Homecoming and Boys

So when I said I saw a light schedule in my weekend on Friday, I was clearly not considering the Homecoming Dance and my role in said dance.

My daughter had purchased her dress a couple weeks ago.  She'd scheduled her haircut even longer ago, and managed to get a bit more time added to her appointment so they could style her hair for the night.  In short, my daughter had her plans in and under control.  Silly me, to think that my son was good to go.  He's a boy.  He has several nice shirts and coordinating ties.  He's got pants, that I even asked if they still fit (the boy grew an inch in a couple weeks.)  He wasn't letting me know his shoes were small, so I guess they work.  Boys repeat their "outfits" all the time.  His hair looked style-able and again he hadn't said anything to the contrary.  Apparently, I could not have been more wrong.

He needed a new shirt.  Which meant a new tie.  His hair was too long for him.  Ah-huh.  And this was determined at noon on the day of the dance.  Yeah.

I felt less blind-sided when I, towing my son, walked into the men's department at Kohl's and saw no less than six other parents following their wandering, somewhat bewildered looking sons.  Some, like mine, just looking for a new shirt and spinning the tie racks.  Others who were trying to match their date's attire.  The "Homecoming?" look passed between several of us.  I heard one mother on the other side of the shirt bin say, "Just take a picture of this shirt and text it to her and have her see if it matches.  I think we have different definitions of that color."  I saw one unlucky parent watching their son trying on suits - I believe, actually, she had two sons in various states of trying on clothing pieces.  

In the end, they both cleaned up nicely.  Everything fit.  Hair was good.  Neither of the kids had dates, but they both had their groups.  The no-date was a little bittersweet for me with my daughter.  I know she enjoys her school "family" but I know, being her final Homecoming in High School, it would have been sweeter to have someone special with her.

Happy Tuesday,