Anti-Wall Flower

Perhaps I am passionate about high school dances because I was asked to so very few of them. Maybe I'm just a starry-eyed romantic (even now that I'm ancient-old and in my thirties.)

Whatever it is, I love dances. I just absolutely adore them. The dresses! The hair! The excitment of actually being asked and having plans and being on the arm of some wholesome hunk (or good-guy-friend. Equally wonderful!).

And so...I squealed with DELIGHT tonight when one of Brother McLay's students called to ask if we would host homecoming at our house this year.

You see, a few years ago in these parts, a group of LDS youth were fed up with the nastiness of school dances. So they decided to put on their own dance at a location of their choosing (usually a home of one of the boys, or...the seminary teachers home--HOORAY!). The tradition has carried on with some groups attending the school dances, and a few banding together to create a shindig of their very own. Hurrah! Next Friday, we will joyously don our sequined duds, and open up our basement to a few fine-looking couples for an evening of toe-tapping bliss. Won't that be fun?

In these parts, as well, some of the fine young gentlemen who are asking young ladies to the dance (Tangent: boys. ASK THE GIRLS. We don't care if you have to wear blue jeans and a scout-camp t-shirt to save your hard-earned cash--we just want a date. Seriously. It makes a girls MONTH to be asked to a dance. So, puh-lease ask. End tangent.) ask with all the fanfare of a fourth of july parade. And, the girls get to answer back creatively, too.

We recently recieved a question from one of these adorable young ladies, who was looking for a creative way to answer back. And so, in honor of Homecoming, we post a few ideas for asking & answer for you...

Hi McLay's! i am going crazy! I was asked to homecoming and i don't know how to say yes. I'm going to reply on his birthday and he asked me with a bear! AH! if you have any ideas could you send them to me? Thank you!

Oh, joyful question. There are so many ideas.Here are a few...

(The GOT-CA$H Option)-Build him a bear from Build-A-Bear. They have a voice option where you can record your voice & then put it inside the bear. You could record your answer & deliver it to him in the Build-A-Bear 'houses' that each new bear is tucked inside.

(The Oh-How-Cute Option) Make & decorate cupcakes for one of his classes. Have the teacher pass them out to him just like they used to do in Elementary School. Have one cupcake that was made just for him. In this one, bake a piece of paper that says "YES" inside the cupcake. To do this, just write it on a small piece of paper with permanent marker, fold it carefully into a small piece of tin foil--make sure you seal the edges really well- then pour half of the cupcake batter, place the little tag in the batter, the finish filling the cupcake cup. Bake as usual, frost as usual, and just remember which one is his.

(The Cheap & Easy Option) Get a box of Teddy Grahams crackers. Before giving it to him, carefully open the box and stick a note inside. Reseal the box, and wrap it up with a note. For instance: "Hoping Homecoming brings you a beary fun date."

(The 'If You Had Enough Time' Option) You know that book, "Going On A Bear Hunt?" Well...you could send him on a "bear hunt" for the answer, using the book text. Send him to different classrooms or places at school, looking for clues or send him to different people in the ward, etc. At the end of the hunt, leave a bag of cinnamon bears with a note that says, " Going to homecoming with you sounds like a 'beary' 'HOT' date. I'm in!" (

(The Quick-A-Roo Option) Leave a bag of gummy bears with the teachers in each of his classes. The teacher would give him the bag, and each bag would have a letter that spells out your answer. To stretch the answer to an all-day thing, spell out something other than "YES." Perhaps, "4 S-U-R-E" or "L-O-V-E T-O" or "Y-E-S-S-I-R" would work.

And now...two BONUS ideas from Brother McLay.

(And, yes, ladies. Boys will be boys)

• Deliver a small plant to your date with a note that says: "I'd wet my plants to join you at the dance."
• Slice several very small slits in a 50 pound bag of flour. Slip tiny pieces of (thick) paper into the flour, then carefully reseal. Leave all pieces of paper blank except for one, on which you'll write your answer. Deliver bag to date with a note that says, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, this flour holds an answer that is meant just for you." Let the fun begin.

We want to hear from you!

How have you creatively asked or answered someone to a dance?

Post your ideas as a comment

OR

Send them to us at

mclayfamily@msn.com

We'll keep post a list of your ideas throughout the week

~and~

Stay Tuned...

You might just see some BE-A-U-tiful dance pics of Brother & Sister McLay from way back when we were young'uns!

Happy Friday Night! We Love You!

~Sis. McLay