Schnazzy!

Last night marked another milestone in Caleb's life. The 8th Grade Dinner/Dance. This is a huge event that the kids look forward to all year. I volunteered to serve dinner, so I got to see some of the festivities before the actual dance began. I was amazed at how much these kids have grown up in the past two years...handsome young men, beautiful young ladies. Half adults, half nervous kids. Still having a foot in both worlds, but so close to stepping over the divide to full adulthood. I have found that I love this stage. Yes, we deal with battles, frustrations, and all that is a part of breaking free into his own person. But, we also have incredible conversations, laugh hysterically at his humor, and stand amazed at who Caleb is becoming.

Last night, as I helped him with his hair, tied his tie, took pictures, and watched him interact with friends at dinner, I knew. He is becoming a strong man. The baby that I rocked, the toddler that I chased after, the little boy that I read books to, the big boy that inspected every detail of his world, is wriggling loose of our grasp. And rightly so. Oh, he still needs us. Maybe now more than ever. But we stand a little further away. Our guidance is less demanding, more suggesting.

And we watch in awe as Caleb steps over the divide.

So proud.

Final preparations
In the foyer, waiting to enter the gym
(As you can tell, I took this picture from a distance;
didn't want to cramp his style.
And, as you can tell, Caleb has no trouble socializing with the girls...)

Yep, no trouble at all. As a matter of fact, he sat at a table with 8 girls.
No other guys.
Yep. Here he is, grinning away...

What a handsome guy