Artists Simply Human (ASH) Dance convention is our team’s first convention of the season. It is also the only convention where both Oliver’s team and Lucas’ and Penny’s team compete together allowing me to see two solos, 15 group routines and cheer on all three of my kids. This is Oliver’s second ASH, Penny’s third and Lucas’ last. 
Dear Oliver,
My third, my youngest, you are always being told what you can and cannot do, what you are and aren’t, by your big siblings and by me. But despite what we say, you do as you see fit. You dive deep into things that interest you and don’t give up until you’ve mastered it like solving the Rubik’s Cube in under 40 seconds and listing every single country in the world in under 6 minutes. You kinda love dance and you kinda like flag football, absolutes mean something to you so you are rare to use them. But your friends, your entire crew of fourteen boys, your girlfriend, your cousins and aunts, and us, absolutely think your funny and clever, smart and sweet, thoughtful and sincere. In some ways I am easy on you and in some ways the hardest and since you are fourteen sometimes you want nothing to do with me and sometimes want me to be everything for you. When I look at you and see how much you’ve grown and how much you are changing, I sometimes get sad because you are my baby but not a baby anymore. And I’ll ask you to cuddle with me and you’ll say “No Mom, that’s weird” but then you’ll relent and give me a hug for as long as I hold on.
By my third you’d think I’d have figured some things out but I still make mistakes, I say the wrong things and I try to define who you are and what you can and cannot do. But luckily you hear what you choose to hear and you know exactly what you can do.
Creative Dance Center’s annual Nutcracker In a Shell The Remix is our community fundraising performance of the year. This year marks Creative Dance Center’s 26th annual performance, Oliver’s first, Penny’s fourth and Lucas’ last.
Tagged: Creative Dance Center, dance, Lucas, Nutcracker, Oliver, Penny
Oliver’s first fall season of flag football we were excited to watch him learn a new sport, work with new teammates and coaches and were thrilled when he finished the season with a reception and a few QB sacks. Oliver’s second fall season brought a new coach and new teammates so he adapted to a new team once more and continued building his skills and learning the game. He would hesitate when pulling flags, was terrified at the thought of the ball being passed to him and would get in his head but he’d show up week after week and with a supportive coach grew as a defensive player and scored his first touchdown. That season the team won the Super Bowl and while Oliver grew a lot as a player, liked the coach and made new friends he really wanted a season of playing with his friends. Oliver’s third fall season brought the best combination of a strong coach and a team with some of his friends. What started out rocky turned out to be a dynamic, cohesive team with well balanced play across all the players. Oliver played offensive and defensive, scored a touchdown in most games and grew the most in any season. The team was eliminated in the second round of playoffs but was definitely the best season ever. (Huge thank you to the professional sports photographer dad that captured some amazing shots!)
Tagged: AIM High, Chiefs, flag football, Oliver
They did it! But wait, this journey for Lucas actually started seven years ago. DanceMakers was the first dance convention he attended when he joined Creative Dance Center’s competition team in 5th grade. It immediately made an impression on him. We’ve attended many dance conventions and the format is largely the same; high caliber faculty, classes in many styles of dance, competition against some of the best dance studios in the nation. What has stood DanceMakers apart from the rest is their vision; to make every person who walks through their doors feel welcomed, loved and supported. Those first few years Lucas stood out for his hip hop while he learned ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, ballroom and musical theater. Then class by class, year by year, his confidence grew. His trust in the dance community grew. His belief in himself as more than a hip hop dancer grew. The community, the faculty and the Collective of DanceMakers played a big part in the safety of this growth. For the past seven years we’ve attended a DanceMakers regional event and for the past three years we’ve attended their Nationals. The mutual trust and respect between our studio and DanceMakers has grown tremendously in the past few years with our coaches and dancers all feeling a bit more at home, every year.
Tagged: convention, Creative Dance Center, dance, Dancemakers, Lucas, Myrtle Beach, Nationals, Oliver, Penny, South Carolina
Beyond the Stars was our studio’s last team competition of the season and the one event all three of my kids competed all their routines. The season is always busy but always seems too short. 
Tagged: Beyond the Stars, competition, Creative Dance Center, dance, Lucas, Oliver, Penny
Tagged: AIM High, Bills, champions, flag football, football, Oliver, Super Bowl
From the first day at Floris Elementary School…
to the last.
Tagged: elementary school, Floris, graduation, Oliver
I know how this goes. He’s shorter than me, he will climb into my lap and loves it when one of us will sleep with him. He needs me nearby when he’s getting ready, he doesn’t want to be home alone for too long and he will play the part of the baby because he knows I love it and will snuggle him harder for it. He is happy to hang out with me, with his siblings, with his family. Right now we are always his number one choice. 
Tagged: 12, birthday, Imagine Dragons, Oliver, twelve
His nerves were palpable. I’ve never felt anxiety so acutely as felt by Oliver. Oliver has been taking classes and training at Nova Ninja for the past year. He outgrew the challenge of the rec classes and wanted to do team training. Part of being on the team is training and competing in competitions however he didn’t want to. So I gave him a year to get comfortable with the expectation that he would try a competition when he was ready. There are always nerves when experiencing something new but I thought the familiarity of his home gym and the support of his coaches would give him some ease. Instead he was paralyzed. He couldn’t warm up and instead quietly watched others running the course. From the moment he started I could tell he simply wanted it over with and moved as quickly as he could from obstacle to obstacle.
Tagged: ninja, NoVA ninja, Oliver
Our Everyday 