The Cannonball's First Homecoming

Welcome back, America.

So our resident Freshman had her first Homecoming tonight.  To say she was excited for it would definitely be an understatement:  she started talking about it last year when she was still in 8th Grade, for Christ's sake.  For months she had been dropping reminders that she wanted to go dress shopping with her friends - even back in the summer - and started making Amazon lists for the various accessories (shoes, necklaces, purses, etc.) that she was considering for her outfit.  This, truth be told, is so far removed from how she usually is it's scary:  this is a girl who can usually be seen in a baggy sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and Converse.

Well, last month Kris and Ana (Alayna's friend Cristina's mom) took the two girls out dress shopping one weekend.  After stopping off at like three or four different places, Alayna finally found a dress she wanted. But this wasn't the end of the prep work, folks - no, Kris and Ana had to take the girls out a few more times over the following couple weekends.  For shoes, for jewelry, etc.  It was a never-ending shopping list of absolute bullshit.

So glad I wasn't involved in most of it.

Anyway, while Kris was involved with the shopping process, Yours Truly was involved with the picture-taking process.  Alayna and her friends all decided that they were going to take their group pictures at Midland's Dow Gardens, an elaborate, planned series of gardens that snakes out behind the Midland Community Center.  For years, city residents have used the Gardens as a backdrop for graduation portraits, engagement announcement sessions, Christmas Cards, and - you bet your sweet ass, America - Prom and Homecoming pictures.  When Alayna announced to us that her group of friends wanted their Homecoming pictures taken at Dow Gardens, I complained very loudly and very frequently.  For days.  Nearly every other high school-age asshole in the city would be there, each armed with two stupid parents, all trying to get the same cool angles in the background of their Homecoming pics.  

Alas, Kris sided with the Freshman and told me to suck it up and deal with the crowds for the time being - "it's her first Homecoming, let her be excited."  etc. etc.

F***.

Well, we got there at 5:30pm to meet up with the other six or seven families in Alayna's group of friends going to the dance later that evening, and - just as I predicted - about 25,000 assholes were all jostling through the entry point to get into Dow Gardens, to do the exact same thing we were trying to do.

God, I hate people.

So check it out, folks - the Cannonball's First Homecoming. . .

Upon arrival at the Dow Gardens, we immediately met up with Cristina and her parents, Ana and Brad.

Alayna kept texting her other friends, trying to figure out when everyone else was showing up (only us and the Geibs had showed up on time.)

Getting a few, quick portraits of just Alayna before all her friends arrived.

Because we were still waiting on, like, six or seven other families at this point, we had to hang back by the main entrance to the Gardens. 

Kris and Ana kept telling the girls to 'bend one of their knees slightly' while taking their pictures, and Brad and I kept making fun of them for saying it.  So Kris took this picture of us trying to do it (I look like someone's knee-capping me.)

Lexi (who just showed up at this point, with her mom), Cristina, and Alayna.

Abby, who came along with us, asked to climb up these rocks so Kris could take her picture.  Because it's Abby.

A couple more people show up.  I don't remember the girl all the way to the Far Left, but she's a new addition to Alayna's usual group of friends.  Then there's Cristina, Cristina's date/boyfriend Hunter, Lexi and Alayna.

This was by far the hardest spot in the Gardens to get - you had to wait in line for your chance in front of this man-made waterfall.  Once the group of kids had their pic taken (the previous one) I held Alayna back (because f*** the other parents waiting in line) to get a few of just her.

Kris wanted a family picture right after that. . .

Gabby and Tobi (the two at the far right) showed up with their families right after our waterfall pics. . .

Gabby and Alayna

That Tobi kid doesn't like her pic taken, and the other kids in their group still hadn't shown up by this point in time, so we just kept walking through the damn Gardens, taking pics of these kids in front of random shit. . .

This kid with the bow isn't one of their friends, but some of the parents knew this kid's dad or some shit, so she randomly just started appearing in my kids' Homecoming pictures.  Oh well.

This is probably the best one I got of Alayna throughout the evening - the lighting is just about perfect.

One of the last spots we all set up on was this bridge.

This is what's going on behind the pictures, folks.  Me and this. (You can spot Kris, third from the right.)

Ava (with the jacket over her shoulders) finally shows up.

The full crew (plus that random kid in the bow.)

Cristina and Ava's boyfriends just so happen to be best friends or some shit, so Alayna coordinated this picture of the four of them on the bridge.  She was very proud of herself.

By this point in time, it was time to leave Dow Gardens and drive Alayna over to Old Chicago Pizza (down by the Mall), where the group of freshmen had a reservation at 6:30pm.  Following a dinner there, the group car-pooled to Midland High for the Homecoming Dance, which lasted until, like, 11:30pm or some shit.  I don't know, it was late and we were all tired.  And so ends the Cannonball's First Homecoming. . . can't wait to go through all this bullshit again next year. . .

- Brian

Backyard Bridge Bonanza

The masses assembled.

Hi folks.

Today, as you can tell from the day's other post, has been a ridiculously draining day.  Productive, but draining.

As Yours Truly continues to move more and more crap into our new home - today was the Big Move day, where my brothers helped me move the big items of furniture into the house, so now we're officially in - Kris and her co-leader, Courtney, opted to hold their girl scout troop's official bridging ceremony in our backyard.

Let me explain.

When Daisies finish their second year of daisiehood, or whatever the hell their term of service is called, they graduate to Brownies.  You may remember that Alayna went through something similar last year.  Anyway, June 10th was the official date for this ceremony - it had been for months - and it was only through horrible coincidence that this just happened to fall on the SAME day we were renting a truck and moving all the heavy furniture.  Initially, Kris and Courtney wanted to hold this ceremony at the scout camp in frickin' Harrison, but that's a heck of a drive from Midland, and they don't even have a bridge there for the scouts to walk ceremoniously across.

Kris and Courtney rally the troops for the ceremony

So Kris volunteered our own, local backyard. . . which, as you know, comes fully equipped with a picturesque, wooden bridge.  Needless to say, parents of the troop pounced on the idea.

Kris was nice enough to allow me to work inside for most of it, unpacking and moving house crap, instead of shmoozing with parents over a picnic-styled lunch while drenched in sweat when I had way more important things to attend to.  All she asked was that I come outside for the ceremony part of it in order to take pictures.  I was obviously more than cool with this.

So yeah. . . that's how we got to today's ceremony, which I'm going to lighlty glaze over now because the pictures really speak for themselves (don't expect a slew of witty captions, folks.)

Here we go. . .

Reading off prepared statements for each of the scouts, one at a time.  Following their written introductions, the scouts walked across the bridge, accepted their 'diploma' (or whatever it's called), removed their Daisy vest, and received their Brownie sash.

Hurrah for mediocrity.

- Brian

Give 'Em to the State

YES!!

Ready for school

After what could definitely be considered the Longest Summer in Recorded History, the school buses have finally revved up their engines, the backpacks have finally been readied, and we're finally kicking our kids' butts right off to school.

Hallelujah.

It should come to no one's surprise that we've had our fill with kids lately.  They've been out of school since early June (when Florida lets out), and, unlike Florida, Michigan does not go back to school in mid-August.  No, up here - for whatever reason - they wait until after Labor Day (Sept. 8th, folks) to kick off the school year.

That's, like, an extra three or four weeks of summer, America.  Not cool.

Our girls were both accepted to an excellent elementary school about a mile away from our house, and, for now, it looks like we'll be picking them up and dropping them off every day(they don't bus kids unless you live more than a mile away, unfortunately.)  Of course, when we start working, we'll have to juggle those responsibilities, but for now it's nice having the flexibility.

Here's some Back to School pics for you - enjoy. . .

Alayna (a.k.a. Snaggletooth) is going into 2nd Grade this year, believe it or not. . .

Abby is starting Kindergarten. . . which is crazy.

(Okay, I know this shirt reads 'Pugs and Kisses,' but I think it'd be waaay more badass if it read 'Pug Life.'  Just sayin'.)

New fancy backpacks (Abby's lights up, if you look closely - it's obnoxious.)

We moved the photo session inside, 'cause it was pouring rain outdoors and the lighting sucked.

Gotta have one with the dog.  I guess.

He's not cool with this.

Umbrellas at the ready for the First Day of School.

Abby was understandably pretty nervous about her first day of school, and, sure enough, after we dropped her off in her new classroom, she came running out after us and clung to Kris for dear life.  Kris brought her back into the classroom while I continued on with Alayna, and sat her back down at her seat.  Fortunately, one of the boys in our neighborhood (who lives just down the street from us) sits right next to her at their table, so that helped with the transition some. . .

Alayna's 2nd grade classroom.

The grizzled vet, the Cannonball wasn't nervous at all about her first day back at school  I fear more for her teacher at this point. . .

- Brian