Being a Cheer Mom

You would think that being the mother of a cheerleader is easy. It seemed so simple at first...

As I have mentioned previously, I have a drama queen 9-year old that is also a cheer diva. She began her cheer career at the ripe old age of 7 with a once-a-week tumble class. We were looking for something fun and active that she could do, that she would enjoy and that would also allow her to expend some energy (a nice way of saying, she was wild and I needed a break and prayed that she would conk out early each night). I didn't mind the drive to the gym in another county, and I looked forward to that one hour each week when I would get to talk with actual adults (not just pretend to have conversations with the ones I would occasionally see on TV since our TV was usually tuned in to the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon).  Within a couple of months my daughter had decided that she wanted to be on one of the cheerleading teams at the gym "more than anything else in the world". Since these teams were competitive teams that traveled around doing competitions, my husband and I decided it would be best to take her to a competition first, so that she could see what all was involved. We knew that once she saw the raised stage, the bright lights, the very loud music, stern looking judges and the thousand people watching - she would run for the hills. Yea, right.

But in my mind, cheerleading can't be that time consuming for me, right?

Two years, a gazillion dollars and just as many miles on my car later, I have been appointed a Team Mom, A Gym Mom, Booster Club President, coordinator of whatever, snack bar supply getter, the mom who always has whatever you need in her bag, the copy maker, the garbage collector, the idea bouncer, the money collector, phone answerer, fundraiser organizer.... you get the idea.
 
The once-a-week trip to the gym is a distant memory. A typical day now usually begins with a wake-up call from a coach, followed by a quick shower, the inhalation of a banana or granola bar (ok, usually it's a Reese's Cup) while speeding safely driving down the highway to get to my diva to practice on time. By the time we return home, the sun has long set and I want nothing more than to go to bed or a shot of something strong.

So here I am. At the gym. Writing my blog. I've been here since 8:45 this morning and will be here until 9:00 tonight. I haven't seen the other members of my family in three days. I think they still live with me, but I'm not sure at this point. The only evidence of them has been a sink full of dirty dishes and massive amounts of empty food wrappers/boxes and soda cans in the trash/recycle bin.

Yes, I am a cheer mom (I even have a t-shirt that says so). I am my daughter's biggest supporter. And despite the empty checkbook, endless volunteer hours, countless drive-thru meals and the real temptation to put a blowup mattress in the gym office, in the end - it is all worth it!

National Champion!

Bren