Pictures From Homecoming, 2015
Posted on September 20, 2015 Posted by John Scalzi 55 Comments
Athena’s school’s homecoming dance was last night, and of course she and her boyfriend Hunter got all dressed up for it. There was a bit of drama when the dress shop that Athena purchased her dress from hemmed it both poorly and ridiculously short, but through the kindness of friends, a last-minute substitute dress was found and in fact looked even better than the original dress.
Naturally I took photos. Here are a few.
And one of Athena, being very serious.
If you’d like to see the full homecoming picture set, it’s here.
And that’s what I have for this Sunday.
One Thanksgiving when I was about Athena’s age, my grandmother looked at my brother and me and then said to my parents, “Well, neither one of you could make a plausible case for not being the parent of either of those children — they look nothing like each other but they both sure look like both of you!”
I always think of that rather odd comment when I see pictures of Athena, because gosh, she looks like both her parents — and, of course, indelibly herself.
Awesome dress.
It’s good to see that ponytails are still a thing with at least some kids.
And they even gave you a Doctor Who pose! Soooo cute.
“Athena” and “Hunter”? LOL.
It would be funnier if it were “Diana” and “Hunter,” but yes.
Nice photos. :-) My first thought was pretty much along the lines of Sorcharei’s and my second was that the second photo down suggests those two would do very nicely as cover models for YA SF&F.
Athena’s homecoming dress looks a lot like my senior prom dress (from lo these many years ago, I’m about your age, Scalzi). Love Hunter’s tie. They both look great!
:-)
…Although I should add that my dress didn’t have the shoulder thing on it like Athena’s does. Just strapless, knee-length purple.
She looks elven in the Black and white.
They look adorable – all four of them!
Excellent!! Wonderful pictures, John.
She looks really lovely :).
Can’t even begin to describe the big silly grin I got on my face looking at those photos – suffice it to say that my spouse found my expression quite amusing. I particularly love the second photo in the series.
Hunter looks like a quirky, intelligent young man who is comfortable in his skin, so I am not surprised that Athena finds him interesting. Hope they had a marvelous time at the dance, and I wish them both a good year in school.
Thanks for sharing, and please also pass on thanks to both Athena and Hunter for agreeing to be featured here, as I know you would not have shared the photos without their consent.
The kids look like they had fun letting parents take pictures. Your pretty lucky ya know. As @Colonel says pass along our thanks to all of them for letting us share in their fun.
What a beautiful daughter you have. She looks so much like Krissy. And not so much like you. This is a good thing.
What a cute couple! Did the home team win, I wonder?
And of course you showed Hunter your shotgun collection
The Internet is so weird. Just hit me while clicking through that I had been LOOKING FORWARD to seeing homecoming pictures of the kid of a guy who I don’t actually know. Half the time I don’t want to see homecoming pictures from children of people I *do* know. And yet.
Hope they had a good time. :-)
What I love about pictures of Athena is how some of them show more of a resemblance to her father, some show more of a resemblance to her mother, and in all of them she is such a distinct individual in her own right. A goddess indeed! That full-length one of the two of them is fabulous.
And even after the last-minute dress swap, the wrist corsage and boutonniere still matched the dress! Was she looking for the same color in a backup dress, or did Hunter just luck out?
Lovely. She is an amazing young woman and he looks like a wonderful young man.
He must be a great guy. He has passed a stringent bar! Most young men only have their date’s parents to deal with in the “I will do right by your daughter” department. With Athena, there is also Whatever … :-D
I thought of your daughter today when I was writing. One planet in the story is called Athena (though I named it before, I think, your daughter was born).
I think this is the first time you’ve actually mentioned Hunter’s name on here. Does that mean we need to stop calling him “Enzo”?
She’s majestic, he’s cute as a button, and they’re adorable together. You can tell he has a sense of humor from the third picture, where she’s posing as a superhero and he’s posing as the goofy-but-lovable sidekick.
Joseph Finn: If they don’t win, it’s a shame.
Dave Crisp: Yes, it does. In fact, calling him Enzo is…pretty ill-omened in the first place.
Holy moley – Athena’s no little kid any more!
They look…blue…but in a cheerful sort of way. And Athena’s dress looks appropriately Athenian.
Congratulations! I hope they had a wonderful time…
Hunter seems appropriately silly. Hope everyone had a great time.
Homecoming? Already? In September? I guess they do all the school things early in Ohio. Purple is always an excellent choice.
Great photos of an adorable young couple. Thanks! (And I like Hunter’s tie too. They were nicely color-coordinated.)
@Gerald Tishman Really? Why are you perpetuating that tired & sexist meme? The idea that fathers need to imply threats towards guys their daughters are dating in order to protect said daughter is just… ick! Did you even think about what that “joke” implies about Scalzi? and about Athena? and about Hunter?
Okay, feminist soapbox moment over. Everybody looks super adorable (with a side order of adorkable) and I hope they had a lovely time.
They are ridiculously cute together. Athena’s dress is gorgeous and she wears it so well.
Aww, the poor jilted pineapple.
Is the dress shop still standing post-Krissy?
Maybe I’m just Too Old (spoiler: I’m at least 15 years younger than Scalzi by now) or cultural standards are different on this side of the pond, but Athena’s emergency backup dress looks scandalously short for a school ball to me – so I hate to think just how short the dress shop cut the original one!
I love Hunter’s tie and the way it colour coordinates their outfits.
I hope they had lots of fun.
Great pics! They’re a cute couple. And as I haven’t seen your name in the police blotter, I have to assume Hunter got Athena home by curfew.
totes adorbs. :-)
there are a lot of photos of me from high school with a similar expression as Athena’s serious photo. It was usually a “stop taking photos now” face with me… they look fabulous, regardless!
Looked at the whole set. Great pictures! Thanks for sharing.
@LadyDreamgirl Yes. I am old. As is my sense of humor
Doug B, or maybe Athena got herself home by curfew–and perhaps even got Hunter home by his curfew. No information was given on who was providing the transportation.
Fletcher, I don’t think the dress is scandalously short for a high school dance. I’m considerably older than Scalzi, and I wore some incredibly short minidresses in my time. But it’s short all right. I too wondered about the dress shop dress.
Could someone explain Homecoming to a Cancuck? They are going to a party at their current school so it’s not their Homecoming.. So whose is it?
They look fabulous together – full of fun and feistyness!
In the third one down, they look like super-spies!
(Someone made a shotgun joke to me, yesterday, in front of the three-year-old daughter in question. I said, “No, she can take care or herself. She’s a superhero!” She concurred, “If any bad guy comes, I will hit them, and kick them, and punch them.” …And as we know, Athena is a trained puncher.)
@Gerald – And of course you showed Hunter your shotgun collection
I assume you mean his Journey collection. If Hunter doesn’t treat her well then he is locked in a room and forced to listen to all of Journey’s Greatest Hits. With John Scalzi himself accompanying on the ukulele.
@Anne from Canada-
In theory, alumni come back during Homecoming weekend for a big (football) game. In practice, many high schools have a Homecoming dance that does not otherwise involve anyone coming home – it’s just the name of the fall formal.
Is it just me, or does Hunter look like a young Jimmy Cagney – I’m thinking the early scenes in “Public Enemy”?
Magda, yes, I can see that–but better looking than the young Jimmy Cagney!
Wow. Just wow. Children and time. Time and children. Athena is beautiful. Her parents must be so proud.
I’mma gush over your kid ’cause I don’t have one of my own. Such adorableness! They look like they both are enjoying life. Fantastic!
Dear John,
Very good photographs, indeed! Well done.
I dunno teenage beauty standards these days, but I’d rate Hunter as a serious hunk. Daayummm.
~~~~
Dear Lady,
Thanks. I didn’t want to rain on anyone’s happy-time post, but I’m glad you called it. A very inappropriate remark. The word for that sense of humor isn’t “old,” it’s “obsolete.”
pax / Ctein
Thanks @Katydid.
So “Homecoming dance” has the same flight path thought time as “dial the phone” and “crank the engine”. Cool…
BTW Kudos to The Photogra-father! Excellent shots.
Ahh, the simple joys and please of youth not gone wild. Enjoy it while it lasts. Starting to get snippets of mine being dressed up like yours. I am doomed. :D
Aw, they’re adorable!
Looked at the whole set; both sets of kids are charming, and I think I would like Lily. “Thank yous” to all four of them for being so indulgent to complete strangers.
The first pic of Athena is soooo stern. Love and I’m amused. She appears to love stuff more than stern. Congrats to y’all.
The black and white photo she is channeling her inner elf.
That photo is a keeper.