Half Asleep Monday

Happy Monday morning everyone!

I am going to be half asleep at work today due to the time change and weekend activity.

I drove to Columbus Friday after work to help with my nieces dance competition on Saturday.

We all went out to dinner at Liberty Tavern in Powell, Ohio. It was fantastic food! I shared a buffalo chicken wrap with my niece and it was fantastic!!! 

Here is my niece, Aly, posing with the replica of Lady Liberty herself!

After dinner we went home to chill, catch up with each other and watch some TV.  Here me and Aly are chilling on the couch!

On Saturday morning we headed out to the dance competition at Vern Riffe Center in Columbus. 

Here is my sisters coffee lid from GetGo...looks like a panda or a sloth, no??? HA!

It was a long and fun day of hair, makeup, lashes and costume changes. I love being a Dance Aunt with my whole being! My sisters and I danced our entire childhoods so I miss the excitement of the competition! I have no kids so it is so fun for me to help out with my nieces so much!!!

There is a game changer in the world of cheer and dance competitions. At these competitions, everyone has a makeup suitcase and and dance/outfit bag.  Here is what I am talking about...

You have to have all of your makeup and hair accessories together and readily accessible so everyone has one of these...

And you also have to be ready for any emergency...ripped tights (extra pairs available) even STATIC CLING or STRAY HAIRS. So, you bring a bag with anything you could possibly need inside that also has a pull out rack to hang costumes on so they do not wrinkle or get dirty. Everyone had one of these...nifty, hugh??

So now imagine 5000 girls in the small roped off changing areas with their Moms and dance Aunts and Grandmas and friends, etc. Everyone one of them has the above items...it is REALLY crowded to say the least! Some mothers make circles and have an open area in the middle for their kids....really not polite when everyone is really crowded in together. So, the kids all change in front of each other.

At this competition we started to see these!!!! 

 They are a pop up and easily portable changing tent!!!! It is 3 foot by 3 foot and 6 feet high. If nothing else, they keep everyone out of your little 3 foot space!!! There were a lot of them and to me, they are a game changer. My nieces are at the age where they don't want to strip down in the middle of a crowd and I felt the same when I was their age! I would have loved to have one of these when I was a kid!

So, to thank them for allowing me to help, I bought them one for the next competition!!! It should arrive at their house this week!! YIPPEE!


So, onto the dancers!!! Here is Aly (front row in the pink) during her Musical Theater number...

And here is Aly and Kyleigh...Aly in the back and Kyleigh in the front of their lyrical dance number they are in together! The music was God Blessed the Broken Road (one of my favorites).

And finally Kyleigh is on the left in this picture for her tap routine.

I wanted to post the videos but apparently I am not allowed until competition season is over. That is according to their dance teacher so I will respect that...I suppose! HA!

It was a really long day - awards were at 10:45 PM...yes, crazy right?!?! The kids were all peppy and awake but I would not say the same for the adults! HA!

We got home around midnight and then lost an hour because of the time change.

We had to get up at 7AM so my sister and her family could drive 4 hours to Kentucky for a volleyball competition. Yes, for a day!!! So I drove back to PA Sunday morning. I talked to my sister last night and they were headed home around 10PM last night.

I did not go along because I would not have gotten home until 2AM and I would not have made it to work today - HA!

Thanks to my sister and her girls for always making me feel needed and wanted as your dance Aunt! I love you so many bunches!

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend as well...I am heading to your blogs now to read all about it!!! HUGS!

Every dance or cheer in competitions? How about changing in front of others in gym class, ugh!?!? Travel over the weekend? Did you do anything fun last weekend?