Day 2 of competitions - Tri States, ponderings.

Her, "really Mom?" look LOL

My daughter is on a competitive Pom Pom team and she also twirls baton on the same team, the Holt Dazzlers.  We are on a mini vacation in Ohio at one of the competitions, Tri-States.   She is doing well, her baton team took first in their division, her Pom team took second, she took first in her class of 6 for basic box (baton) and got a trophy, she didn't place in her second class...but she was fine w/ that.

Joining the Dazzlers has been a REALLY positive experience for her, she went from being painfully shy(getting lost in the team) to amazingly outgoing(and doing baton solos!), and it's like having a whole team of older sisters that she loves but doesn't have to live w/.   There are quite a few teams that are part of the Dazzlers so the age range is pretty much from 5 to 20, yes, there is drama between the girls at times, but overall it's a great group of girls and parents.  I very much enjoy being part of the group and so does Brooke.

  Staying in a hotel is a new experience for her, I guess I hadn't realized that we've had no cause to stay in a hotel in the 7 and a half years since she was born.  She thinks is "AWESOME!".  We are sharing a room w/ my friend and her daughter who's a friend of Brooke's as well and they are on the same team.  The girls were/are fascinated w/ the room "keys" (ya know the plastic cards) and took turns playing w/ the door for a while. Locking themsevles out, just so they could let themselves back in.  Had fun riding the luggage cart up to the room.  Want to order roomservice, but we told them NO WAY.  Were shocked that we have a mini fridge and a microwave in our room, and thrilled w/ the 'bathtub'(half sized tub w/ shower).  Then they found the mini soaps and shampoo..."MOM! they even gave us soap and shampoo!!" 

Ya forget the little things in life that probably were amazing to you when you were little, it's really nice to be able to see it through their eyes and enjoy it all over again.

So I sit here in the hotel lobby, because I'm of course the first one to be WIDE awake for no good reason, they are all sleeping peacefully.  I wish I had the ability to sleep in...I just don't.  For today, these are my ponderings...on the edge of needing a nap, already.

UPDATE!  She took first in her solo! and got a "good"(this is a really good rating, the only thing higher is Excellent, and hardly anyone gets that)  rating on her other solo.