That's what it's all about!

Saturday, the youngest H was off to his first homecoming dance.  Unlike his older siblings, this child loves to dance.  C.A. thrives on the spotlight, whether it be on the stage in Peter Pan, in his band, or on the cross country course.  In second grade he perfected the worm and rolling his stomach, two fan favorites.  Although he claims rolling his stomach is harder with his new washboard abs.  Oh to be in high school!  

After moving countless times, C.A. has finally found his clique.  In the words of C.A. himself, "mom and pops are really adjusting to me being a lot more popular than C.D. and you!"  Suspicion confirmed: I was a loser in high school (and I guess C.D. was too--at least in the eyes of C.A.).  That's okay, life is too short to be cool (except in high school).  He is also right on his first point, my parents are struggling.  He wants to stay out late, go to football games after practice on weeknights, and hates geometry. I told C.A. I would leave the PC if my parents threatened to move him in high school.  Somehow, someway I will find a job here and keep him in Virginia.  He is so happy and I want him to have what I did not.

Moving was not the end of the world.  It was temporary hell.  Even if my parents had kept us in Kansas I doubt they would have been experiencing the same difficulties.  C.D. and I were homebodies.  We never stayed out late, our (three) friends hung out at our place, and we never struggled with school.  That is not too say we never caused trouble.  We just kept our trouble at home.  They never had to stay up late (their biggest challenge) waiting for us to come home.  They rarely had to deal with kids (and the parents of these kids) that they did not know.  And I always did my homework (smile), C.D. was smart enough to get his done before class at school, of course.

The thing is in high school being "popular" is what it is all about.  It is not cool to be yourself. Sigh.  If you are not popular, you should at least try to blend in.  Terrible, right?  Yes and honest.  High schoolers can be so cruel.  That being said I love hearing stories about the number of friends C.A. has, the number of upperclassmen he impressed, tallying all 5000 text he sends each month, and watching him improve on the cross country team.  I like waiting up for him to come home or picking up the high schoolers after the football games.  

C.A. I know what a good time you are having, don't loose sense of who you are hanging with the in crowd!  Stay cool in the level headed sense.  Enjoy this time (and manage it wisely)!  Yes, the work and life in college is much harder (a question C.A. frequently ponders).  Sorry the dance was a bust (lack of sound-system)... hopefully next year will be more fun.  

I thought I would include a picture of my freshman year homecoming dance!  This is my favorite picture because it really captures the awkwardness of it all.  I went with a date, had I known it would have been my last... I might of taken C.A.'s route (a group of insanely close friends).