Ahh, the stirrings of puppy love, in action tonight

[SoCalDem]

My bowling league has all kinds of people (140 of em).all ages..married, single, gay straight, and a rainbow of colors.. Lots of these people bring their kids each week, so our 3 hours out offer a variety of things to everyone. The bowlers get to try and win points for money, win sidepots, drink a bit, schmooze with friends they see once a week..and the kids.. well some 1-8 yrs old mostly go to the nursery and watch videos, color and listen to stories.. The inbetweeners 9-12 usually run around begging money from Mom & Dad so they can play air hockey, or buy food at the snack bar/.....

and then we have the 13-17 yr olds..

Tonight the two "cute girls" parents were bowling against each other, so they were sitting together listening to their ipods and giggling together like they do each week..and all of a sudden, the Dads got very interested in what the girls were doing.. It seems that two teenaged boys had magically shown up and were seated with the girls.. All evening long these two dads took turns doing sentry duty..

The girls were polite to the boys, but weren't THAT interested in them, so eventually the boys wandered off..

Turns out the boys are sons of two other bowlers whose parents were bowling several lanes away, and they must have paraded by the girls at least 6 times before they got up their nerve and finally sat with them..

It's just darned cute to see these kids "discovering" their new-found powers..:)

The Dads are not so sure about it:)

[Missy Vixen]

1. We're waiting for one of our young friends to fall in puppy love

>It's just darned cute to see these kids "discovering" their new-found powers..<

We have a young friend; we've known her since she was 5. She's 15 now. Her parents are very Republican and very strict. At the same time, she's stunning, intelligent, and funny. We know that there are probably boys at church who think she's the greatest. We're waiting for one of them to get up the nerve to say something to her. We're also wondering if she's going to confide in one of us before she tells Mom and Dad, especially since she and I have already had a couple of discussions now about boys. ;-)

Part of me wants her to grow up and experience it all. The other part of me remembers her at 5, and my heart hurts :cry:.

Julie

[SoCalDem]

2. What's really funny is when two kids start dating each other

and they were both kids in the nursery together.. That's happened a few times, and two couples on the league have ended up inlaws when their "alley rats" married each other..We have also had about 5 marriages between some of our singles.. This is such a good group, and we have had the league up and running since 1986, so even though these people met as strangers just wanting to bowl, we have all shared so much.. Every week there's a card going around for something.. a wedding, a funeral, a baby.. Some of the couples vacation together and are lifelong pals ...all from meeting on a silly bowling league..

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Any Weddings at the Alley?

My husband and I always kidded that we were going to get married at the local Ram's Horn because our first date was there and we spent so much time there. :hi: Great story SoCalDem. MrG is in pre-Snowcoming Dance fret right now.

[SoCalDem]

6. Nope.. No one's THAT serious about bowling

:)

[Missy Vixen]

9. What a tremendous thing

to have a hobby that brings such wonderful friendships into your life!

>Every week there's a card going around for something.. a wedding, a funeral, a baby.. Some of the couples vacation together and are lifelong pals ...all from meeting on a silly bowling league..<

We live in a small town. There is a quilt shop across the hallway from my shop. It's a great place to hang out, even if you don't quilt. (Then again, if you sit in a quilt shop long enough, you're going to make a quilt :woohoo:.) As a result, there's probably 30 women who have gotten to know each other and become friends as a result. My friendships with these women (and by extension, their husbands, their kids, etcetera,) add more than I could ever say to my life.

Julie

[SoCalDem]

10. Sounds very much the same.. only we drag along spouses & kids

but then you wouldn't get much quilting done with them along:) Most nights most people don;t even know what they bowled..I can tell you this.. ONE lady next week is gonna be ecstatic.. We have a game called Mystery score.. You put in $1.50 a week, and each game we draw a random poker chip from a bag with a score on it (every number from 100-300)..If it matches your score, you win the money..

They finished early so she left..her score was drawn for the final game, and the pot had not been won for a few games so next week when she arrives, she's getting $247.00..and she doesn't even know it :)

We have a saying on our league.."If they don't have to go find you when it's your turn, you're not having enough fun".. We stretch across 26 lanes and if your buddies are scattered all down the lane, every trip to the bathroom or snack bar involves many stops to chat :) (The MEN claim to HATE it when we wander )..but they do it too when there's a game on the tvs or some guy's bowling a 300..they all gather to give moral support and make him extra nervous:)

[radwriter0555]

3. Interesting how the dads were so protective of the girls... I have come

to realize that perhaps this is an American thing.

Interesting to think that girls have to be protected from boys. What does that say about the US society?

[SoCalDem]

4. I don;t think the girls were in any danger.. Just that the Dads

weren't ready to have boys hanging around their little girls just yet.. The boys looked to be about 14-15 and both girls are justg 13..but you know how girls are at that age:)

[radwriter0555]

7. Yes, I know what you're saying. I found my self to be very, very over-

protective of my daughter, always concerned about BOYS.

What I've since learned (away from the USA) most everywhere else doesn't have the same types of fears that Americans impose on their children, myself included BIG time... here (in France) it's normal for boys and girls to be friends, or to be boyrfriend and girlfriends, rarely with any kissing or even hand holding, just companionship.

I learned that I've been either over-reacting or I was properly concerned about boys in the US... not sure I want to pick which one.

I am still startled to see young teens kissing each other with greeting, boys and girls alike. Boys and girls interact freely with each other, there is no 'standing across the room" staring at each other.

Here, the fathers (and mothers) step back and let their kids interact, it's a whole new experience for me. The boys aren't anywhere NEAR as rough or rude as the ones in the US. Boys and girls are a lot more secure around each other and adults.

I have a LOT to learn.

Dang, have I got a lot to learn.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Oh, I don't know...good friends of ours in England, who have never

set foot on U.S. soil freak out about boys pretty much the same as we do. :hi: I think it's because we all know we were young once. ;)