Middle School Validation 35 Years Later

The girls are now 13.  Which means that, well, they are now 13.  Insert your own awkward / awesome / terrible memory here.  Thirteen was not my best year.  I'd say two was my best year, followed by 23, and then perhaps 42*.

Abby has shown the first signs of being embarrassed by her parents.  She asked Jill to drop her off some distance away from her school one day, and over time the request got further and further away, until now when Jill takes her to school, she actually drives three miles in the opposite direction to drop her off.  Jill is a very active parent and volunteers for school things when she can.  This does not make Abby happy.

The other night, we were discussing her upcoming choir concert, and Abby was distressed that Jill was going to help out.  Jill pointed out that she likely wasn't going to wear her "I'm Abby's Mom and I Love Her Very Much" neon shirt.  Alexis chimed in with "at least it's not dad" volunteering.

Abby: "That would be better."
Me: "What?"
Abby: "My friends like you."
Me: "Huh? Why?"
Abby: "They think you're funny."
Jill: "Abby, I'm going to be helping pass out pizza and sell tickets.  I won't embarrass you."
Me: "Your friends think I'm funny?"
Abby: "Why do you have to volunteer?"
Jill: "It's good to help out the school."
Me: "I'd like to get back to the 'dad is funny' thing."
Abby: "Just don't be all huggy and kissy."
Jill: "I don't do that."
Me: "I think we are missing the point here.  Your friends think I'm funny?"

I never was able to get the conversation back to me.  But that's OK.  I am coming up on my 30-year high school reunion this fall.  Some of my high school classmates were also middle school classmates at E.A. Murchison Junior High School (Murchi-traz).  I will go to my reunion and FINALLY hold my head up high and feel confident that I am cool in the 7th grade.  Yes, the 2014 7th grade.  And likely more "not annoying" than "cool."  And yes, only to about five 13-year-old girls in one specific school.  Wait, that reads way creepier than I intended.
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* Truth be told, I just made those numbers up.  My best years were 25 (Kaileigh was born), 35 (Alexis and Abby were born), 31 (married Jill), and 34 (the world didn't end because all the computers were coded incorrectly, raising fears about machines rising up, time travelling, and preventing Prince from composing "tonight I'm going to party like it's 1999", which would then cause...well, the world to end).  I'd also put the year I met Jill, but won't actually specify what age I was so as to keep a bit of mystery (and to ensure I don't commit to blog the wrong year).  But it was 30-ish.