Are We There Yet?

ANOTHER Dance Competition!?!

Two weekends ago, the girls and I headed out of town for ANOTHER dance competition. Meggie has been dancing since she was 3 years old and competing in dance since she was 5. I am not new to this competitive world. So why is it BUGGING ME SO MUCH this year?! Meggie has reached the point of burnout (and who could blame her?) and we aren't so much enjoying this dance season as we are enduring it. We are both counting down the weeks until this season is over.

At this last competition, the convention center that hosted the competition was also hosting a tax accountants convention (now THAT'S a wild bunch...NOT!) and a Japanese anime convention. Typically, when our dancers traipse around convention centers, they stand out in the crowd. For example...
...that's a pretty drastic makeup job. Well, when you share a venue with Japanese anime enthusiasts, it's hard to stand out in that crowd.
The dancers (Meggie and her friend Meghan) are on the right...the "normal" looking ones. These anime enthusiasts have a lot of imagination and clearly a lot of free time on their hands. Their costumes were quite impressive.

My favorite part of sharing the venue with them? Molly kept asking them -- very loudly and in all seriousness -- "Why you playing dress up?!" They didn't quite know what to say to her!

Molly is the unofficial mascot of this year's team -- and she LOVES all the attention. This competition, she even decided to join in on team stretches...
...and made it look so easy! (Yeah, she's VERY flexible!)
Meggie's here to tell ya it ain't as easy as Molly makes it look! We got a quick team picture...
...before the girls headed to the practice area. (Meggie is the last one on the right in the back row.) Since we had about an hour until their performance...
...Molly grabbed a nap while I did my reading for my Nursing Ethics class. (Thank goodness that girl can sleep pretty much anywhere!) After her nap...
...Molly was up and at 'em, cheering on the team. I wanted to get a picture with Molly (since I've been told I'm under-represented on my blog)...
...and that was the third try, with Molly STILL refusing to open her eyes! (She thinks she's hysterical, by the way.)
Awwww, that's better! She really is a very good girl at these long and never-ending events...coloring, playing games on her Leapster, or staying busy with her Barbies and baby dolls. (We do NOT pack light at these events.) She gets lots of attention from strangers who are amazed at how well-behaved and tolerant she is...she's often better behaved than most Moms at these things! (But don't get me started on the stage moms...)
Ahhh, my goth-looking Teenager and my slobbering Preschooler. Makes a Mommy proud, it does! When Meggie realized Molly had stuck her tongue out for that picture...
...the tickling began! (All three of my kids are terribly ticklish under their chins. I don't get it...I find it annoying, not ticklish.)

After day one of competition, we headed out to dinner with the whole team. Molly had a BLAST with all those teenagers and was, as always, the life of the party.

Day two...
...new outfit, same well-behaved angel. The long weekend was a success...
...and the girls brought home the State Championship! Two more competitions (including one this weekend) and Worlds in April (if they qualify for a bid)...and we are FREE!!