Emmy-centric

So, Saturday Mama and I (and the DP) loaded up Mama's car and hit the highway. We were headed to T-town (otherwise known as Tuscaloosa) for a weekend of Emmy. That girl is a busy little bee and she wanted to show off.
Started out months ago making plans to be there this weekend for her dance recital. (She's in hip hop dance, if you'll recall.) Sis1 had put the screws to us and said, "Be there or you're dead to me." So Mama sucked up and we went. (I had already intended to go but Mama didn't want to because we'd have to spend the night.)

Then BIL went and signed the poor overworked kid up for their church softball team and she had a game scheduled for that day and we were told, "Come early enough for her game or you're dead to me." (Sis1 is much the drama queen in case you didn't know.) But honestly, we hadn't really intended on going to the softball game. Mostly because it meant we'd have to get up earlier to leave earlier but also because neither Mama nor I are sport watchers and it was going to be hot. BUT, Sis1, sneaky wench, went and told Emmy that we were going to be at her game and we can't disappoint Emmy. So...yeah. We left earlier and went to her game.

They've played maybe four games and hadn't won one  yet. Saturday? They tied! And had to leave it at a tie because of time restraints on the field. Each game is only allotted an hour. Emmy was a little disappointed at that until we explained to her that a tie is still a win...it's just a win for both teams! Then she perked up and started telling people that they won. hehehe

Fortunately, it wasn't a terribly hot day and there was shade so the game wasn't all that miserable. It was actually quite amusing. Some of the girls were nearly easily outweighed by their bats. And some of the girls had no clue what they were doing. And none of the girls were all that terribly coordinated. So yeah. It was fun. And best of all, they all seemed to be having fun. Even if they did come away from the game filthy.

After the game we went back to their house and ate an early supper. Sis2 and her family got there about the same time. (Somehow they got out of going to the game without guilt.) We ate and then had to get ready for the recital. But, while Emmy was busy getting tarted up her make-up and hair done, Lyssa and I hid in her room and played with all her toys. hehehe

Lyssa loved Emmy's room because she has so much STUFF. And so much muse-kit! And a TV! And crayons! And a tall bed!

And Aunt Jana got her workout.

In the meantime, someone STOLE my babygirl and turned her into a $50 hooker!

Seriously. WHY? Why does a ten-year-old need to look like a ho in order to dance hip hop? (And she's not even wearing her sparkly silver shoes that go with it.)

Don't get me wrong. She's a gorgeous little girl.  But WHY? All that make-up? All that hair-spray? All those glittery whatevers and HOT PANTS?? She's TEN!

Fortunately, she hated the costume so at least I don't have to worry about her dressing like this outside of recital, right? RIGHT???

Oy. I don't even want to think about what she might try to wear at 16.

Anyway, she really is a gorgeous little girl.

And she did fabulous at the recital. Hip hop isn't just shakin' your booty. It's complicated flips and spins and hand-stands and thugish facial expressions--which, the latter is seriously funny on a bunch of dolled up white girls in $50 hooker costumes.

She's "taking a break" from dance this summer so that she can "concentrate" on softball.

I wish I could've gotten some pictures of her dancing, though. She was super awesome. Flawless. Right down to the thugish expression. But they wouldn't allow flash photography or video cameras. Instead, they wanted you to buy the $28 professionally shot video and photographs.

Anyway, the theme this year was America--celebrating our country and the men and women who serve. It was a gorgeous program--especially the tribute dances some of the older students did for the armed services. And the exhibition portion was awesome. AND, they had this big finale dance called Circus that was just--wow! I'm probably not the best judge of what's what in the dance world but it was pretty awesome to my untrained eyes.

But boy, it was a loooong recital. About 2.5 hours or so. We didn't get back to Sis1's until nearly 10pm. And we all sprawled out with cake and ice cream before bed. Super healthy, right?

And you know, I really do love BIL. 'Cause while I was sprawled out eating my cake and ice cream, he and Sis1 were arguing about the dishwasher or something and while they were arguing he brought the tub of cool whip to the living room and gave me a huge dallop on my cake--without me having to ask!!--and kept right on arguing with Sis1 without missing a beat. Awesome.  lol

The next morning we all moved around like zombies. We never did get all of that make-up off poor Emmy. I had scrubbed her face the night before and got off one layer and she scrubbed it again in her bath yesterday morning but she STILL had a few layers left. Yuck.

Went to church with them and holy wow! Their preacher is Biblicious. Best preaching I've heard in I don't know when. Entertaining, thought provoking, grounded in the word and very relateable. I wanted to stick him in my pocket and carry  him home to our church. But. *sigh* Sis1 goes to one of those big mega-churches so we totally couldn't afford him. Nice dream, though.

We had a rainy drive back. Not fun. It rained on us all the way back to Mississippi but stopped just west of Columbus and the sun was out the rest of the way. We didn't get any rain at home until around 8pm--which I thought I was going to hafta call and cuss out the ABC affiliate because he kept interrupting Desperate Housewives to say, "There are light thunderstorms in blah blah counties"--couties that weren't even in the viewing area!! Ugh.

Stoopid weather people. Get all excited about a little RAIN. So help me, if it's raining tonight and they interupt Chuck? I'm going to be sending some very stern emails to the NBC affiliate tomorrow!