CHEER CAMP!

I seem to be off the blogging band wagon more than I'm on it, but here's to attempt #163 to get back on track. So. Long time, no blog.

A friend told me today that there are 20 more days until school starts. Wait, what? You are counting?! I know it's soon-ish, but I hadn't taken the time to count. And I don't really want to know! You see, my girl is entering kindergarten (in twenty days, apparently) and that fact has been like a black cloud hanging over me. I am trying real hard to accept that it's just the next logical step in life for her. Millions before her have gone to Kindergarten and survived. But I still don't like it. I like her home with me. All the time. If we could just go on like that forever, all would be well. Right now, I'm probably 60/40 with excitement and anxiety. I know once we get the whole school gig figured out she's gonna love it, but it's the getting there that has my stomach in knots.

My girl attended a cheer camp this week, and it gave me hope for Kindergarten. It went like this: There were tears at drop off and she tried to follow me out the door every time I turned to leave. I had to ignore the other eyes on me and just keep walking. I had to trust the coach that she would help her get acclimated, and call me if she needed me. I had to keep myself busy until pick up time. And when I went back to get her, she was LOVING it! Truly, madly, deeply loving it. Like she saw me and WAVED, instead of running to me and crying. It made my Mama heart swell, and makes me think that maybe, just maybe, this whole Kindergarten thing is going to go better than I'm expecting.

She really knocked my socks off when I came a few minutes early for pick up on Day 2, and watched her VOLUNTEER to go up to the front and do a jump with a cheerleader. Wha? Whose kid is this?

The best part was coming home each day and getting to hear all about the things she learned, and hear and see her excitement. I mean, she loves dance and gymnastics, but cheerleading sparked a different kind of excitement. Maybe this is her thing? It was mine for a long time (in high school and college), so maybe...

And you wanna know how a Mama heart bursts into a million little pieces? At the end of camp, your girl wins a (super awesome plastic) medal for winning the "Jump Off" for her age group. And she didn't hesitate once to get up and go claim it. My shy girl is a-growing.

Overall, I'm just so proud of her, and know that we're gonna get through this, like we do all things :)

And just for fun, here's what the boys think of cheerleading: