Pretty Pretty Princess - the girlie traditions

Our younger daughter, Pretty Pretty Princess, had a busy summer. Dang, Gina, the girl can manage her hair and her sunglasses with the best of 'em. It makes her mother proud. Also her sister, the Sophisticate, who defines sunglass chic. PPP is now in the throes of her senior year in High School. I like single gender education (I like homeschool too, but this is hard-core school.) That's pretty much all I have to say in the matter - I did the research, it works for me, it works for them. I don't want to hear about all the reasons they need socialization. Trust me, they are adequately socialized.

At PPP's school, the traditions are thick. We can't turn around without considering 'what the seniors do.'It started last spring with the creatively named Spring Fest, at which there is a princess, though not OUR PPPrincess. The '08 Seniors walked out of the chapel at the end. The Juniors 'moved up' into the senior seats. They wore short white dresses. And it was a big huge deal. Yes, indeed, there were tears shed by me.

Then, we had a party. Dressed in their short white dresses, they all lined up to get their traditional picture taken.

We bid farewell to the Lacrosse seniors - with a rose and a water bottle full of candy - suddenly, PPP was among 3 lax seniors. To prepare for her senior year she had a busy summer. She went to the beach with a few close friends, from church. Evidently, they got dressed up and went out to dinner. And lined up to pose for pictures on the beach.

The OFFICIAL senior picture - and all the posing that entailed.

She went on her mission trip to Mexico. All the pictures of the 'mission trip' are of PPP and her few close friends lined up for a picture. And, again, in Mexico posing for a picture with a few friends. Making GANG signs. Seriously? PPP thinks she's making a "gang face" too. Little Bear, cut out the glaring. Oh, look, here she is again. At home, going for a snow cone. And lining up to pose for a picture. I guess one of the traditions of her senior year is lining up and posing for pictures. At least they aren't making gang signs, since that location is pretty close to some actual gang-type activity around the corner or so.A day or two before school started she went to paint her block on the wall. The wall is somewhere in the school. Each senior paints a block on the wall -whatever that's about. Evidently it's "2009 We Mighty Fine" That's what we get I guess at a girls' college preparatory school - we mighty fine. We agonized for weeks over the design of her particular block. At least no faux gang signs.


I just signed permission for her to leave school to eat lunch out. My favorite senior year memories were "out to lunch" especially when we went to the Country Club where my friends blithely signed the ticket with no notion of how that chef salad was paid for. Go with the Country Club girls, PPP. It remains the best Chef Salad in town.

They have a lounge, where only seniors are allowed. They take food to it and eat it. So when I forget to make lunch, it's not a disaster. PPP, baker extraordinaire, likes to contribute to the glut of food in the lounge. Derby Day is a huge tradition. Part of the tradition is that the seniors wear red shorts and red sports bras and roll up their tee shirts, thus baring the abdomen. Baring the tum-tum is a no-no in their little protected world. Not on Facebook though. There are scandalous pics on Facebook.

It is also evidently tradition for some people to paint themselves green. I think I remember green year. It's also a big tradition to line up with your friends and have your picture taken.

Derby Day = Mud Day, evidently

Mud + Giant Blow-Up Slides+ Bare Tummies = Derby Day. "2009 We Mighty Fine. "

Some mothers attend . . . to watch this...whatever it is. I did not attend. Surprised? I cannot imagine myself standing in a field watching PPP get muddy and line up for a photo op. I rely on the photos of others.

It's as if she is watching herself - a senior-in -progress. A tradition filled year, indeed.With all the traditional photo taking, and mud wrestling, and gang signing and snow cones, PPP gets tired. She then crawls in bed with her I-Pod. A lot she does that. Also Facebook. That's a tradition too.