Green Jackets and Dances

Did that get your attention? Honestly, it is the promise at the end of Cell Phones Don't Swim--the one about dances and baseball--and my getting too old. Well, except for the latter part, the rest is true.

Casey arrived home from school a week ago announcing his desire to attend the school dance on Friday night and that two girls had asked him to go. Now--he is all of 7 years old and in the second grade, still a baby. Until the week before he had curled his head into his shirt like a turtle when the subject of girls came up. So--this whole dance thing took us by surprise. First, because second graders going to dances borders on bizarre and secondly, because of his sudden embracing of girls. Could the male ego handicap of finding himself irrestible already be kicking in? Heaven forbid!

I was a little mollified when he clarified that he was going to go with Taylor whom he has been good buddies with since kindergarten and whom he was quick to clarify is a tomboy and not a "girly-girl." It seems that Taylor had been "going" with another boy who had unceremoniously dropped her for Daniella.

After checking with other parents and kids, it seemed that most kids were going and none of us felt that there would be much dancing or interaction other than the normal 7 year old foolishness. So, off Casey and I went to The Dance with Casey's instructions to me not to come in to the cafetorium--an order which I immediately clarified would not be followed.

So we get there and the first thing that excites Casey is that the PTF is selling light wands in various colors. Forget going inside where the action is supposed to be. It is much more fun to run around the school piazza charging other boys, seeing who can throw the circles of light highest in the air (with several disappearing for the rest of the night on top of the lunch court corrugated cover.) Soon children are reporting the presence of a bloody, shaggy toothed monster running around in the dark in back of the building. This elicits blood curdling, energetic screams from girls and boys alike--you know, the kind that separates second graders from the rest of the world.

Finally, in an attempt to subdue my at this time rather hyper, frenetic child, I corraled him and we went into the "dance"--which turns out to be an inside version of the outside activities without the light wands. Plus, Casey is now devastated because Taylor has decided that she is going to be with her previous boyfriend since his new girlfriend is a no-show. But--to the rescue came the soda and candy table in the back of the room which allowed Casey to join the other 150 kids sucking candy pacifiers. By now, it is abundantely clear that we need not worrry about our dear Casey being prematurely grown up. He is without question a 7 year old boy who loves baseball, basketball, and his collection of transformers. He has returned to finding girls akin to aliens from outer space--hopefully, an attitude he will maintain for several years.

Casey and Friends
There was a brief interlude when the purpose of the evening was realized.

Now it is late and I must admit that I am not going to keep my promise to those of you who have followed this little story--Green Jackets must wait until next time. Maybe by then you will have figured out what they are. Here is a clue. Till then--Ciao.