Thankful Weekend: Cheer, Nutcracker, Gym

Well y'all, our cheer squad's football team [finally] lost in the semifinals of the playoffs on Saturday! It was a squeaker: 7-6. Had this been our united family's team with JB also coaching & Will playing, I probably would have cried a bit, (I get emotional over sports! :-P) but you ALL know I was trying my darndest not to smile. ;-) Yes, I am THANKFUL! :-) We do still have to go to the TurfBowl next Sunday, but that's b/c every cheer squad goes out on the field for the opening and to dance at halftime. We've gone to separate practices for that the last two Sundays...but my other cheer coach *actually said* yesterday, "We can work on this dance at our practice this week." ????? Ummmm, NO WAY. We're DONE. We're not cheering the TurfBowl, and we know this easy dance. Let this season go, my dear! When I looked shocked, she said, "You didn't already make other plans, did you?" I guffawed, "I sure did! I took my Mondays & Wednesdays back after we lost yesterday." :-D Y'all, she truly has a great heart for this cheer squad, but I just think she has invested every ounce of her identity into it and can't bear to let it go. I get that - it's how I used to feel when the musicals I performed in were over: I had poured every ounce of myself into those roles & those "families" and it always hurt when each one was over. But since there was only one person who had a real voice on this squad, it doesn't hurt for the rest of us. All of the parents & I have been worn out by this for weeks and are completely relieved it's over. It's no secret that Annelise & the other girls are relieved, too. :-/ PS - my goal for next year's squad, if I head coach, is for us ALL to be bummed it's over! :-P My plan to make that happen? Literally half as much practice time; the practice time we *do* have = no messing around & wasting time (major pet peeve!); repeating several favorite halftime dances the 2nd half of the year = less pressure & the dances will actually look cleaner; and meeting with the parents up front to not only let them know my expectations, but to also ask them how hard core they want to be: burnt out parents = unhappy cheerleaders. I still have my precious squad from last year in Georgia ask about me on FB all the time. Looking back on last year and comparing this year...makes me excited for next year!!! (If Annelise wants to cheer.) I want to bring that joy back! ...To all of us. So yes, I am thankful for this cheer season - it reaffirmed that yes, I have the skills to head coach rec cheer, (even in TX! ;-)) It made me swallow a massive dose of humility; I did learn lots of new things; and I now know a few pitfalls in this organization to avoid when *I* am running the show. Success & growth!

After football Saturday, we were blessed with tickets from one of my new friends here: first off, they had an extra ticket to Disney on Ice and wanted Annelise to go with their daughter, Shelby. Of course! What a sweet thing, and so exciting for our Peach Pie! Secondly, she said: "We also have four tickets we're not going to use to the Nutcracker Market. Want them?" :-O YES, PLEASE!!!

The Nutcracker Market is a HUUUGE deal in Houston!!! My Southern friends, think the Southern Christmas Show - tons of vendors, tastings, gifts, etc. All of the proceeds from this market benefit the academy and scholarship programs for the Houston Ballet Foundation. (Get it: "Nutcracker" = Christmas ballet = benefiting the Houston Ballet Foundation; no, they weren't just selling nutcrackers :-P ;-)) I wasn't sure JB & Will would last very long, (neither were they! :-D) but the tickets were free, it was down beside where the Texans play football = interesting for Will, and our family is all about doing all of the special Houston things; so after we shipped off Annelise dressed as Rapunzel, we hit the Market. It was FUN!!! Even JB & Will had a good time browsing & sampling. It may have helped that the very first booth was...our beloved Savannah Bee Company! Talk about starting this fam off on the right foot! We got a fresh honeycomb and continued through the rest. Leibman's Wine & Fine Foods hit Will & JB right in the heart: queso, salsa, enchilada soup mix, gumbo seasoning, bread pudding, gingerbread dessert sauce... Yeah. :-D It was such a(n unexpectedly?) fun way to get into the spirit! So thankful for the experience and for my sweet friend who gave us the tickets for free!

I'll be honest: I was dreading Sunday afternoon - TurfBowl cheer practice, followed by 3 hours of all-company meetings at my fancy new gym where I teach Zumba. [SOOOO THANKFUL my Redskins were on a bye this week!!! :-D (No, I'm not joking.)] As a new hire, I didn't know what to expect; but it really wasn't bad! It was good to get to learn a little bit more about the other Group Fitness instructors, and it's always good to feel like you're getting a better handle on where you work in a new job, (esp. when it's a corporate behemoth, and you're coming from only tiny, private organizations.) We even got finished early - YAY! - so I was thankful it wasn't a waste of an afternoon... *AND* that when I got home, JB was grilling, and we had a lovely cheese board, fresh salami, baguette, & Savannah Bee Company honeycomb to snack on as we watched football & NASCAR. :-D