TAYLOR SWIFT

Friends, I tried to be practical and frugal after I was initially not selected by the Ticketmaster gods to buy tickets to any of the Taylor Swift Dallas shows. It's okay, I decided, it's been an expensive year, the girls have never been to a concert so they don't know what they're missing and we never do big crowded things. This is fine. I planned my birthday Rice Ladies trip to Colorado for the same weekend and didn't think about it again.

Then everyone I know went to one of the Dallas shows and I was filled with crushing regret. Not for my trip- that was a highlight of my year, but I felt like this concert was one of those moments where whatever the cost and hassle, you're just glad you went. And so I jumped on the internet, decided we didn't really need to landscape our front yard this year, and bought three tickets to one of the Houston shows coming up in two weeks. Middle of the stadium, halfway up, directly in front of the stage. They cost a ridiculous amount, but I hadn't been to a concert since 2006 and the girls had never been and I decided this was every concert and sporting event we've never taken them to because we're bad about planning things that involve local hassles.

We told the girls a week later. They flipped. I booked us a hotel room north of Houston, on what would be our drive back home to Dallas. On Friday I checked them out of school early and we road tripped down I-45, playing a 4 hour "Road to Taylor" playlist Claire had made.

We stopped at Five Guys (Claire's favorite restaurant) for an early dinner, checked into our hotel, changed, and continued on to NRG Stadium. Claire wore an old pair of white shorts I no longer fit into, my favorite pink silk top, my earrings, my necklace, and most of my makeup. I can't believe how grown up and teenagerish she's looking, my little 12 year old Clairebear.

We parked on the street near the stadium and followed the crowds streaming in.

There were lines and crowds and a palpable buzz from thousands of people who were VERY EXCITED to be there. It was wonderful.

We checked out the merch, bought snacks, and found our seats. They were amazing.

The group to Claire's left were four friends in their early-20's who could NOT have been more excited to be there. They adopted Claire for the night and she danced and sang with the best of them. Everyone around us - moms with kids, moms with mom friends, 20-somethings, 30-somethings, dads with delighted daughters, EVERYONE, was just so excited. The show hadn't started yet and we already knew it was going to be worth every penny.

And then Taylor came out, to screams and tears and explosions of joy all around us.

She performed 44 songs over 3+ hours and it was simply incredible. The show, the graphics, the design, her costumes and costume changes, the sets, her songs, her voice, her little talks between them... it was a core memory I'll never forget. Both the actual show, but also watching the girls watch it.

Claire danced and sang and screamed and cried the entire time. Cora sang to the songs she knew, smiled through the ones she didn't, and true to the Cora that she is, announced she was done about halfway through because it was time to go to bed. She still enjoyed it - loved it, she said, and she does NOT exaggerate just to be nice - but if she could have curled up on the floor of the stadium for a 30 minute nap and then popped back up for the last hour, she absolutely would have done so. I went and got her a funnel cake instead, which seemed to do the trick.

We walked back to the car, retelling our favorite parts, and drove back to the hotel. Cora was asleep before the car was in drive. Claire made it 10 more minutes and then she was out. We got to the hotel about 1:15 a.m., both girls were sleepily agreeable to transferring themselves to the bed from my car and we all passed out. It was the best night ever.

We woke up around 8 the next morning, enjoyed the hotel breakfast, and did some shopping for summer clothes since I had them stuck with me for the next several hours and drove back to Dallas, arriving just in time to hug our boys before they headed out for a swim meet.

Another day later and I'm still just buzzing from the whole thing. It was an EXTRAORDINARY concert. I don't know that any other will ever top it. She is an amazing performer, a talented artist, and a brilliant businesswoman. Cheering her on with my girls was something I will simply never forget, and I know they won't either. No regrets. We'll make the front yard look nicer next year.