Emma's Valentines Dance

Key: Purple=Emma, Red=Mom

Emma's 6th grade dance was quite an event. They prepared for many months for this one special day...learning dances and signing dance cards.
At the last minute, they invited parents to come and "watch" the dance. I gave Emma the choice, telling her that I would only come if she wanted me to. (I was REALLY hoping she wouldn't mind me there). Emma was very sweet, with her great attitude, she said, "I want you to be there...you don't embarrass me at all!" YIPPEE!!!

VERY strange pic! Lots of CRAZY FUN and JUMPING that day!

YMCA! (I got to choreograph this one!)
Emma made up a very cute dance to YMCA. Her teacher liked it and she was asked to teach it to the entire 6th grade. At the dance, when YMCA song began, Emma ran right up to the front of the line to lead her dance. It was very cute choreography!

Me and some of my AWESOME friends, from right: Kaylie,Torrie, Me, Morgan, Abby, and at the top, Maddie
Emma has friends wherever she goes, boys and girls, young and old.

Hairflip, and POSE!

As I was helping to decorate for the dance, a few of the 6th grade girls sneaked into the gym to help us set up. One of the girls told me that this was the best day of her whole life. Many of the girls dressed up really special for this dance. The boys, on the other hand, did not. Most of them were trying to act as if they wanted to be anywhere BUT at that dance.

I'm not sure what line dance this is but it was fun!

My favorite moment of the dance was when Emma was dancing "The Cotton-Eyed Joe". It was Emma and about 5 other boys all dancing in a circle. I got a picture, but they were dancing so fast that the picture came out as a big blur. Emma can have fun with anyone!

Refreshments were donuts and soda pop. One poor boy was overwhelmed by the amount and variety of donuts. He ate and ate and ate. Halfway through the dance I saw him behind the refreshment table, lying on the floor in fetal position....moaning and holding his stomach. I was trying to feel sorry for him, until he told me he lost count after 8 donuts. His teacher found him and kicked him back out on the dance floor. Poor kid. I felt sorry for his dance partner. No one likes to dance with someone who's green.

I had a special part in the dance too. A few weeks earlier, I was invited in to teach "The Electric Slide" to the 6th grade. It was more fun than I should admit. I could dance for hours and not get tired of it. I kept telling myself, "This is Emma's dance, not yours." As I watched the dance, I DID NOT dance.....but I really wanted to.

I was glad to be there. Many of my orchestra kids were in attendance. It was fun to have them come up and talk to me during the dance. (I wasn't expecting this because I'm just an adult). One boy (not in orchestra) tried to strike up a conversation with me...asking me about how long I've played in an orchestra, how he played the bass guitar, what he was going to register for in middle school....and on and on. His partner finally dragged him away. Poor guy just loved to chat. He was quite the conversationalist. He even got up on a step to talk to me eye-to-eye. Cute kids. I hope middle school doesn't ruin any of their niceness.

The Dance was so................. Fun. I'm super excited for future dances! We did the "box-step waltz" the "boot scooin' boogie", "Good times" The "snowball game" , "limbo" ,"macarana" "chicken dance", the "hokey pokey" "and a lot of free dances. in my top three highlights of Elementary School!