Our Friday night in videos

Alternate post title:  Life is good. 

Batter up!

Luke scored a ton of sweet outside toys for his birthday, like this tee-ball set from my parents:

Thanks, Yaya and Papa!

Countdown to birthday week

Lots of packages have been arriving at our front door for the impending big birthdays around here. And while the presents will be wrapped and opened on their respective special days, the bubble wrap will be played with immediately.

Rah rah rah

A couple weeks ago Chris scored four tickets to a weekend UNCA men’s basketball game. We didn’t have anything going on, and decided going to watch some Bulldog basketball would be a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. We had to wake Luke up early from his nap to make tip-off, and to supplement the extra sleep he was used to, we just gave him a few sips of Sprite, resulting in Chris and I taking turns following him as he ran hotlaps around the concourse.

And while alternating Luke-duty, we were able to see the Bulldogs pull off a victory, and watch Taylor keep all focus on the cheerleaders. Our favorite babysitter, Becca, is on the cheer and dance team, and was sweet enough to come up to our seats a couple of times before and during the game to give Taylor a big hug and let her hold her poms. My daughter was in heaven.

So when Becca let me know that the cheerleaders were holding their first ever Cheer and Dance Clinic for little people last Saturday, I knew that Taylor would explode with excitement to participate. And all I had to say was, Hey Taylor, would you like to learn how to be a cheerleader like Becca? and she started bouncing around the room squealing, I’M GOING TO CHEER SCHOOL! It was like popping a balloon filled with confetti. It was everywhere, and all we could talk about until the big day.

She was so wound up that she didn’t even flinch when I told her that in order to take part in it she would have to wear a black t-shirt and black cheer shorts. Which to most people would be no biggie, but Miss T hasn’t worn shorts or an outfit without the color pink on it since she was Luke’s age. And after we got home from buying her new uniform the day before the clinic, she immediately put on her new threads and strutted her stuff around the house until bedtime.

And because Cheer and Dance Clinic rivals Christmas Day for a small girly-girl such as Taylor, it only made sense that we also bring along her BFF, Elliot.

Best. Day. Ever.

There were about forty little girls between the ages of five and eleven participating, with Taylor and Elliot being two of the youngest. And I was so proud of both of them, as they both stepped up and blended in with the older girls.

First they got into a big circle and stretched.

And then they went around that circle, telling everyone their name and why they liked cheerleading. Taylor liked the pom poms.

Everyone moved into the practice courts and learned a few chants, and then broke into age appropriate groups to individually learn cheers.

Of course we had snack breaks.

And then back to learning the routine that all the girls would be performing at halftime of the women’s basketball game that afternoon.

They even did a short tumbling section, where the itty’s practiced their somersaults and jazz hands.

At the end of the clinic, the whole group assembled to practice the entire routine. And they passed out pink pom poms. And Taylor and Elliot’s heads almost exploded.

We then went home to eat lunch and take a short break, after which we met everyone back at the game to cheer on the women’s team and get geeked up for the big performance.

Making her way onto the court.

The big show.

How adorable was that? I can’t even explain how proud I am of Taylor and Elliot and all of those precious girls.

It was definitely a day we will never forget, and I’m pretty sure we have a future cheerleader in our house now. 

In which the apple didn't fall far from the tree

And about five minutes after recording this, yours truly put down her camera, hopped on top of the raft and attempted to show her daughter how easy it was to jump off. Which resulted in everyone getting an entertaining show of my amazon-length arms and legs flailing around the raft until I belly flopped into the water. Ouch!