One day, Clare announced to me that she planned to ask someone to the Sadie Hawkins dance. I'll admit I was surprised, but impressed - that's a bit intimating, after all. Given that "asks" have developed into a bit of a production among high schoolers these days, she had to come up with a strategy. Fortunately, her friendship and inside jokes with her intended made that easier: She went with a Harry Potter theme, crafting a variation on the Marauders Map (see above).
Over the next few weeks, Clare was very good-natured about our questions - and comments - about "Ben from biology," and of course we were looking forward to meeting him. Her friend Eva's parents kindly hosted a picture party (another development that has evolved significantly since my days at high school dances), so it was a nice opportunity for the parents to mingle while the kids enjoyed a lovely dinner. And took lots and lots of pictures.
It really seemed to be a good group of kids who enjoyed each other's company. Given that these are 9th graders, they all relied on parents for transportation, so we departed en masse from the picture party to the dance - fortunately Marist was only a couple of miles away.
Clare clearly had a great time, but not surprisingly, the highlight was meeting up with Abby after the dance and heading to The Cheesecake Factory for a debrief, just as they did after Homecoming. Sounds like this is a non-negotiable tradition from now on - and an event I can fully support!
These girls are definitely growing up, and I love that they continue to do so together.
