On February 1 I started a heart project for Wes, Colson and Calli. Each day leading up to Valentine's Day I would leave them a heart that stated a reason why I loved them. About the 6th day or so Colson mutters that it's stupid and Wes when I express my hurt feelings to Wes he said "boys are just like that.....we don't get into things like that". Now I realize that 1. There are some boys/men who do like that kind of stuff....mine are not of that group. and 2. I probably should have doubled up on the hearts just to let them know I didn't care if they liked it...I still had reasons I loved them. The truth is I was running out of things to say about them (just kidding) so I decided if they don't like it...then I'm not doing it!
But I did continue it for Calli because she LOVED them. That's the first thing she would do every morning she said....as she tried to get out of bed every day she'd think 'I wonder what mommy wrote on my heart'. She felt sorry for me after Colson's rude comment so the next day I woke up to this above the kitchen sink.
And then every day after that I had a new heart!
I don't have them in order but I wanted to document them so when she really hits teenage status, and there are those moments when she strongly dislikes me...I can pull up the blog and say remember when?
In the Fall I mentioned that Calli's team was having a hard time at competitions. In my inexperienced opinion, I felt like it was a unity thing. The team wasn't quite gelling. There were many that weren't giving 100% which made those that were giving 200% frustrated which in turn stirred up the disunity. It was vicious cycle. I think her coach was SOOOOO frustrated and I'm sure reached out to several coaches on what to do. They started doing some fun activities during practice and created these encouragement tins. I don't really know the details so I won't pretend. The results have been that the team has come together and drastically improved. So much so that we are now undefeated in the Nationals Season with only one competition left....the BIG one in Dallas.
First there was Ft. Worth
Then there was Houston where they raked up BIG! They won their division, Jr level 4. Then they won high point which means they beat all youth, senior and co-ed teams. Then they won a bid to the summit which is similar to a Worlds competion for levels 1 through 4. That also won the gym a $1000. The performance both days were really great and the team was excited! And when you are winning, you tend to like each other better.
And then there was last weekends ASC in Katy. This one was exciting because we got a new jacket! And it was a cute one!
Calli and Kendall-her other base in her stunt group
And then her stunt group.
Next weekend we head to Dallas where we face the BIG DOGS. This competition has a great deal of pressure attached to it. Everything you do all season, every competition, every change in coreography, etc is so that you can WIN NCA! It's the pinnacle of the season. It will be tough! But it can be done....last year Calli's team had a zero deduction routine BOTH days and ended up winning beating out a team from Colorodo, Maryland, New Jersey, etc.
I have learned about a whole new trend in competitive cheer. In Ft Worth, as Calli and I were walking to get a smoothie when panic came over her. "Mom it's (insert really great cheerleaders name)!!!!!" Of course I said "who?" like 5 times because silly me thought she was trying to point out someone we knew. Oh no...it was a Cheetah from Cheer athletics who had a swarm around her, one by one taking pictures. So Calli waits in "line" to take her picture and I have to snap the shot. We walk a little farther and it's another Cheer Athletics cheerleader. It turns out that with the You Tube phenomenan, these really great athletes are spotted out during routines they watch on the internet or spots that these people make on themselves showing off their crazy, ridiculous tumbling or jumps skills and then they are stalked at competitions. It was the papparazzi. I told Calli she was going to have to get her friends to take pictures because I felt silly. She didn't. In the stands some other parents and I were talking about how crazy this was when an announcement was made...
"May I have your attention please...we realize there are several cheerlebrities here this weekend and we would ask that you not distract them asking for pictures or autographs until after they have performed because their coaches need them at warm ups and focused."
What??? You have a name for them...cheerlebrities?
Check this out...this is a video I took while at the Houston competition. I happened to be sitting outside in the hallway to do some work I had brought with me while I was waiting. This guy is 10 feet from the door and had just walked in when he was swarmed. His buddies after a while were like "we gotta go!" He couldn't get away. And when he finally did, he went another 100 feet before a new group of kids pounced on him for their few seconds to stand next to this cheerlebrity. Some would have them sign their shoes, other their phone cases. It's comical.
In February every year, every Willis Elementary does a hot shot contest. You have to pay a $1 to shoot as many baskets as you can in 30 seconds. The top 5 boys and the top 5 girls from each grade then go to a semi finals. In the semi finals (you don't have to pay) and you do a shoot out in front of your grade...one at a time. Kind of nerve racking if you ask me. The top boy and the top girl then go to the district shoot out held on a Thursday evening and you compete against all the other first place winners from the other 4 elementary schools.
There are 4 spots on the court that you can shoot from. Each has a different point value. You don't have to dribble, the object is to get as many points as you can get in 30 seconds. Colson made it to the semi finals and I got to go up for the shoot out. Thank you to my friend Kandy, Karson's mom, who called me as I was headed to the gym to detour me to the school. I had missed the note telling me the day and time of the shoot out. She called to see if I was going. "Well of course I am Kandy...I'm on my way now" (as I do a U-Turn to circle back to the school).
Colson was last for the boys. The score to beat was 21. Scored by his best bud Karson who had went right before him. He scored 18 and got 2nd. I was so glad he did good because sometimes gets discouraged if he doesn't do good or makes mistakes. He plays the "I can't do anything right" card and it gets frustrating to snap him out of it.
I was very proud of him and Karson. And it was fun to cheer him on!
Mother of 2....3 if you count my charming husband. Running the race each day that God has put before me. Sometimes fun, sometimes challenging, sometimes sad, sometimes frustrating but earnestly striving to do everything for His glory. As the hours turn into days, days into months and months into years all within a blink of an eye, this blog is an effort to record those moments in our lives that someday can be reflected on, shared and laughed over.
