was not like that at all," he informs me.  "The boys retreated to a separate room and beat each other up.  The girls stayed in the main room and danced together."

Ah, romance.