Prom!

Yep, you read that right. Prom. Or Spring Formal. Every year at my work, they throw a formal dance. The past couple years they've done it in the middle of winter and we haven't been able to go because we've always been on lockdown. This year they moved it to April so the twins got to share in the party. I've heard nothing but how cute they were, and overall they were very well behaved so I'll say we passed. :)

While it is a formal dance and everyone gets dressed up, it is meant to be fun. All the nursing home residents we can convince to come down and all the rehab patients we can convince come too. There's a band, special treats, bartenders, decorations, lights, and a crowd. I love that the twins aren't afraid of any of the residents, wheelchairs, equipment or anything else they see.

I picked them up from school and we took dinner there and they had a picnic of McDonalds on the floor. Then we got ready for the party. My favorite stories from the night -

Parker took his big stuffed duck he got from the Easter Bunny with him. As we were making a pit stop before the dance, a group of ladies were in the hall and talking about the duck with him. He let one lady, Jean, pet the duck and they talked about if it had a name and where it came from. When she asked his name and how old he was, he told her easily. When one of the other ladies, a nun in full habit who was sitting in a wheelchair asked if she could see his duck he said "yeah!" and hurled it 6 feet to her and nailed her square in the chest with it. She just laughed but I was momentarily mortified. And of course no one was around to see it. Her response was "he is such a blessed child".

Payton and I danced a lot. A LOT. We danced with a resident who is there for rehab and has been a challenge for our building, since he has some complex injuries. He doesn't talk much and saves his words and smiles for special times. I'm not sure it was his first choice to come but the nurses got him to come to the dance. Holding Payton, I walked over and asked Jose to dance. He let me hold his hand and dance a full song. He let Payton hold his other hand for a little bit. When the song was over, he and Payton did a high five and he had the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen. Payton and I also danced with another challenging resident. At the end of that song she gave him a fist bump and proceeded to have a conversation with him for a minute.

And Parker had a major milestone at the dance. He let my friend Beth take him away from me half way across the room and dance. No tantrum, Beth didn't get headbutted, nothing. He even smiled a little. Since there are about 5  people including me he has ever done that with, this was HUGE.

Big night all around. A little social therapy for them, a little twin therapy for a whole lot of people ;)

An adorable prom date...

And this is what prom hangover looks like...