Final Competition

So let me tell you about this weekend. Our cheer program has gone to Carowinds every season for the last five years for our last competition. Only this weekend it was really our last competition--I am merging our program with another one right down the road so that our kids can have a better training environment and so that I can step back and focus on some other areas of my life. So I was hoping to wrap this season up with a bow and sunshine and good times. Wrong.

When we got to the park it was only 50 degrees outside (in May! In the South!) and had started drizzling. By the time we got everyone checked in it was pouring and windy. The event was in an outdoor amphitheater, so it was covered, but rain was blowing in sideways and running down the aisles and it was bone cold. And the weather set the schedule way behind so we were there 11 hours. ELEVEN HOURS. It was ridiculous. The kids couldn't go on the rides most of the day because of the weather and everyone's patience was frazzled. Way to end the season (and our program) with a bang!

The good news is that two of our teams (and several individuals) got first place, one team got 3rd out of 8 and the other got 6th out of 8. Here we are huddled under blankets, celebrating with our trophies:

Don't even get me started about my hair. And later that night (night--because we got done at 7:30 p.m.), I met my long-time friend Kendall for Cinqo de Mayo margaritas and burritos. Warm food and a big fish bowl drink really took the edge off :). Spent the night, got brunch at The Yolk Cafe, then drove to IKEA, where I did a speed round before driving back to Charleston. Another weekend on the road done!