Daddy Daughter Date Night

We had a very full day today, one that started out early at Home Depot in Dawsonville.  Interestingly enough, it would end just a block away in Dawsonville - but that's coming up soon below.  The event at Home Depot was a construction project, something Madison and Daddy have been doing for years now.  The difference is that we were at Home Depot this morning instead of Lowe's.  Generally, we like the Lowe's projects better - for the past few years, the movie tie-ins have been fun for Madison.  But this morning, there was a Valentine's Day project that she wanted to work on at Home Depot.  It actually involved painting, as did the last one we did at Home Depot.  There were many, many kids here at this event - and they were all slathering their projects with red, pink and white paint.  The results you could predict, but Madison did well enough.  As an adult, you have this quiet desire to step in and perfect lines or get this or that edge just right.  But that's the charm of doing these projects with kids - seeing all the imperfections and embracing them.  Madison did well with her project, and wants to give it to Mommy for Valentine's Day - so we'll post a picture of that one later.

Soon after, it was time for work.  And lots of work there was to do today.  Firstly, there's the service tomorrow.  There were also videos to edit, and scripts to write.  Daddy coordinated our Elsa and Anna to be at the Gwinnett Campus, where there they'll be having a "Frozen" day.  Meanwhile, here at Gainesville, the Vikings will rule the roost.  Or the fjords, at least.

Mommy and Madison spent much of the day cleaning up and reorganizing.  We have too many costumes and props, which of course leads us down the path of trying to figure out where to put things, as there isn't enough room in the church.  Nobody thought about having a prop room when the church was designed - the room we're currently using was initially a classroom, and a very small one.  

But all our work did in fact get done, and it was soon time for a special night for Madison.  For some reason, she's really been looking forward to Daddy-Daughter Date Night.  She remembers it from last year very well, and couldn't wait to get home and dress up in her best dress.  Daddy was very proud as she came down the stairs with a stately sort of descent, feeling quite elegant about herself.  And soon, we were off together to our fine dining establishment:  Chick-Fil-A.

They do this each year, and it's a great opportunity for the dads.  There are placemats with questions to ask your father, and questions to ask your daughter.  And there are crafts and things to color too, always good.  One of Madison's favorite things of the evening was the photo booth, where you could pose with various props and look silly.  We did some serious poses too, but Madison went right back to the silly immediately afterwards.

We had our nice meal, and a nice dessert afterwards:  ice cream and chocolate-covered strawberries.  This was Madison's first chocolate-covered strawberry, and she really liked it.

We had a great time there, and we even met Chris and his daughter there as well.  There were lots of dads with their daughters at this event.  This event is booked solid, so you cannot just get in.  You need to make reservations a week or more in advance.  That we did, and I was glad to have it taken care of quickly.  It's a great opportunity, and something Madison really looks forward to!