Competiton Season Starts This Weekend...

Brooke has her first competition of the season this weekend. Lou and I have been busy helping at the studio with props, costumes, cleaning dances (what little help I am with that) organizing backstage, makeup etc...The list is endless really... Brooke is performing her first solo this year and I can't really put into words how I'm feeling about the whole situation. Brooke is so excited/nervous/happy and I just don't want to be that mom that stresses her out. I've made arrangements with another mom to be back there with her so I can watch, but honestly, I don't know if I can. Every time I think about her performing I start to tear up...I don't know if it is because the amount of 'pride' I feel for how amazing she is overwhelms me, or if I'm just so nervous for her. Lou tells me that I'm crazy...but maybe it is just because I'm a mom...All the other parents (who have kids that have performed before) have told me they sit in the audience and cry like a baby with the first one...then after that it is old hat. I hope they are right...I'm not sure I can do this every competition...

 

Since August (when Brooke started working on this dance) she has done amazing at

 perfecting each move, struggling with strength and balance and even flexibility and I'm so happy to see how far she has come. There are days when she feels as if she has made no progress and it still feels like she is struggling...but watching her improve has been fascinating.

So I guess we can be sure that I'll be 'that' mom crying in the audience (don't worry I'll do my best to hide it from Brooke) but I'll also be her biggest fan...That one that tells her how great she does even if she misses a landing or a step or smile or whatever.

I read a post today that was "16 Things We Forget To Thank Our Moms For" Here is the link (http://thoughtcatalog.com/kate-bailey/2014/02/16-things-we-forget-to-thank-our-moms-for/) It should also say Dad's...but regardless it reminded me that while our kids don't necessarily understand everything we are doing for them now...they will. The may never, ever tell us what we meant to them, but deep down we know if we are great parents or not. I guess at the end of the day, my kids can 'Thank' me for what is on that list because I was/am that mom and that also makes all the tears that I will shed totally worth it.