I'll be back with photos (I hope) before I post this, but the whole idea got me curious.
Did you have a formal 8th grade dance?
I honestly don't remember if I did. I don't think so. But maybe it just wasn't memorable.
My oldest daughter had one. The school rented out a grand hall and all the girls got dolled up. She had a lot of fun.
My younger daughter's class decided to have a bowling party instead. (Honestly, I think it was the class moms who all had sons who railroaded that, but DD#2 wasn't planning on going in either case. She's not a party girl.)
Anyway, tonight the 8th grade gets a fancy restaurant, a catered meal, a DJ to dance to, and all sorts of fun activities which I will report back on. Honestly, I'm totally looking forward to the Italian buffet.
12:30 am here, and I'm finally home. The teachers are all exhausted, but the kids danced and sang and laughed for four straight hours so it was all worthwhile.
My lovely meal - which tasted delicious even if the picture isn't all that attractive!
There was some kind of linguine, a chicken cutlet parmigiana, and rice balls.
Do you eat rice balls? I honestly have to admit to never having had them before I came to this school, where they seem to be a staple.
This version has a lot more ingredients and is sort of stuffed in the middle of the rice.
Buon Appetito!
I have never heard of rice balls! Another example of how wonderfully varied the regions of our country are!
ReplyDeleteAnd 8th grade dances are newer for me, too. Since we homeschooled, I never noticed if my children's peers had 8th grade formals. I don't think so. But my granddaughter had one, and so did my great-niece. No dating pressure - just friends having a dressy, formal celebration for the end of school. It looked like a lot of fun!
Exactly, Jan. Actually, mostly the girls danced with other girls, and the boys with the boys. They really had a great time.
DeleteAh, eighth grade dances. I remember them well, though we never had a really NICE dance like this one sounds.
ReplyDeleteMary Cate, would believe that I have actually made arancini? I saw Giada make them on Food Network once and they looked so good that I just had to try them. They were, indeed, good, though I'm not sure they were good enough to warrant all the work that went into them. Still, they were yummy and I can say I've made rice balls. ;)
Mindy, I totally agree. We actually had that discussion at dinner last night. They're delicious - if someone else makes them, like a catering hall. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I'm impressed you did it!
Wow -- a grade 8 graduation 'prom' is new to me. Sounds like a posh event! And the former school librarian in me is thinking "midnight on a school night?!" Bwahahaha!
ReplyDeleteI worked in an elementary school in an affluent suburb. It was great for the library budget and I had a blast building up the collection in that new school BUT the parents were all high-powered something or others and what they wanted for their little darlings was delivered on a silver platter by the principal. It got outrageously over the top.
Like grade six graduation with a red carpet (really), parent paparazzi and white stretched limos bringing the students to school for the graduation ceremony. Sigh -- we're talking eleven-year-olds here. They'd come to school at nine all twitterpated, go home around ten or eleven to get all gussied up in formal wear...like really formal wear. Then they'd be picked up by these limos and driven around until it was time to do the whole red carpet scene. It was bedlam. I mean, the kids were so out of control by the time the grad ceremony started. Copious tears from high strung girls practically hyperventilating over a torn hem or...yes, I'm really going to say this...a missing gem on a tiara. One year a tiara was stolen. That was so much fun. And all of this is going on while school is still in session for all the other grades. Oy.
Five years of that and then we got this awesome principal who had spent four years helping to start up schools in underdeveloped countries and he put a stop to all of that 'entitled' nonsense and turned future grad ceremonies into ways to give back to the community. It was awesome!
Kav, that sounds crazy!! I'm so glad the new principal put a stop to it. 6th graders in limos!! Unreal.
DeleteMary Cate, what fun!! I'm impressed with all the hard work y'all did for the kids. Our kids had an 8th grade dance, and it was comical. They got all dressed up, but then the boys and girls mostly all avoided each other and danced with friends. :)
ReplyDeleteI think I've tried one rice ball. I had never heard of them before that!
I should add our 8th grade dance was not formal. They just worse nice dresses and nice pants, shirts and a tie.
DeleteYou have inspired me, Cate! I've been meaning to make rice balls after having them at a friend's baby shower because they were so good and unexpected.... so now I must try them. I even have some cooked Basmati rice in the fridge... And what fun! The dance and the 8th graders, moving on. Oh, my stars, I would never want to go back to 13 years old, but God love them, it's a memory a minute, isn't it????
ReplyDelete