Gust Gab: Let them be Little...Her first dance...

Last fall there was a school dance that I didn't make it a priority to attend...We weren't told about it with too much notice (I don't know about you but I need a couple/few weeks of notice for most everything around here...we are always penciling things in on our calendars and the sooner, the better if we have any hope of attending!)

Anyhoo -
Our kindergartender was pretty disappointed we didn't make the fall dance, so I hunted up the dates for the 'winter dance' and put it on the calendar...
Not only was it something she really wanted to do, it's also a major fundraiser for our school's PTO - Anything for a good cause right?

So...
I played a little new age telephone, wrote a note on paper and gave it to my 6 year old, to give to her new 6 year old BFF from school, to give to her mom...offering to pick up said friend and bring her to the dance with us.
To our delight - she responded via email and it wasn't long before me, my kindergartener and her BFF and the soon to be kindergartener little brother were off to the school dance.
What could a school dance for kindergarten kids possibly be like I wondered....boys on one side, girls on the other?
We certainly didn't have dances when we were SIX!
Well, this school dance was for the whole school - grades K-6...
Even more awkward?

No. Not-so-much.

I cannot get over how much FUN this Friday night was!

We arrived at the school about 15 minutes after the 2 hour dance started...
It was already rocking...
The gym was a hopping, lights were turned down, disco ball on, DJ spinning tunes like Tik Tok by Ke$ha, Firework by Katy Perry and Gaga's PokerFace...(None of this my kind of music - but me oh my did the kids have a BLAST!)
They also played We're not going to take it - Twisted Sister!
WHAT?

The whole night was so much fun...Maybe it was seeing my kids enter 'the next stage' in their lives...the chapter that involves hanging out with friends while Mom hangs back...The part where for two hours, they don't need me, except for to check in with me from time to time.

I sat alone, hanging out on the sidelines, handing out money for Crazy Hair Paint ($2.00), bottled water (.50), glow in the dark items ($2.00-$3.00) and popcorn, candy and chip treats (.50)...
(Admission was $5.00 per family)
(Note to self, go early, get a table or a seat and bring along a kindle or an ipad like dozens of other parents did...another note to self: get a kindle or an ipad like other parents did!)

I wandered around, making sure the kids were doing ok, were having fun, and were being good...

I snapped some pictures and some videos - at the request of the kids...
And now, excuse me while I wipe away some tears...
The 6 year old has requested that I don't share them all with you here in my blog land.
WHAT?
I KNOW!

She's having some self esteem issues...
She isn't a big fan of compliments at all, and for that reason, chooses play clothes most days over her adorable jeans and sweaters...over her cowboy boots and hats that she previously adored. BOO!

So, I present you...
The night in pictures...but only the pictures allowed by the 6 year old residing in this house.
I guess this marks the day where I now take the kids' privacy into account before blogging...and that's ok with me. And it's not like I never have...but now comes the time when I actually ask them before using my own judgement...

We have the pictures and videos saved at home and the kids enjoy seeing them over and over - they just aren't ready to share them all just yet!
Which is too bad...cuz 6 year old jamming out to some of today's hottest hits?
Does life get any better than this?

Also, no, it wasn't snowing in the gym - please ignore the dirty filthy lens on my point and shoot -
There was too much action and it was too dark for my cell phone to take any pictures...so I had to use the crusty old point and shoot...it's better than nothing...

D and H's best boyfriend from school jammin' -

Break Dancing!

The Class of 2024 having fun on a Friday night!

The older kids (probably 3-6 grade or so, hung out at the front of the gym, near the DJ and danced and sang, the younger kids did just fine on their own with the wide open spaces that the back of the gym allowed them.

Crazy Hair Paint - $2.00

H and her BFF~ M~ in her kindy class - born just 1 day apart ~

For the days leading up to the dance, she walked around the house singing about this boy...
H and M, sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G

WHAT? I KNOW? Oh my heart...
She just loves him and he's the sweetest little thing...

At first, D wasn't so sure he wanted to go to a crummy old school dance. What he forgets is, he has just as many friends at school as she does - including a good buddy from daycare who is in kindy this year...

They showed off their breakdancing skills all night long!