Show your spirit!

This week is homecoming week at Mancub's high school. I'm certain this ritual is occurring across the country. During that week there is a special dress-up theme appointed to each day. I remember being excited to participate. It was a perfect ensemble for spending several nights in a classmates barn building our class float for the parade. My friends and I embraced all that was class spirit. It was often a chance to spend time with the cute boy you had a crush on while stuffing poms into chicken wire shivering and fantasizing that he'd hold your hand or offer to snuggle you close to keep you warm ... then the fumes from the aerosol spray paint can would overcome your intoxication of that day dream.

The Class of '83 had the upper hand of building killer floats thanks to the designs of our classmate Jon Schultz. He had construction know how. Taking his designs and turning them into reality was a great chance to meet and bond with kids we would otherwise not get to know. If memory serves me correctly our float won three years in a row. I know Jon will remember (dude remembers everything!). Dale! Julie! Tricia! Amanda! Gloria! Tommy! Help me out with recall!

OK, I got lost on memory lane. The subject matter is Mancub's first encounter with homecoming. He's yet to ask to attend a football game. Unfortunately, he'd rather shave his head and sing Hari Krishna in downtown Kankakee than hang out with the majority of his classmates. However, he will be given extra credit in English if he dresses up during spirit week. Monday was a mystery so he went as "bewildered freshman." Tuesday was Michael Jackson Day. His response to that was, "Uh, I don't think so, Mom." Today, Gleeday (Wednesday for you non-show choir loving folk) is "Fashion Disaster Day." You can see his far out ensemble. He even styled his hair to look like a mullet. If that isn't the crowning glory of a fashion disaster, I don't know what is.

Tomorrow is "Class Clash" where each class wears a specific color. Freshman wear green -- quite apropos, don't you think? Friday is Maroon and Blue "School Colors Day."

I'm really happy that my son is trying to get in the spirit even though so many of his peers give him a hard time for being himself. I wish his experiences were similar to mine, but the times have changed dramatically.

*sigh* Go team!