Homecoming in Texas in 2010

This morning I have been letting my mind run back to my high school years. I suppose, it is very natural to get nostagic as I watch my daughter enjoy Homecoming week as a senior in her high school. Homecoming is better here - in Granbury, TX and in 2010. No doubt. They got fireworks at their spirit rally. And they were not your backyard kind of fireworks. This was a professional show. It brought tears to my eyes, but I can cry at just about anything these days. :-)

Last night was the parade. It was Monday and it was at night. I remember our parades being during the day, on Friday, I think. Back then, the cheerleaders rode in convertibles and here they walk and cheer and stunt and tumble. That's pretty cool.  They don't have to wear coats and mittens and hats. It was 70 degrees... at night.

The homecoming queen and king candidates rode in pick up trucks last night in Texas. In the back of pick up trucks actually. They threw candy and waved like all queen and king candidates do, you know. Not much difference in the generations there. My daughter thought it was good to have the candy to throw - sort of kept the awkwardness at bay.

The band marched and that seemed the same. Great uniforms, great music, but a much better percussion section. They call them drum lines here and in this day of age.... don't hear "percussion section" much any more.

We have Stow-Aways here. They wear little cowgirlish outfits.. with hats. Got to dig the hats. Back home in my day, we had Soul 20. That meant 20 girls wearing gloves and carrying pom poms. They wore pleated skirts and sweaters. And many of them were my best friends. I remember pictures of them marching in a Homecoming parade in the rain.

The other difference is how young football players and cheerleaders can be now a days. We had, of course, the Varsity float (the big guys, the ones who have a shot at playoffs this year.. so proud of those boys), the JV float, the 9th grade center float, 8th Grade boys from AMS and GMS, 7th Grade boys from AMS and GMS, and then the younger boys. Each float brought younger boys by until one group of kids were called Pee Wee and oh my goodness - can those toddlers really play football?? Cute, cute, cute, but maybe we are taking football to an extreme here in Texas??? No, no, no. They play young in California too. I know they do.

Today is Decade Day at school. Each day the kids are supposed to dress up as any decade they choose. Jill chose the 70's and went to school in my old cheerleading uniform. I spent some time ironing the pleats back into the skirt and sewing on the letter to the front of the sweater. She has long hair just like I had at her age (still do, I guess) so she tied a skinny red ribbon in her hair (we didn't wear the big ole bows like they do these days). I even had my old saddle shoes and my Sturgis Scoopers button. Buttons are very retro.

Mums are another story in Texas. We gave out Mums. First they only went to girls and they were real flowers - with a red "S" made out of a pipecleaner put in the middle of the flower. Oh my goodness, you must see Texas mums! They are an art project to behold. They can have lights and teddy bears on them - full size teddy bears. There is a single mum, but there are also doubles and triples. The boys were garters - that's a Mum around your arm. All of the Mums have all this ribbon and dangle down doo dahs that match the person's activities. You can have your band instrument or the ball of your sport or your year of graduation or hearts. You put your name on one of the ribbons and you put your boyfriends name on the other ribbon to declare your coupleness. The kids start wearing these in about 4th grade. It's a hoot!

Well there is more to come this week. More dress up days for school, the wearing of "the dress" during halftime of the game as Jill's Dad escorts her down the 50 yard line and I cry, the game itself, and the dance. I will keep on remembering my own memories, but I am also very, very present in the life of this Mom enjoying every minute of her daughter's senior year, as Mom.

Namaste