First prom, 17 years later

Do you remember your first prom? The fancy dress, the tuxedo, the Holiday Inn ballroom with cheesy decorations and U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" blaring loudly through the speakers?

One of the perks of being married to a high school principal is that I get to go to the prom every year. I know in some (mostly male) circles, this would be considered some sort of nightmare, but I think it's great fun.

This year is Zach's school's first prom, as they have a brand new high school and this is the first time with a senior class. Of course, there is a lot of excitement, preparation, and squealing going on. I'm sure the kids are getting ready, too.

I've been to prom three or four times with my husband, but this will be the first time since we've gotten super fit with P90X. Most girls would rush out to the store and buy themselves something cute to chaperon the prom, but as you know, I'm a recycler. I'm also cheap and impossibly practical. There's no sense spending money on a dress I can only wear once a year -- that money is better spent on some black yoga pants that I can wear 4.5 times a week in my multi-faceted day job as fitness blogger and chief hiney cleanliness inspector.

So a few days ago I went searching in the dark corners of my closet where all the bridesmaid, wedding, and prom dresses gather dust. A few dresses back I found my first prom dress, a black, velvet, form-fitting dress with a sweetheart neckline, cap sleeves, and slit up the back. I kept it because it's special -- my Mom made it, and I remember very clearly how hard she worked to make sure it was just right. She even made a velvet choker necklace with a pearl sewed on it, and the cutest velvet clutch purse, also with a pearl button. That dress was so pretty.

Here I am on prom night, 1994. I was 16 years old.

"Hmm," I thought when I saw it in the closet. "I wonder if that still fits?" 

I may be 33 years old, but you're never too old to play dress up, right?

I won't lie -- it feels pretty sweet to be able to fit into a dress that you wore when you were 16. And while I've decided to wear one of my old bridesmaid dresses for the prom in a couple weeks (mostly because I won't have to buy shoes with that dress), my first prom dress stands ready for any other black-tie affairs that may pop up on my social calendar. 

Like my son's Pre-K graduation, perhaps? It's never too early to start embarrassing your children.

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