Confessions and Observations

I have been in denial for days. In fact it has been dragging me down and wearing me out. Now I am ready to face the truth and deal with it. I am prepared to do whatever I need in order to recover from this malady.

What, might you ask, could I be talking about? Here goes: I listened to Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" CD over and over again for a three-hour road trip last weekend. Three hours each way. Six hours total. And then I spent the entire weekend at a dance convention. Loud music, catty girls, cut-throat moms. Sixteen hour days. AM I EXHAUSTED!

But guess what? I really had a good time. This is the truth I must face. I enjoyed watching my daughter and her team dance and grow. Of course (and this is no lie) the studio where Katie dances was the finest group there. Here's why:

1. Katie's team enthusiastically participated in each class. I had an observer pass which allowed me to sit and watch the entire time. And I did. Our girls were friendly and alert, whereas others seemed to be aloof and distracted. One group of younger girls hung out at the water station the whole time, dipping their cups in the top of the dispenser and scooping out all of the ice. One in particular reminded me of an ADHD big-bowed half-dressed Barbie nightmare. She's the one that started the whole contamination process and persuaded her groupies to join in on the ice chip jamboree (this was on Sunday afternoon when everyone was running on generators, but still).

2. All of the parents from Katie's team pitched in and helped out. It was obvious we were there for the dancers, not ourselves. During the classes many moms snuck out, leaving their trash behind for someone else to pick up. They gathered in the halls like the groupies their children emulate. They sported outfits as revealing as some of the costumes (I will get to that next) and stuck their noses so high in the air I thought they might fall over backwards. It was a chilly/sweaty area, if you know what I mean.

3. Katie's team wore tasteful costumes and danced appropriately. But some of the others? OMG, BTW (sorry I'm now speaking text lingo) they might as well have been performing in a gentleman's club. Like, whateva... okay I'll settle down on the cliches. Anyway, it was gross. That's all I can say. Oh, and tacky. Sad. Yes, sad. Really sad. I had to laugh when the co-owner of the dance company who put this whole thing on spoke Sunday. She said, "I must say I have never seen such elaborate and fancy costumes as I saw during last night's competition. And the bows. I have never seen anything like all that bling. But none of that really matters..." Ha!

Anyway, Katie's team did great. The two dances she performed in received first and second place for their catagory. The team's ballet duo came out on the very top despite the fact that one of the girls was too sick to dance and the understudy had to step in. It was a very moving experience.

I feel so much better now that I told you about my weekend. sigh. Remember, we are only as sick as our secrets. OKAY, I'll admit it. The Justin Bieber music was great.