This weekend my adopted stepson was quite the busy man! He had his Lock In with the AFJROTC on Friday, where they stayed up all night drinking soda, playing dodge ball, and video games, and just hanging out and getting to know each other. My adopted stepson had an absolute blast, and promptly came home and went to sleep upon his return to the house early Saturday morning.
He knew that Saturday was going to be another late night, as he was attending the school’s Homecoming Dance, and wanted to be well rested for the event. Our fears over him finding a girlfriend did not come true this time around (big sigh of relief) he opted not to dance, but to mingle throughout the room, politician style greeting those he knew, and those he aspires to know better. Much to my surprise, even though he went stag, he stayed for the entire dance and came home late and ready for bed.
I am so proud that he was brave enough to go to the Lock In, only a year ago he would have been too afraid of the potential rejection of his peers to even attempt to spend an entire night with them, yet he bounced out of the car clutching his 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew, with a nervous smile plastered on his face and he managed to give us, his loving parents, a ’see ya’ as he slammed the car door closed behind him in lightning speed, running up to the entrance of the school in search of his little group of friends. He’d die if he heard me say it, but it was just adorable to watch; my little man all grown up…sigh.
I had the pleasure of witnessing the same dodge from the car when I dropped him off at Homecoming. Once again he darted from the car and dashed up to the school, nervous as all heck, but willing to give it a try before writing the experience off as not being worth a look-see. I think that the fact that he had his cell phone with him, and knew that he could call at anytime and we would be there in a few minutes to pick him up really helped to relax him and help him to feel more in control of the situation.
Thankfully he only needed the phone to alert us of where he was standing when the end of the dance came around, and all of the high schoolers dressed in their best evening wear, either piled into their cars, or stood in a crowd out front waiting for their parents to arrive. He came home happy, excited, and exhausted! After eating a quick snack he was ready to hit the hay and get as much sleep in as possible! Both his father and I are thrilled with how well both events went for our son, and how far our son has come over the years. The more he explores being social and the more he is accepted by others the more his confidence is growing, and he begins to transform even more into an outstanding young man!
Success! Yay! Congrats!