One Would Never Guess She Is My Daughter

Keri gave me the gift of a Facebook account when she went away to Georgia. While I am never one to turn my nose up at a gift, I wasn't quite sure how to go about using this one. I am not exactly the Facebook type. Not that I really know what that type is. I just did not see myself as one to "hang out" on computer social networks...HA! The irony of that statement does not escape me. Yes, I LOVE blogging, but I see this as being completely different. A way to log your thoughts, record your journey and make a few friends along the way. To me, Facebook is a bit, ummm, less deep???

Now, all you Facebook lovers, please don't hate me. I've come to appreciate it, but let's get real here. You can't actually learn that much about someone with no more than "Jeff is off to the the gym" or "Sarah is taking a nap" or "Jenny wishes the rain would stop" or my personal favorite, "John is petting his dog, Sparky". While I have used the site to reconnect with a few old high school friends, we have done nothing more than exchange a few pleasantries and moved on. I think I just have this need to connect on a deeper level. I will admit I love seeing all the pictures. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. I also realize that sites such as this are the wave of the future. I'm just a little slow on boarding the fast moving train into the unknown. I like my little comfort zone in which I surround myself. But we all have to stretch beyond our boundaries from time to time and this was one of those times.

So I disguised my uneasiness with feigned excitement and jumped in. I still feel like I might hyperventilate from time to time when I log on. So. Much. To. See. It can be overwhelming. But it has been the greatest way to see a bit of what my girl is doing on an on-going basis. She always informs me of her latest photo uploads and my heart melts that she wants to include me in all she does.

Today, she posted the following on my wall. See if you find any similarities in how we think.

Count Down....5 weeks left after this one....but basically it's only 4 weeks because the last week of finals doesn't really count...and then basically 3 weeks because the last actual week of classes doesn't really count either...but it might as well be 2 weeks because of our birthdays...but then I'll be home the weekend for Easter soooooo pretty much what we're left with is ONE week until I'm HOME with YOU!!!!I love you mommy and miss you like crazy! ♥ .

That wonderful way of taking any situation and spinning it exactly to your liking...well, let's just say, THAT is how I know she is MY daughter!



Edited: The fabulous Jill just left a comment hooking me up with THIS hilarious video about Facebook. It's a must-see!

Go DAWGS!

My Valentine's Day...let me re-phrase...my Valentine's morning - very early morning - was spent at a cheerleading competition. And it was not just any competition...it was THE world's largest cheerleading competition. Over 800 teams were there, meaning over 16,000 cheerleaders! That would also mean over 16,000 cheerleading moms! LOL!

My daughter has been involved in competative cheerleading for over 10 years. I took her to her first tumbling class when she was in 3rd grade and she has been hooked ever since! So I have spent many a weekend in gymnasiums and conference centers battling large crowds, chaotic traffic, expensive hotel fees and mind-numbingly loud music just to get the chance to see my girl perform for a grand total of 3 minutes! Good news is most competitions are two day events so I guess you could say I get 6 minutes of viewing pleasure. Yippee!

Seriously, I must admit that I enjoy watching her team compete. When she was younger, there were episodes of the stereotypical cheerleading mom syndrome (would not have been me, no siree!) that had to be dealt with, but overall it was a very good experience. I made some great friends and amassed some fantastic memories from all our travels.

Keri is now in college and we thought competition days were over. Lucky for her, Georgia has a club team that competes and Keri made the team. They've done well this year, but as you can guess, the true feather in their cap would come from winning this one particular competition. They arrived Saturday morning to discover a team member had actually broken her foot at Thursday night's practice and the routine needed to be re-worked...they had roughly an hour to make the adjustments...no alternates on this team so it was tricky. Despite the set back, they performed well. There were 6 teams in their division and they were in 2nd place after day one. The team in first place had a show-stopping routine with every high-flying, jaw-dropping stunt you could imagine. They were from Ontario, Canada and have won this competition 3 years straight. We felt honored to be in such good company.

Sunday's routine and the team's reaction were a testament to what this is all about. The Georgia Dawgs gave it everything they had and presented the performance of their lives! They even succeeded in outscoring the number 1 team for that day. Sadly it wasn't enough to take the 2 day lead, but they were so proud of themselves. My heart warmed to realize that while the 1st place trophy was certainly the goal, this team kept their perspective and was thrilled and content knowing they had done their best.

I thought I would leave you with a little viewing pleasure of your own. The competition hosted a "So You Think You Can Tumble" competition on Friday night. Take the time to watch, it only lasts maybe 30 seconds. Trust me, this is a freak of human nature at its finest! Happy Monday!

***Edited***

I couldn't get the video to load like I wanted. If you would like to see this you will need to click the link below, make sure you are viewing the male finalists and scroll down to view Meek Green from Freedom All-Stars. I've seen some great tumblers, but this guy blew me away!

http://www.passionation.com/