Rite of Passage

When I was in high school, a dance meant dinner before the dance, the dance itself and then some kind of dessert afterward. Nowadays a high school dance has become an all day adventure: a day date, a short break for everyone to get all dressed up, dinner, dance, and another activity afterwards. Today was Daniel’s very first school dance. The day date included games, snacks, etc. and ran from 9:00 a.m. until about 1:00 p.m. Daniel had a bit of time to kill since it only takes him a few minutes to get all suave looking, and then he was picked up at 5:00 p.m. for pictures, dinner and the dance. After the dance there was dessert and a movie. So it was an all-day adventure and he had a fabulous time. His date looked lovely and her dress was fantastic. It made me wish I had an excuse for a fancy dress.

Daniel hasn’t dated much thus far, but he had a wonderful time and perhaps this has given him a taste of how fun these group dates can be. I didn’t date all that much in high school either, but there was one high school dance to which I took a crazy guy as an emotionally safe date and we had a great time. Though neither of us could have possibly predicted that we would end up married 7 years after that casual date and in fact, we assumed we would never see each other again after high school, it was a common experience that gave us a reason to remember each other when we met again much later. While most high school dates don’t end up in marriage down the road, if nothing else, they are a memorable part of high school, a highlight to be remembered with fondness.

The BIG Game

Remember those giant playing cards that sent Nathan into a paroxysm of laughter last Christmas? Nathan and friends actually gave them some play time this evening. It was crazy entertaining…and terribly hard not to cheat. 😁

Happy Holidays

A Day of Thanks

I’m constantly on the lookout for new foods that are Matthew friendly. My latest discovery was a product called Choco No No’s. They are allergen free M&M copycats. I discovered them in the heat of the summer and so we had to wait for cooler weather so they wouldn’t melt while they were being shipped. Fall has brought the appropriate weather and they arrived yesterday. Malia was excited because she can’t eat M&M’s anymore, but Matthew was totally stoked to try an M&M-like candy for the very first time ever in his life.

He loved them. And that totally makes them worth the hefty price tag. I mean, do you see that look of glee? What mother wouldn’t willingly pay goodly amounts of money to see that? Now I’ve got to see if I can get one of my local stores to order them in for us. The increasing awareness of food allergies and the accompanying increase in allergen free products has been a huge blessing for us. It lets Matthew experience some of the small pleasures that other children have regularly. The next item on our to-try list is the Matthew friendly white chocolate chip. I can hardly wait.

Malia has some things to be grateful for as well.

(Boogie boards are e-writers that she gets to use at school.)

I’m enormously grateful for kids that are learning to be thankful for the little things in life. It’s easy to be thankful for the big stuff, but remembering that even the small things are blessings is really what it’s all about, isn’t it?

When Did He Grow Up?

Today has been a big day for Daniel, and not just because it was pie day. 😉

(Nathan and I created some very serious pi. He made the lovely crust and I made the cranberry custard goodness that filled it.)

This afternoon Daniel became a legal driver. Yup, that’s the official temporary license. I’m not sure if he’s excited or not, but I’m excited (and a bit nervous). It will definitely make getting him to all his various activities easier though. He has become a typical teenager who is heavily involved in extra curricular and social activities and getting him everywhere he needs and wants to be has become wearying. So this will be a good thing. I just have to steel my nerves for the moment he walks out the door alone, with the keys in his hand.

This evening Daniel received an official invitation to his first ever school dance. The lovely girl who asked him has been in band and the various accompanying carpools for years. Like Daniel, she is a Whovian and she knows that he is a Trekkie as well. (Since the advent of the new iteration of Star Trek, being a Trekkie isn’t viewed as being anywhere near as geeky as it used to be. Either that, or being geeky has become more mainstream.) The tribble reference from Star Trek was a perfect fit for Daniel.

I try not to think about the fact that this kid of mine with graduate from high school in a year and a half…

Happiness is…

…tying your shoes for the very first time.

Where No Band Has Gone Before

Daniel has been in marching band at the high school this year. He has gone to school, had after school rehearsals most days, competitions on Saturdays, pep band performances at Friday night football games, sectionals on days with no school, parties on any free night, etc. Basically, he sleeps here but other than that, we haven’t seen him since the beginning of August. Despite his lack of time at home, it has been a great season for him. He has really enjoyed himself and has learned a lot. He was the section leader for the alto saxes and really stepped up and took charge of everything he needed to and helped mentor and guide his section. This was his first year in fall marching band and in fact, 60% of the band this year were marching band rookies. They had so many more kids than last year that they went up two divisions. In spite of that, they have proven themselves to be very competitive in their new division. Their show was “Star Trek,” a different (and harder) show than the one the band director announced back in the spring. But with so many more kids in the band, he obviously felt a change was needed and the show ended up being super fun.

The state competition, the final one of the season, was Friday. The band traveled to St. George and did a great job. They came away second in their division, being only half a point behind the first-place band. They took the music caption (basically the award for the best music). Daniel is enormously pleased with how well they did, as am I. I’m so proud of how hard these kids have worked, how much time they’ve dedicated, and how much they have accomplished. But even more than that, I’m very proud of the fact that our little(ish) marching band has gained a statewide reputation for having fabulous sportsmanship. They cheer for all the bands, even those that are their fiercest competitors. They shout out love for everyone. They mentor and support the small bands. They are positive and upbeat and don’t let the competition be the most important thing. The other bands have started shouting that love back to our kids and honestly, I feel like that sense of comradery they have helped establish is the most important way they are making their mark in the high school marching band sphere.

Daniel is going to be bored for a while. He is going to go through band withdrawals and find himself lonely and wondering what to do with all his spare time. But he’ll find his new balance in time and he’s already looking forward to next year.

And She’s Off!