Bombers Cheer Showcase

Kaitlynn took the plunge this year into the world of competition cheer. With her years of tumbling experience, she has always been interested in cheer but not quite ready to dive in until now. She joined a Level 1 Elite cheer team called the Bombers with Woodlands Elite here in Katy and has been learning and practicing with her team since July. Since we are cheer rookies, it has been a huge learning curve for all of us. As we began to approach the competition season this winter, I admit feeling uncertain and overwhelmed at the activities and commitment required to fulfill her role on the team. From the intense practice schedule to the complicated hair and makeup requirements, we have all felt like a "deer in the headlights" most days. Throw on top of that my heavy work travel, and it has been a chaotic few months of trying to figure out how we will be able to manage Kaitlynn's cheer season in the coming months. Thankfully we are getting to know some of the other cheer parents and will likely be leaning on them for support.

In mid-November, Kaitlynn's team held a Cheer Showcase in The Woodlands. It was our very first experience with the full makeup and hair application, but we didn't have Kaitlynn's uniform yet. While Covid has introduced a ton of challenges into the season this year, the girls and families were able to gather outside on a gorgeous day while the teams rotated in and out of the competition area inside the gym. While I definitely enjoyed the one-on-one time with Kaitlynn throughout the day, I admit that the entire experience was foreign for me and at times a bit awkward as I tried to figure out what to do and how to support my girl. I ended up sitting in the competition viewing area for a large majority of the afternoon while Kaitlynn bonded and practiced with her teammates. It was fascinating to watch all of the other teams that were participating in the showcase, and I really enjoyed seeing the amazing routines and skills at all levels. 

When it was time for the Bombers to perform, I sat with the other parents to watch the girls for their big moment. The music was loud, the beat was strong, the spectators were roaring, and the girls rocked the show! There was just so much excitement in the gym, and the girls were all over the floor during their routine. As a spectator, it was hard for me to follow all of the action. The stunts, tumbling passes, pyramids, and dancing -- it's just all so much to take in and fascinating to see it all come together in a 3-minute routine!

What I've learned about cheer competitions is that the goal for the teams is to "hit zero," meaning that the squad performs their routine without any deductions from mistakes. Our Bombers put on a great performance at the Showcase, but they fell short of their zero deduction goal for the afternoon. Despite a few mistakes by the team, it was great practice for the girls and gave them a feel for the competition experience leading into the season. Speaking from the rookie perspective, I was thankful for the opportunity for both Kaitlynn and I to see and witness the entire experience and learn what to expect in the coming weeks at the actual competitions. It was an intense and all-consuming event, and thankfully we have more time to figure it all out as we go along. Go Bombers!

The Tilt of the Book

With Connor's crazy growth spurt the past year or two, we have gotten quite used to our back-to-back height challenges in the family. It started back when Connor was 12 and we noticed that he was inching up on Mom. He surpassed me in height well before his 13th birthday, but he kept growing and growing. By the time he reached age 14, he was wearing the same adult sized clothing as Jeff and had far exceeded Jeff's shoe size. We knew it was only a matter of time before he caught up to Jeff's height, and we kept checking it every now and then to see how close he was. Of course, even when they are standing back to back, it's always hard to tell who has the advantage. Jeff's tried and true method of determining height difference is to grab a flat surface and place it on top of their heads while they're standing back to back. That's where the book comes in. By placing the book on the tops of their heads, we can stand back and take a look at the tilt of the book. If there is indeed a tilt, then clearly there is a height difference on one side or the other. We've done many of these challenges over the past year, and a close examination of the tilt of the book is always needed to determine the winner. Jeff has had the advantage time after time, no matter how optimistic Connor may have been. 

As Connor kept inching up, Jeff noticed that he was meeting him at eye level when they were standing next to each other. We pulled out a big cutting board one time, and it sure seemed like that tilt had completely leveled out.

Until one day, November 12th to be exact, we pulled out the book again. This time, there was definitely a tilt, and for the very first time that tilt was pointing in the opposite direction! I had to get photographic evidence to finally convince Jeff of the hard fact that now HE was the shortest male member of his own family. The tilt of the book never lies!!

15 Years

Amidst the chaos of our fall schedule, Jeff and I celebrated a big milestone - 15 years of marriage! A year ago, we might've anticipated taking a big trip to spend time together on our special day, but Covid-19 dashed our hopes on that. Instead, I took a week of downtime from my hectic work travel schedule so that we could enjoy several day-dates together with nice lunches and running errands while the kids were in school. Normally that wouldn't be the type of milestone celebration we'd look forward to, but we soaked in every moment since quality time for us is a rare treat these days. Looking back on our 15 years, we feel incredibly lucky to have our health, our family, and so many blessings in our lives. 

Making the Team

Although baseball is his primary sport, Connor has always been interested in basketball but never had a great opportunity to learn the game and develop the skills. He played on a couple teams in Dubai and definitely enjoyed the experience, but it wasn't a very competitive environment. Last year in junior high, he was recovering from his broken wrist and therefore didn't see a lot of time on the court despite making the team late in the season. When he began his 9th grade year this fall, Connor joined the basketball Athletics program with the goal of trying out for the freshman team in late October. The parents and students were cautioned by the coaches that it was a cut sport and many kids wouldn't be placed on the team. With that in mind, Connor set a daily goal to shoot hoops outside and practice with Jeff for at least 30 minutes a day. For weeks, they could be found most evenings in our driveway practicing shots and running plays. Slowly but surely, Connor was building both confidence and skills. 

The freshmen team tryouts were held as a series of drills over the course of 2 weeks. Connor felt good about his performance but was understandably nervous about the results. On the very last day of tryouts, the coaches told the kids they would post the results of the team selections between 5:30-6:30 that evening. Jeff and I were out of town for the day, and it was a long day of anticipation for all of us. As we drove towards home to pick up Connor from a buddy's house, the time seemed to drag on and on. When 5:30 hit, we watched the website intently hoping for good news. We all hit Refresh on our browsers too many times to count. By the time 6:30 rolled around, we wondered if the coaches were playing a cruel joke on the kids, ha! At 6:32 (to be exact), the results were finally posted. 

We were now the proud parents of a Katy High School freshman basketball player! Wow! The joy was intense and I'm not sure who was more excited between Connor, Jeff, or myself. Out of 30-40 kids trying out, Connor was 1 of the 14 kids selected for the team. We were ecstatic for him and just so happened to arrive at his buddy's house to pick him up at that exact moment. The smiles were big and the hugs were strong. So proud of this kid! And now, the REAL work would begin!

Halloween 2020

This year's Halloween was super fun for Kaitlynn, because she was able to join our large group of neighborhood kids for all the usual Halloween activities. Her friend next door, Allison, held a fun outdoor birthday party where the kids enjoyed snacks, games, and pumpkin carving.

Then on Halloween evening, Kaitlynn was ready to join the neighborhood gang again for a full night of fun with food and trick-or-treating. We went to a neighbor's home for a quick dinner, and then it was time to get ready for the main event. For the 3rd (or 4th?) year in a row, Kaitlynn donned a zebra costume that she pulled from the back of her closet. This girl and her love of zebras is something else! She joined several of her neighborhood friends and had the best night with street after street of trick-or-treating. As I handed out candy to visiting kids, I couldn't help but notice how different things were this year. There were definitely fewer trick-or-treaters than we expected, and several of us handing out candy had the kids grab their own out of the bowl to avoid unnecessary contact. It made me a bit sad, but it sure didn't dampen Kaitlynn's spirit. She never skipped a beat and had the best night!

Celebrating the Life of Chris

I wasn't sure whether to write this post, or even how to write it. We are still coping with the loss of our beloved Uncle Chris (my brother-in-law), who lost his battle with cancer on October 21. One of Chris's last text messages to me was, "I'm fighting." And fight he did! The last years of his life were nothing short of miraculous. Chris was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016 and given mere months to live, but through grit, determination, the power of prayer, and the grace of God, he turned those months into 4 years. His suffering was great and unimaginable at times. But amidst the pain, he inspired so many of us and has left a big hole in our hearts.

Jeff and I were honored to have become closer to Chris in the past year as he worked to put many of his affairs in order. Chris had so many special gifts, including a unique way with words and a mesmerizing personality that drew in anyone he encountered. This was true even more so in the end. Every text, every phone call, and every email was filled with insight and wisdom but also sorrowful acknowledgment of the short time he had left in this world. 

Chris was likely the most goal-oriented person I've ever known and will ever meet in this lifetime. He lived for achievement - both his own as well as achievements of those around him, and he wasn't afraid to let you know if you fell short! It was nothing personal, but he wouldn't hesitate to prod you with a not-so-gentle reminder if you weren't living up to your potential. For someone with thick skin, this was just the kick-in-the-butt we needed to refocus and work toward our goals. But even if he rubbed you the wrong way with his high expectations, his magnetic smile and charming charisma would dissolve any hurt feelings along the way.

In Chris's presence, it felt like he could see right through you, and he had a way of getting to the heart of any matter in mere seconds. He always made others feel so special, as if YOU were the one who mattered most in that moment and there were no limits to what YOU could accomplish. Chris, ever the gifted salesman, often ended up selling others on themselves as much as anything else. He inspired, uplifted, praised and encouraged. After an encounter with him, we all held our heads a bit higher and stood a bit taller. What a gift he was to all of us who knew and loved him. 

The day of Chris's memorial service was a chilly but gorgeous fall day, full of blue skies and sunshine. When the service began, we sat with my sister Michelle and listened intently as Chris's loved ones shared their memories as well as their hearts. We laughed, we cried, and we grieved, as the reality of his absence began to sink in. Perhaps because Chris had a larger-than-life personality and spirit, it seems harder to accept that he's gone. We are heartbroken and will miss him so much.

Tumbling, Cheer, and Pep Squad

Since she was 6 years old, Kaitlynn has been participating in tumbling classes. She loved it from such an early age and continued progressing through each skill level as she got older. Once she hit the Level 4 (Advanced) skill level, she slowed down quite a bit. There's something about that advanced level of tumbling that has truly been a challenge for Kaitlynn. Her body knows how to do the skills but her mind plays tricks on her and she has really struggled at times to overcome the fear of flipping wildly through the air. I have to admit, even as a spectator it is sometimes quite scary to watch! But when she hits those skills, it is so fun to celebrate with her and see her years of hard work paying off.

Now that Kaitlynn is in junior high, she's finding it hard to balance her time with all of the activities she WANTS to do. She loves other sports like basketball and softball, but she feels like she needs to apply her tumbling abilities in additional areas like cheer. She has considered joining a competitive cheer squad for a while, but this year she finally decided the time was right. At the beginning of the summer, she began attending a new gym to prepare for tryouts for the new cheer season. Because she was brand new to cheer, she had a lot to learn. She was placed on a level 1 cheer team and began joining her team for practices 2-3 times each week. It seemed to start slowly but over time she formed friendships and really began enjoying the experience. Her cheer competitions will consist of tumbling, cheer stunts, and dance routines in a team of 22 girls. It has been an overwhelming learning curve for us but we are taking baby steps as we approach the start of the competition season. The hardest part so far? It's a toss-up between the heavy travel schedule versus figuring out how to properly fix her hair and makeup!

As Kaitlynn experiments with the world of competitive cheer, she is also considering whether she might like to try out for her junior high cheer squad next year. In order to be eligible for tryouts next year, students are required to participate in the 6th grade Pep Squad. The Pep Squad is a group of kids that attend select junior high events as an additional student cheering section for the junior high athletes. So far, Kaitlynn has attended several junior high football games and has really enjoyed the experience.

It has been fun for Kaitlynn to experience different areas for how she can apply her love of tumbling and showmanship. We can't wait to watch her "do her thing" as the school year progresses!