Bring it On...

I thought I'd try to steer away from the political talk for a while and dwell on something else. Right now, life is pretty busy. I have a new role at work which I am adjusting to, Maggie is in cheerleading and Addie is a rambunctious 2 year old. That doesn't even begin to describe her on some days. She definitely has a mind of her own. Anyway, let's go back to the cheerleading part. That has been an adjustment for me.

I never was a cheerleader. Had friends that were, but as for me - I did the dance squad in school and then basically decided that was too girlie for my taste. Growing up with three brothers more or less destined me to be a tomboy. I wasn't all about flipping around in a small skirt. (Which, ironically, I had to do in dance - ICK!) But, more power to those who do. Anyway, now my daughter is doing the cheer thing and I am SO lost. It's almost comical.

Yesterday we had an "exhibition" which means that all of the squads in the area meet and they do their "hello" cheers as well as a dance or more cheers. It's like Bring It On for 8 year olds. Me, I go to support my daughter and her squad because that's important to me. But, what I did not realize is how IMPORTANT it is to other moms.

The girls are 8. EIGHT. Like, you know. They're only 8 years old. Basically in an ideal world, they would still be playing with Barbie's and be totally naive about everything else that us adults have to deal with. But, yesterday I realized that being 8 today is not like the 8 when I was a kid. Thank goodness our coach has a sensibility to her. She's professional and knows what's acceptable and what isn't. But, some of those coaches - WOW. There were girls out there that looked like they just stepped out of a beauty pageant. Full make-up, the "fake" hair ponytails, mama's yelling "Go baby - get those jumps" and doing the dances along with them. Reminded me of one of those bad movies about teen beauty pageants, except these girls were EIGHT. A few of the songs had gyrations in them. I mean, I'm no prude - I give Maggie honest answers when she asks me a question (REGARDLESS of the question) but if she were out there doing the pelvis thrusts to a TI song, I'd probably be fit to be tied. It's bad enough that I had to buy her skimpier underwear so that they didn't hang out of her tights. Add the rap stripper dance and I'd probably call the whole thing off.

Plus, I don't look like the other moms. I have on a t-shirt and capri pants. I forgot to wear their team shirt (trying to sneak out before the 2 year old realized I was leaving) and I also forgot my button with her in her uniform. BAD MOM. Anyway, I get there and there are moms in full-blown garb with signs and dozens of roses, etc. I was SO lost. I didn't realize I was going to a Bengal's game...Isn't that what you do at one of those?

I could hear all of the parents around me, busily gossiping and chattering. A "rival" squad's cheering section sat behind us (I tried to sit with the parents of the other girls on our squad) and all I heard was negativity about our school and the rivalry. I mean, seriously. GROW UP. I sat there sort of laughing to myself because the funny thing was, these people were from my husband's high school. (We both went to local schools then moved to the district in-between when we got married, which ironically was a "rival" to both of our high schools.) Anyway - it's just foreign and new to me. I didn't bring poms and I feel odd yelling, screaming and stomping like I'm at a pep rally. I guess it's something I have to get used to. I feel like the goth kid that's stuck at a pep assembly. Seriously - give me a pad of paper and let me create while all of this goes on. LOL!

Oh - and on the way home, we got caught in the wind storm of the century! No power. We haven't had any since 2:00 yesterday. No work today. I've got maybe 10 minutes left on my computer battery before I go over to my mom's to charge it. Fun times these past two days. Fun times.