The Last Elementary School Dance

Since Natalie has started fifth grade, there have been a lot of lasts.

Her last elementary Christmas party.

Her last elementary Valentine's Day party. (Hers was last Friday since Valentine's Day is on a Wednesday.)

Her last elementary school dance.

Oh sure, there will be other dances in middle school, but still. Will it be as innocent? Probably not. This dance had the entire school. PreK all the way up to fifth grade.

Sometimes it worries me that Natalie might change from a giggly girl into something else when she goes to Middle School. Will she still dress up as different characters and sing songs? Her latest was being Hugh Jackman's character in The Greatest Showman. (You can see that on my Facebook page here.)

Will it change her for the worst? Or for the better? I hope for the better.

I can see little snippets of Natalie growing up. For starters, she insisted on a heeled shoe even though they were slightly big on her.

"But I feel so tall," she marveled. So she wore the shoes.

There was no date, but she did tell me a few boys asked her to go to the dance. Nothing serious though, in once instance a boy came over to her and asked if she'd go with his friend. Natalie said no, she'd rather be "single like a Pringle."

It's starting. The boy thing. Natalie has taken notice a few and some have taken notice of her. But it's still sweet and mostly them chasing each other around the playground at recess.

In Middle School there is no recess.

The dance was held in the gym, and I settled down with a book and a Diet Coke while Natalie rushed to her friends. They squealed. They did that high pitched girl noise as they gripped each other's arms and cooed how wonderful each other looked.

"I like your heels," I heard one girl tell Natalie, who immediately spun.

The dance floor became crowded with kids from various ages. I would check on Natalie now and again. She'd spot me taking photos or a friend of hers would.

"Natalie! It's your Mom!" a friend would shriek, and they'd duck away.

I still caught Natalie "dropping it like it's hot."

At one point she came over to me on the phone. It wasn't her phone either.

"Who are you talking to?" I asked.

Natalie held up a finger. "Uh huh. Uh huh. Girl, we're here waiting on you. Well tell your Mom you need to come. Uh huh. Okay. Bye." She hung up.

"What on earth?" I wondered.

"That was my friend. We were wondering where she was but her Mom says she can't come. Something about wanting to relax and watch Grey's Anatomy."

I chuckled. "I see."

Natalie gave me a hug. "Well, I'm off to dance! Bye!" And she clomped away in her heels. I'm glad she still hugs me in public. Will that change in Middle School?

The dance was a success. It was only from 5-7, because, you know, the tiny kids have to go to bed and all. Natalie said she did dance with a boy "but only for like two seconds" but that she mainly danced with her friends.

"My feet hurt," Natalie said, taking off her shoes and rubbing them when we got into the car.

"Welcome to being a girl. Although honestly, I wear flats now. I can't do heels anymore."

Natalie laughed. "I'll do heels. I like how tall I feel. Even if they do hurt me."

"I'll do flats. I like that I can walk without falling over."

So that was it. Her last elementary school dance.

The next one will be a Middle School dance. And I can only hope that it also ends in laughter.