Homecoming Week

There is only one week each year which makes me wish I was in high school again and that's Homecoming Week. I don't know about you, but our high school Homecoming was L-A-M-E. First, we didn't have a football team. So we had to wait until December to celebrate Homecoming during basketball season. Second, all we had was a dance. Nothing else. Nothing to get you excited all week long like they do at THS. 

The theme of Homecoming Week is based on the top selling book, The Hunger Games. Each day of the Homecoming week is a special dress up day. Points are earned for dressing up in the class competition. Unfortunately, Samantha's class has never done well in this competition, but this is the year she decided to make it her best. I mean it is her Senior Year after all. 

The Bee & The Airplane

Monday was phobia day. Some of the students had a hard time with this one. If you are afraid of cotton balls as one Senior is, how could you dress up with cotton balls all over you and be able to focus all day long? Samantha decided to dress up as a bee, but of course she is afraid of anything which will cause her the slightest bit of pain including exercise. Annelise,  however, has a true phobia. She has a fear of flying. As time goes on, her fear of flying has possibly even gotten worse. On our trip last June to Vero Beach, FL, I had to distract her by talking about the five novels she packed in her carry-on. Our next trip may require drugs.

Tuesday was Tacky Tourist Day. Now why my children didn't just shop out of their father's closet I'm not really sure. Wednesday was Zone Day with the Seniors getting the Capital. Samantha purchased a hot pink prom dress from Goodwill to dress up as Effie Trinket. Thursday was School Colors: Maroon & White. Friday was Class Colors for the Game Day competitions. The Senior decided on Red while the Freshman wore Purple.

Annelise led the Freshman Lip Sync with her coal mining cohorts singing DIG DIG DIG from Snow White  & the Seven Dwarves while Samantha and Dance Team rocked it out with the THS Teachers and then the Senior Girls for the Lip Sync. 

The Game Day competition started off with an Extreme Routine by the cheerleaders and a Teacher/Dance Team Routine. I cannot tell you how blessed I am to have my daughters go to a school where the teachers truly get involved with the student's activities. The teachers who participated in the dance were fantastic and weren't afraid to strut their stuff in front of the entire high school. That is what made the performance truly enjoyable. Following all of the performances, the students enjoyed an afternoon of field day games and a huge win over the Lexington Minutemen Friday night.

Samantha - Ready for her Senior Homecoming, but alas her date was in Milwaukee

Saturday was the actual day of the Homecoming Dance. While Samantha stayed home to begin her 7 hour beauty routine with  her friends, we followed Annelise to a volleyball tournament which, of course, ran late causing not a little bit of stress for the freshmen who were experiencing Homecoming for the first time.

Annelise ready for her 1st high school Homecoming

Fortunately for me, both the Senior & Freshman groups decided they wanted to meet at our house for pictures at 5 pm. It may have been slightly crazy at our house with 10 Seniors, 10 Freshmen and their parents snapping pictures for an hour or so, but at least I didn't have to try and be in two places at once.

SENIORS Class of 2013 

FRESHMEN - Class of 2016

The best part of the day was still yet to be. Samantha had asked a friend to come home from MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) to be her date for Homecoming; unfortunately, he had to work on Saturday and wasn't able to get home in time for the festivities.  Instead his insane mother drove to Milwaukee and picked him up when he got off of work at 2 pm, and drove 4 hours back home in order for Luke to surprise Sam by showing up at the dance.

Luke surprised Samantha by showing up at the Homecoming Dance

Of course, it's a little scary when the local law enforcement officer comes into the dance and says, "Samantha, I need you to step outside." Luckily, my sweet young daughter hasn't had any run ins with the law and was more than terrified about what was going to happen next. Instead, she stepped outside to see Luke waiting for her with a corsage. 

Luke & Samantha - Homecoming 2012

Everyone have an AWWWW Moment. I think every girl in the school melted when they saw Luke standing there. According to Samantha, it was the best Homecoming ever. She never suspected a thing even though she's claiming she was suspicious and says I can't keep a secret. Hey I can keep a secret. I just know who I can trust to tell and who I can't. Obviously, she was still surprised so I rest my case.

My baby girl had to get into the action having her hair done as well. Unfortunately, you can still see some of the pink hair dye we put in her hair for the Homecoming Game Friday night. 

The craziness of Homecoming can finally come to an end. It was a week of fun, memorable moments with each of my daughters as they tried to create their first & last Homecoming experience of high school. Tell me again, where did the time go?