“You can not climb to the top of the mountain with friends that don’t give you oxygen” Oprah
We are the end of our four day journey from Fairfield to Orlando. We came here to watch and support our girls as they competed on the national level.
”Well ladies, It’s been fun, really fun.” Jen pauses to laugh “See ya next weekend at Dance Jam.”
”Dance Jam? Dance Jam is next weekend?” Michelle sounds shocked. It’s Matt, her husband, who is trying to keep us ready and organized this year.
Melissa, Veronica, DeeDee and I laugh at Michelle’s oblivion.
“Oh! There’s Tina and Elissa. Those are my peeps, off to the airport.”
A parade of hugs and a chorus of goodbyes sends Jen off.
Michelle, Melissa and I are left in the dining area, lingering over our complimentary breakfast at our hotel.
24 hours earlier we were headed to the Ugg Outlet. What better place to purchase extra warm gear for CT winter than in Florida, right?
”I’m such a hockey mom. This hat is perfect for the rinks!” Jen proudly proclaims as she raises her hands and pulls the black trapper hat on her head.
“Perfect! Stay right there, keep it on!” I reach for my phone. Another image that must be documented. We move over towards Michelle whose been putzing around the clearance boots and slippers.
Not in the market for shoes, I start reaching for random boxes. I reach into one box and pull out furry, bubble gum pink slip on heels. I was initially struck by the pink fuzz sticking out of the box and when I pull them out I am enthralled that the heel is covered in the same bubble gum pink fur. With time on our side I quickly slipped off my shoes and into the
fabulous pink find. I strutted over to Michelle and Jen.
”What do you think about these?” I asked. Their gaze went to my feet and then laughter filled the air.
“You’ve GOT to get those! They are perfect for school.” Michelle emphatically stated while maintaining a straight face.
The competition didn’t turn out quite the way we all hoped it would but when you are suddenly left with almost two full days away from reality – you embrace it, and all the spontaneous laughter that erupts.
let's observe 
You captures the joy that this weekend held, in the random moments of friends brought together with a common purpose. I wish you had showed up at school today in those fancy shoes. That would have made this Monday more fun… at least you captured the moment and shared through writing. It gave me a glimpse into what you meant when you said you had lost your voice from laughing!
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Reminds me of the commercial of amazon echo fails. Makes you wonder whose walking around in those. Spontaneous joy is so good for the soul. N
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I think those shoes are PERFECT for our upcoming PD! The shoes are the perfect symbol for your weekend – fun, silly, filled with laughter. I’m sorry the competition didn’t go as planned. This post reminded me of all the days I spent as a dance mom. They were great days. Enjoy!
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Embrace! My Word of the Year 🙂 Love that you were able to embrace the time away from reality and slice about the joy it brought you, even amongst, what I assume, was disappointment.
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I predict you will always be sorry not to have bought the shoes! They are great/terrible. Sounds like a fun weekend. We were just in Orlando and I didn’t even think to look for an Uggs outlet! LOL
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