Dance The Night Away

Another year of middle school, another middle school dance!

 

Eli was just as willing to attend this year's dance as he was last year. With the theme of 'Hawaiian luau', he wanted to get some new threads. (As much as we love the uniform part of private school, it means his non-uniform wardrobe is pretty lacking.) The night of the dance, Eli and Drew spent time playing whiffle ball in the backyard (after they were dressed and ready to go). It's not likely the girls took the chance of messing up their look so close to the event, but there is the great divide between middle school boys and girls, right?

The 7th grade boys all gathered at one family's house a few hours before the dance with the intention of eating there (catered tacos) and walking over together. This was SUCH a great idea (and so generous) by the host family, as it allowed several boys who likely wouldn't have come to the dance to feel 'safe' to walk in without the fear of not finding a friend.

The boys ate and hung out and generally behaved themselves very well prior to the dance. I came to take photos before they left and was pleasantly surprised to see the maturity level. Once at the dance, some of the girl-boy dynamics started to play out. We all remember this age: the girls are noticing boys big time and doing whatever they can to get the boys to participate in the social ritual of flirting and dating. Some of the boys were pulled into this and had 'dates' that they were shoved onto the dance floor with once or twice throughout the night. (Thankfully, Eli hasn't had the opportunity or desire to enter this yet. He is listening to our lectures though, as he said to me the week before, "Mom, I don't get why people our age think this is a dance where you take a date. I mean, NO ONE is driving anyone there or paying for their meal or anything...they are too young to date!")

Eli had a great time hanging out with his friends, and I couldn't resist taking this photo of him amidst all of his peers. It's very telling of his (non-phone-or-device-having) existence these days. Therapy bills will start to pile up any time now.