Like Mother, Like Daughter? NOT!

Lots of things happening around here of late. So many, it's kind of difficult for me to decide where to begin and equally hard to find time to do anything of consequence too. Or so it seems.

So, I figured tonight maybe I'll just start with the most recent and try to work my way, in and out, backwards, then maybe forward again. Oh, who knows! Whatever comes to me that I can find a way to write it up I guess.

Let's see now -the events tonight actually began right after the kids returned to school and Maya brought a paper home for Mandy to read and sign -allowing Maya to sign up for JV Cheerleading lessons!

Say what? JV Cheerleading? Holy rip, the kid is only starting 3rd grade; she'll be nine in October. Isn't that a trifle young for cheerleading lessons?

Apparently not because Mandy signed the sheet and Maya was enrolled! They have practice two evenings a week from 5 p.m. until 6:15, learning how to clap their hands properly, how to move in cadence with arms waving, hands clapping and certain foot movements that go with the counts too.

Initially, Maya liked this because it gives her a chance to do some of the dance moves and splits she has learned to do -practicing in the living room -by watching various videos of things from ballet to current dance moves. That she can do a split absolutely amazes me because when I was a kid, it totally hurried me to try to touch my toes with my fingers. Know what I mean? No, I was definitely not the most coordinated kid on the block, that's for sure.

Mandy was pretty shocked at Maya's abilities and interests in dance steps as well as cheerleading too -none of which was ever something high on Mandy's interests lists. Especially not the cheerleading stuff because Mandy pretty much disliked that aspect of school life plus -she never held any interest at all in watching high school football games either -and for that matter, neither did her brother. (Although Clate would insist on attending those games -strictly so he could walk around the perimeter of the football field in search of good looking girls he could maybe meet and hopefully then be able to pick up!

But anyway, here's Maya now at this young age all gung-ho on learning cheerleading stuff.

Well, for the first week she really liked it. This past week, when I picked her up from practice on Monday, she informed me that the boys had it better than the girls because all the girls have is cheerleading and all they get to wear that is special for that is a red tee shirt that says "West Branch Warriors!"

But the boys -well they have it made in her opinion because they get to wear these great big things on their shoulders and these heavy pads on their legs and a helmet and these special shoes even that have cleats and all that, ya know!

Hmmmm. Wonder what she's getting at there?

Thursday after practice though, as Kurtis and I were walking back to the Jeep with Maya, Kurt asked me "Can boys be cheerleaders too, Gram?" Sure they can, Baby -no problem! But Maya told him in no uncertain terms then and there that when he is in the 3rd grade, he will be able to play football then and wouldn't he like to do that?

Kurtis just gave her a look that pretty much said he thought Maya was nuts!

But moving on, tonight was Sports Recognition Night at the the High School Football game which entailed recognizing apparently all the various school sports group and that included the kids in the JV Cheerleading group as well. So, those young girls were all to be at the school by 6:15 p.m. (game time I think was 7 p.m.) so their coach could get them all lined up because -are you ready for this -they had to run out onto the field -through the tunnel, ya know -and each one of these kids also then had their name called over the PA system too!

Mandy said later that when they called Maya's name, it brought tears to her eyes hearing that and then watching her baby run out onto the football field to be introduced then to the parents/grandparents/fans/students,etc.

Here's the picture Mandy got of Maya -all ready to roll for her big intro!

Yep -that's my little Maya in the middle there. She's not so little anymore, is she?

Tomorrow should be interesting though to see how well her interest in cheerleading -or even football -holds up because she's supposed to be up at the school at 11:45 for the JV game which I think starts at noon and the weather forecast for tomorrow -Colder, with RAIN!

I don't know about her but that's about enough to dampen my spirits.