Friday Night Lights

There are a few things that still make me go, "hmmm" about our son attending a small, rural school (like his spelling words all having to do with livestock). But every time I am at the school subbing, attending a PTA meeting, or going to an event, I see the ENORMOUS benefit in this arrangement.

Last night we attended the school's home football game. It was really enlightening...

1. As we walked into the stadium, it took nearly 20 minutes to get to our seat. Everyone knew us - me as a sub, my son as a student or my husband in some way or another. My husband said, "in nearly 10 years in our last town, we didn't know this many people."

2. One of the high school girls said, "YOU! You're Awesome! Come sit with me!" And so we did. No need to look for a seat - yay!

3. Our son's entire school staff was there (what else is there to do on Friday night?). Almost every student in the district was there, too. So our son took off with his friends...and we actually didn't worry about whether he'd get lost, stolen or offered a drug deal.

4. Homemade cinnamon rolls...need I say more?

5. Cheap entertainment..."How do they power the stadium lights...with windmills?" or "The field looks great considering cows were grazing on it earlier" and "Do you think there will be a barn dance after the game?" Har, Har.

6. All of the high school students were wearing jeans and sweatshirts and actually WATCHED the game. I didn't see an ipod, cell phone or boxers sticking out from under jeans.

7. We parked next to a horse instead of a police car.

8. My son was laying on the bleachers looking up at the stars..."Whoa, those are pretty!" he said.

9. Our daughter made new friends...every high school girl wants to babysit her now.

10. "That was fun," our son said. And that's all that we really needed to hear.