PROM

Getting ready for the normal high school milestones in our house is always a creative endeavor. At the beginning of April Jon came home from school and said that he wanted to attend Prom. He asked if he could attend the prom without renting a tux. Our goal is to have Jon experience all the normal things kids his age get to experience. I said, yes we should get a tux. The month of April flew by. On May 1, Jon and I went into to the local tux shop to get measured. Prom was just two weeks away. Finding cloths is always a little challenging, due to taking steroids for 11 years. Jon’s growth has been stunted; he’s the shortest guy in his junior class. Most of the girls are taller than he as well.

The jacket and vest had to be altered. The pants had to be shortened. The shirt sleeves were really long. The tailor and the owner of the shop were both taking measurements and discussing what to do. Since it was to be a rental, the tailor was trying to figure out how to alter everything without cutting it. As Jon and I stood there listening to their conversation, Jon asked how much more it would cost if we purchased the jacket and the pants of the tux. The shop owner looked at me and said are you sure? Jon said, hey I’m not going to grow anymore, and I will be going to my senior ball next year. The owner quoted me a rental price and then gave me the purchase price. I said we will purchase the jacket and the pants. I will rent the shirt and vest. The tailor looked at the vest and figured out a way to make the alteration so they could rent the vest again. The shirt sleeves were solved by making them French cuffs. The tux shop provided the shirt studs and the cuff links. OK, the tux issue was solved, now for the shoes.

Jon’s shoes are always difficult. Jon has custom made inserts in his shoes. He usually always wears sneakers, because the arch supports can be removed and his inserts can be slipped in easily. Dress shoes present a problem. The arch supports can’t be removed as they are glued in, so trying shoes on with his inserts is difficult. We tried on dress shoes, no luck. As I stood in the shoe store, I started looking at sneakers. I saw a pair of black suede sneakers that were all black. We tried them on; they fit, and were comfortable. We purchased the shoes.

I got home both my husband and daughter said those aren’t dress shoes. I said I know, but they are the closest thing we could find and with his tux they will be fine. They both looked at me like I was crazy. Well, sure enough, they looked fine with his tux. You really had to look at them to figure out they were sneakers. Jon was comfortable and able to walk.

Jon looked great in his tux and he enjoyed himself at the prom and glad that we got a tux. The girls noticed him and took their picture with him.