Baby Brother goes to Junior High

"MORNING WOOD!"

I wonder if these are the words my baby brother will hear, just like I did, on his first day of Junior High. OK, OK, I know all you Davenporters are saying "It's called Intermediate. We weren't cool enough to get to say we were in Junior High." To you I say, whatever. My baby brother is going to junior high today.

I truly was a little anxious for him. 6th grade! In a brand new, big school. With big 8th grade boys, and even scarier, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls who are looking more and more like 16 year olds by the day. UGH...that thought just makes my stomach hurt. Apparently, when he went to unpack your backpack night, he was barraged by "hellos" from everyone who walked by him. He had girls "following" him & giggling to tell him hi, and he got numerous comments on his new haircut (which is a good thing, as it was very overgrown). He's a hottie. I have to face it. My baby brother is total, heartbreaker, hottie. He's like THE popular kid. The totally popular, nice, super sweet, cool, hottie guy. And he plays the drums. UGH....be still my heart.

He told me there's a 6th grade "fling" (AKA dance). He's mortified because my mom signed up to help. She won't be in the dance or anything, she'll be serving refreshments. But still. How unhip is that? And, he has a girlfriend. They email each other back & forth. I gave him some tips on internet dating. For instance, always end with a question...that way the conversation never stops. She always has a reason to email you back. *SIGH* Young love. When he told me about the "fling" I told him about the 8th grade dance. Yeah, you all remember it. When I mortified myself by asking Brian to go with me? What? You don't recall? I'll remind you of the horrors.

Brian...my best friend. I thought I'd ask him. I'd be all sweet & nice. Sure I had a bit of a crush...but whatever. I'd stick a special little note inside his saxophone case when he wasn't looking. I was totally nervous...embarassed about it...but I sucked it up & did it. With all the guts it took to ask him, there was no way he could say no. Big mistake. Not only did he shoot me down, he went as far as asking a 7th grader (A SEVENTH GRADER) to the dance instead. Crushed. Heartbroken. I told my baby brother to nevereverever break a girls' heart by doing something so jerky as to invite a lowly 7th grader to an 8th grade dance.

I hope his first day went well. I hope no one tripped him in the hall or slammed his locker shut or made him drop his books. I hope he got French fries if he wanted French fries and that he didnt forget his locker combo or his lunch pin number or where he was supposed to go next. Perhaps Im being a smother motherbut I still cant help but think Wasnt he just going into Kindergarten?!