Madison had her first Valentine's Day party in the 6th grade. I think this is the grade in school where matters of the heart really started to "matter". Actually she is not that interested in the opposite sex as far as her own brain is concerned but she is very observant and she has been noticing that there are some boys and girls who are "ready" to start "going out". I have to put all of this in quotations because seriously, this is extremely trivial and I wish it wasn't starting to happen, but it is, and so now I have to pretend that this is serious business.

She is still giving me the inside info as to who is going out with who and who met at the movies and which girls are mad at who because their boyfriends broke up with them and went out with the other one and who hugged at the shed on the corner of the field.

Madison came to my room yesterday after her 6th grade Valentine party and she looked like she was on the verge of tears. I was on the verge of tears as well, but I don't think it had anything to do with a single man, but it did have A LOT to do with about 9 boys. On a side note: Valentine's Day is a terrible holiday to celebrate at school. It was worse than Christmas and I wish I hadn't underestimated the chaos that would ensue. I'll get back to that...moving on.
Madison looked very very very upset, so I hugged her and asked if she was ok. She said that she was sick to her stomach. Ah yes, the "I just don't feel good" excuse for not wanting to admit to your mother that you might have been sucked into the "going out" difficulties of the 6th grade dynamic, and now you are going out with someone who you never talk to, even though she has threatened to throw your cell phone away if there is one text from a boy.

I remember all my Valentine's Days, and there is only one that was good in all my years of actually trying to have a Valentine's Day. One year a boy sent me a dozen roses, he never told me. Elisa told me who they were from. I felt loved.

Anywhoo...Madison has decided that she doesn't like Valentine's Day very much, and I have to agree with her. It's a sucky day. And it is awful during your dating years, it's just awful. If you're lucky enough to have a boyfriend on Valentine's Day (mine usually disappeared around then to get out of buying presents) you get the worst gifts known to man. A giant teddy bear, bigger than you? I got one. Nothing at all? I got that too. Presents such as a ring, flowers, a card, Giant Hershey Kiss, I got those too, but usually a week late. My brother got me a Barbie card once, but only because he had to get his wife the same thing and I was living with them. Marcus gave his Giant Hershey Kiss to his teacher this year. Really?!!! Whatever, dude.


Poor Madison, I wouldn't go back to middle school or Jr. High if you could guarantee that I'd loose all my baby weight. I actually got her laughing by the end of our little talk about how stupid boys are, but I can't help feeling that this is only the beginning. These things get really crappy before they get good. I'm still waiting for them to get good.