Young At Heart

As I get older (and wiser), I am learning that staying up all night long is not for me anymore. There was a day when I could do it and it was fun, but those days have long since passed. But it is for middle school students and that is just what we did at our 1st MSO All Nighter. Well, almost. Somehow, everyone finally gave in and, one by one, drifted off to catch some last minute sleep before the event was over. Even if it was at 3:30 in the morning, it was still something. The girls had a fantastic time. Our evening (and morning) was filled with laughter, hide and seek (why are church buildings so creepy at night?), talking, bracelet making, movies, talking, music, junk food, talking, painting nails...and did I mention talking? You would have thought there were 30 girls there, not 8. But we had a blast. I learned who Justin Beiber is and what "jerking" refers to. Apparently it's some kind of term for a dance move. Hmmm. Perhaps if I am going to pour my life out into the lives of middle school girls, I should probably be a little more clued in to what their "culture" is like. Yeah. That's it.

The guys had a great time too. They, too, indulged in pizza and junk food, although their snack stash was a bit smaller than ours due to their forgetfulness (or lack of listening skills)! At 11pm they ventured across the street for some midnight bowling which helped the time to pass for sure! Upon returning, they played four-square (this student ministry's staple game), video games, ate more pizza and watched a movie. And asked repeatedly if they could prank the girls. Funny how not one girl even thought of the idea to prank the guys! Not seeming like they were going to calm down any time soon, Matt finally told them all to find a spot on the floor and to lay down. They didn't have to sleep, but they had to chill out for a while. Apparently, by 4am, they were all fast asleep. Phew!

Until next year when I'm sure we do it all again...I'll make sure to get enough sleep before I attend and read up on my latest Teen Magazine. (Wait, do they even publish that anymore?)