The rest of the story....

(This is the crew when we first got there. This is the best picture Tim could get with his Iphone. I wanted to bring my camera but I held back) Abigail is the blond. You can't see her face but she is beautiful. :)

We are sitting at dinner going around the table telling about our day. (I know it sounds corny but we do it just about everynight) Jack's turn comes and he announces that he has asked Abigail to go with him to the mall on Saturday. My mouth literally hit my plate. First, Jack has NEVER walked the mall alone MUCH LESS done it with a girl. I calmly asked what she had said. He replied that she was already going but he was welcome to join her and her friend. Still shocked I tried to fish around whether it was a blow off or something real. I was suddenly turning into a Mama Lion. My heart hurt thinking about this girl blowing him off. Yet, on the other hand I was so proud of him taking such a HUGE step. We simply told him to ask her about it tomorrow and maybe get her phone number so he could firm up the plans later in the week. I spent the next 24 hours worried to death that this girl was going to hurt my baby boy. The poor teachers on my grade level had to hear the entire story over and over again as we tried to dissect the conversation and find out her true feelings. Then Thursday afternoon my 12 year old son walked into his dad's classroom, flashed his small scrap of paper with the home and cell number of Miss. Abigail and with a huge smile announced, "Look what I got!" I was so happy yet so scared. If she gave him her number it had to mean she really wanted him there...and yet IF SHE HAD GIVEN HIM HER NUMBER IT MEANT SHE REALLY WANTED HIM THERE! Saturday finally arrived and I held back the idea of calling her mom. We headed to the mall around two. (yes, I said all of us. He was not very happy about all his siblings coming but there was no way I was going to miss this and we had a birthday party afterwards). We waited at the food court for her text of where to meet and I prayed my heart out that this girl would show up. I kept rubbing his back telling him it was no big deal if she didn't show all the while thinking to myself....I will hunt her down if she stands him up AND finally it came. She said they were waiting for him in front of Dick's Sporting Goods. The Kiep Clan headed that way with Jack in the lead and me pushing the double stroller as fast I could to keep up with him. We turned the corner and there she was. Abigail and her two friends. When they saw him they instantly pulled off their winter hats and redid their hair. (good sign in my book) I was instantly back in middle school walking around Cumberland Mall with my 5 girl friends, Matt Metts and Josh Clark. I got tears in my eyes. My little boy was a true middle schooler. I walked by telling him to text me later and we walked away. I walked away hoping I had taught him well and that he would remember all that he knows as he was alone in that giant mall. About an hour and half later he texted Tim that he was ready to leave. The girls were having a sleepover (exactly what we did at that age). Jack walked up to Tim with his iced coffee smiling ear to ear. And so now it begins...