Nothing really prepared me for watching Gymnastics meets. Prior to this meet, I had no idea how things were scored (other than a 10 is the best) or who competed against who. When we arrived at our first meet in Hilton Head, I had no idea I just had to leave my kid with the coaches and then was stuck on the sidelines until she was done. I wish I knew sign language or some way to telepathecly tell her how she was doing – but maybe its better that I didn’t. I just smiled when she glanced my way and try to send positive vibes. And I just prayed, oh how I prayed, that she kept it together, even as I didn’t. Watching a dance competition is one thing, everyone is judged together – at gym meets, all eyes are on your little girl, and I can’t imagine the pressure. Here’s Cailee that is scared to say hi to a stranger and yet she has to go compete, in front of hundreds of other parents. In some ways, I think she actually did better that she wasn’t able to consult with me in between events, she just went into compete mode and did her thing. And she did really well, placing 5th overall. With the first meet in the books, I was definitely one proud momma who just passed a crash course of competitive gymnastics.

https://photos.amidewar.com/2017/Hilton-Head-1-13-17/