A Teenager's Rite of Passage

Okay, she's not REALLY a teenager yet. Delaney's just 11, but she IS in middle school...and so it begins!

Delaney is really flourishng so far at the middle school. She joined the photography club and the Math Club (I pretty much have a hate/hate relationship with anything involving numbers, but for some reason she got her Pop's love of mathematics and is just an amazing whiz at it! It's so funny, because she is this weird amalgam of Athletics and Academics. She loves to play softball--you all know that!--but she is also great at school. I just hope she stays well-rounded over the years). And she tried out yesterday afternoon for the newcomb team (some strange manifestation of volleyball). I think she's taking after her older sister and is going to be involved in as much as she can (which I am ALL for! The more activities you're in, the less trouble you'll get into!)

Well, tonight though, is the first real rite of passage for middle school students. It's the night of the homecoming game and the Homecoming DANCE! And, of course, Delaney is so excited about going!

I don't know how many of you have ever attended a middle school dance, but let me just tell you that "amusing" doesn't even begin to describe it. There's not really much dancing going on, but there is a lot of walking back and forth from the dance floor to the concession stand...a lot of hanging out in large, circular clusters...a lot of boys following after girls like lost puppy dogs....a lot of gossip and giggling. And, really, it is sort of fun to go soak it all in and have flashbacks to when you yourself were 12-years-old.

Parents are encouraged to stay, so I will be sitting up in the Parents "Balcony" (the upper part of the gym, where you can "spy" on everyone really well). I am hoping that Adrienne's daughter decides to go to the dance, because then Adrienne and I can sit up there and "spy" together. LOL

And, yes, before the night is over I'm sure that I will hear two inevitable dance songs....the "classic" "Cha Cha Slide" and the newly-popular "Soulja Boy" (I'm sure I spelled that WRONG! lol). Fun, fun!

I laugh about the ways of middle schoolers (and, let's face it, there is a lot of humor in those years; cmon now...think back to those times for you!), but it's also really cool to see Delaney merge into this most recent phase of her life. I tell people all the time that I have truly loved ALL ages of my children's lives. Some people say they couldn't stand the "terrible twos" or that the teenage years were just ones they wanted to blink and have over. Well, I'm not saying that there haven't been challenges in those different times...but I can truly say that I love each of those ages. And I have really totally enjoyed McKenna's teen years so far; I love teenagers for so many reasons... their energy and fun, their growing maturity, their honesty. And, because I've enjoyed McKenna so far, I'm enjoying the fact that I know I can make it through Delaney's years as well. (Fingers crossed, at least!!)

And so, I guess, tonight it begins again! The first middle school dance!

(I will give you updates...I promise.)

And now, in the spirit of middle school Homecoming Week, here are three pictures of Delaney dressed up this week.

Monday was Celebrity Day (she went as Miley Cyrus, who plays "Hannah Montana" on Disney Channel) . . .

Tuesday was Nerd Day (the picture is totally blurry, but I HAD to include it. She looked HI-larious!!)

Wednesday was Jailbird Day, but I can't find my pictures (just let me assure you that she was one of the most stylish jailbirds I've ever seen!) .And today was Tacky School Spirit day. Can we say Oh So Tacky? (just love the bun on one side and the ponytail on the other!)...


Talk to ya soon!

Edited to Add: Delaney is so excited! She made the newcomb team! She was really nervous about it, because around 35 girls tried out and there were only 12 positions. Very proud! (And, Jeff, newcomb is like this strange version of volleyball where they catch the ball instead of hit it back over. Weird!)