This Middle School Thing Is Cray Cray

So, Sunshine has been in middle school for 2 months now.  She's adjusted to the whole middle school thing really well---the changing classes she did for the last 2 years but having 6 different teachers in 2 different hallways with 4 minutes to get to a locker that may or may not open?  Mastered it.  She's made new friends and is still surrounded by some great friends and good kids (read: smart kids who don't start or get into trouble and who are overall sweet kids) from elementary school.  She's carrying two AP classes and over all has a 96 average in her classes.

And she's taking  ballet technique classes three times a week as well as one Pilates/Stretch class.  Oh, and Nutcracker rehearsals are in full swing.

So, yeah, we're proud of her.

Her Broadcast and Graphic Communications class is hosting a "Haunted Hallway" during the Halloween dance in a couple weeks and she and BFF are planning on dressing alike as haunted dolls--sort of like those twins from The Shining.

Things got crazy today though.  On the way home from school she told me that a boy in her Social Studies class asked her to the dance.  I'll not share his name but his nickname is "Rocky".  She said he's cute, smart, and is nice.

HE ASKED HER TO THE DANCE!

THIS IS 6TH GRADE!

SHE'S NOT ALLOWED TO GO OUT WITH BOYS!

Yes, I realize kids do go to these things as friends but he's never been mentioned to us as a new friend, and he's not one of her old friends.

ROCKY ASKED MY BABY TO THE DANCE!

ROCKY.

Just let that sink in because truthfully, I'm still in shock.

She turned him down and said she think she blushed when asked.  In true tween style, his friend (who was in her 3rd grade class) came over while she was sitting with her friends and did the asking.  We're all familiar with this MO.  It's how we skated "couples" at the roller rink when I was in 7th/8th grade.  You find your victim, boy of choice and tell your friend to go ask if they want to skate with you.  There's much gesturing and posing as your friend and said victim, boy point at you while you make sure you're posing in such a way that makes you irresistible but still faking like you don't know what's going on.  "That girl in the blue?"  "Yeah, the brunette in the blue".  "Yeah, I'll skate with her!"   You find out he goes to such and such school, skate to Bette Midler's "The Rose" or maybe "Babe" by Styx, thank one another for the skate, and most likely he'll come back during the next couples skate.  Or he might skate with you a while longer and hold your hand.

Back to Sunshine.

Rocky's friend (no, not Apollo Creed.  And not Paulie) approaches her.  Says Rocky wants to go to the dance with her.  She's shocked and for the first time in her life is speechless.  Her friends are squealing "SAY YES!!!!"  "SAY YOU'RE GOING WITH US!!!!"  "SAY NO!"  She said she finally told the friend that she was working the Haunted Hallway for Broadcasting but that she's not allowed to go out with boys.

And  she thinks she blushed.  Of course she did because she is her mother's daughter.

I sort of feel bad for ol' Rock.  Not because he's punching racks of beef in a slaughter house, but because he did get shot down.  Poor kid was probably talking to his dad or friends about how he'd like to go with her but wasn't brave enough to ask her himself. And maybe when he got home from school today they asked if she said yes.  And he has to say no.

So, as I'm nursing a glass of Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc, I'll raise my glass to Rocky.  Like his namesake he'll bounce back.  Adrienne will be waiting for him.  But she won't be my Sunshine!