Dancing Shoes

February is yet another month of fun when you live in a house full of girls.  February fun is kicked off with the annual Daddy Daughter Dance held at the middle school.  Dads get dressed up in their best, daughters put on their fanciest dress, and it is off for a night of dinner and dancing.  Most years the dance consists of all the dads standing along the wall, where are girls instructed us to be, while the daughters run around with their friends and play with the balloons in the gym.  I would get the occasional nod to put my left arm in and shake it all about only if the song called for it.  After convincing, OK begging, I can get in a slow dance as the DJ is wrapping up the evening.

However, my first ever dance didn't even make it to the Hokey Pokey.  I was in my wool pants and tie, Lyz was in her red turtleneck and black dress pants.  I had my pink ticket in hand and was excited for a special night filled with fun dancing and the Hallmark sentimental slow dance.  After ten minutes, Lyz came over to me, I was in my assigned bleacher spot, and said "I want to go bowling."  Really?  Bowling in this?  That's what she wanted, and it was her night.  We had a blast together with her best friend at the bowling alley.  And while I did not get that slow dance, it is a night I will not forget.

We did manage to make it through the entire dance in the following years, but the protocol stayed the same.  I waited along the bleachers with all the other dads eagerly waiting for our girls to throw us the "come out and dance with me" bone.   We didn't get picked much, but when we did, we felt like a million bucks.

Lyz and Kenzie have out grown their dancing shoes, and are no longer interested in the dance.  I imagine my next dance with them will be when they are in their wedding shoes.

This year was Maddy's turn.  She has gone to the dance with me before, but this year it was different.  This year it was just her and me.  This year she had my undivided attention.  This year she didn't have to share me with her sisters.....and what a time we had.  I placed the corsage on her wrist, and we headed off to dinner.  After dinner, we headed to the dance with the pink ticket in hand and a starry eyed girl on my arm.  I was heading to my annual spot with the dads when I heard the best sentence of the year...."Dad, aren't we going to dance?"  I winked at the lonely bleacher dads (an I got the call up wink), and danced the night away.  We made up dance moves, laughed at each other, shook it all about, did the chicken.....and then the music slowed.  Maddy nestled in and we swayed back and forth.  I didn't want the night to end.  If you are a dad, and have never taken your daughter on a date, find the time.  Nothing will make your little girl feel more important than her dad spending time with just her.  She gets the message that she is worth you spending your time and money on just her.  To be frank, I couldn't think of a better investment, but I digress.

February fun is continued on 2/14.  I live with 6 girls, so I have to plan for 2/14 a couple of weeks in advance.  Now I get it that Valentines Day is just a Hallmark Holiday, but I DON'T CARE.  People tell me "I don't need a day to tell my girl I love her".  I don't either, but this day is a chance for me to do it out loud.  It is a day for me to show my girls I love them like crazy.  It is also a chance for me to show all the guys in their school..."It's OK, the Compton girls have a Valentine!!"  My day starts with the tour of the schools where I drop off to each daughter a red rose, balloon, and their favorite candy.  The greatest part about this is they never out grow it.  Even this year, Lyz came through the high school hall way with a look of excitement and gave me a big hug.  Her younger sisters followed suit all giving me an excited "You came again" hug.  I love those.  The night concludes with me making them all a dinner.  I make sure to place their candy, they have all grown to appreciate the gourmet chocolates, on their plates so they can sneak a quick sweet before dinner.  I must add that their mom has the biggest vase and box at her dinner seat.  Dinner together is always a blast, and Valentines Day would not seem right without it.  We had another great February 14, and I felt again like the luckiest man on earth.  How many people can say they have 6 valentines??

As I think more about it, Valentines Day is just another way for me to show my family the example of how our Heavenly Father loves us.  No matter how old my girls get, or how far they move away, they will always be my Valentine.  They will always receive flowers from their very first Valentine.  God loves us the same way.  No matter what stage in life we are in, or how far we try and run, God will always love us in a way we can not fathom.  He is waiting and eager to shower us with blessings.  All we need to do is call him off the bleachers and invite him to dance.