homecoming texas style

This Friday was my school's homecoming (hc). I don't remember hc being such a big deal back in my high school days. Perhaps it's because I wasn't exactly full of "school spirit" back in the day (I don't think I actually went to any of my high school football games). I do know that we had floats during our hc half time shows at Bakersfield High School. The only reason I know that is because one year a kid chopped off a couple fingers making one of the floats. Our high school here in Texas does not do the floats on the field... Oh no they prefer to WEAR their floats on their chests. Three years ago when I started working for the high school I was introduced to a very unusual custom in Texas (maybe it's a Southern thing). On the Friday of the big hc game most of the girls and many of the boys showed up to school wearing a "mum". In case you are not a Texan I will explain what a mum is and some of the mum etiquette.

-A mum is a HUGE wreath like ornament you wear on your chest if you're a girl and your arm if you're a boy. I think the big goal is to add as many trinkets/ribbons on your mum without toppling over when you put it on. Most people make their mum by starting with a teddy bear in the center and building out from there.

-If you are dating someone during homecoming it is very much expected that your boy/girl friend will give you a mum.

-Parents often give their daughters a mum in the event that they are single on the big day.

-Parents would almost NEVER give a son a mum (that would be considered kind of lame and pathetic). Boys will only wear a mum if their girlfriends give them one.

-There is a direct correlation between length of mum and how much you are loved (not really, but the queen bees would argue this is true).

-The most popular of popular girls will wear more than one mum. The most I have seen on one girl is three.-You do not necessarily have to have a mum for all four years but I would guess that 95% of senior girls would feel very sad if they didn't get a mum for their last year.

-You NEVER wear a mum more than once (tacky).

-An average sized mum will run you between $100-$150. Although it's perfectly acceptable to make your own which is cheaper but NOT cheap.

-If you're a girl and you do not have a mum but your bff does you are often expected to help with the carrying/repining of their mum(s). It can almost look like a bride with her devoted bride's maids carrying her train.

-If you are one of the many students with a baby in the school daycare it is considered very cute to make a matching mum for baby and "mummy".

-All Friday I find little trinkets (small football helmets, whistles, bells, ribbons, sports emblems etc.) that have fallen off some poor girl's mum. It's like the girls are walking pinatas... if you bump them hard enough you WILL get a prize.

I took Jake and a couple of his friends to the big game and they were all thrilled with all the little prizes they were finding all night long. I wanted to take a picture of this particular student without looking like a creep or something. I got a side shot so you can't fully see her shirt.

It read, "Future CHS homecoming KING". I thought it was very clever (rolling my eyes).

As requested by my mother here is a randome picture I took of Brooke tonight. I caught her in a "picture taking mood".

***side note*** We won the game making our record for the year 3-1. This in itself is a worth bragging about. Last year we had one win which we celebrated heartily because it was our first win in like 4 years. We have possibly the worst record in the state of Texas. GO LONGHORNS!!!