...another banquet...........

And so, what would this end of the school year be without banquet? Absolutely grand, I tell you! I mean, it's meant to be some sort of "final beginning...."...to what? We end the season by congratulating every gymnast on their accomplishments, celebrate retiring gymnasts, and oh yeah,..try to make nice at the tables we were so graciously seated at. Thank you...........

Thank you for ,...? Yeah,..thanks for the food. Atleast this year, the chicken was a good size portion ( I'm not extremely overweight, here, but hey! I paid for it, so feed me!) and very tasty! Kudos to frozen portions and great big ovens! Oh, and the servers were great company, when overbearing parents were not. *hug!

Thank you for your gracious words of wisdom,...........which you had none. Thank you.........

I know, I know...really, why this rant? K,.........I'm over it now.....well, for now............

While sitting at banquet, after spending 4 hours decorating and ad libbing balloons and their positions, I found myself actually enjoying more than just "Rico Suave" and his chicken. Ha, ha, ha,..........no pun intended. My partner in crime for the past 5 or so years is always great to talk with. If we're not complaining together on a whole about gym fees, coaches.. school coaches, teachers...*ah,..you get the picture... We are just letting eachother vent, and making eachother laugh. Wait, I take full responsibility for the laughing. I have to make fun of so much, because it just gets to be TOO MUCH. So? My partner in crime, whom I am indebted to for sticking with me through this whole adventure into "gym world", made banquet that much more bearable.

I've always kinda taken our table for granted. You are seated with girls and families of the same level, as you see one another more and possibly have more in common. This latter part is sooooo very far from the truth. Thank God, my partner in crime has always been seated right next to me, thus strengthening my bond! I mean, she is the one person I look for in all those uncomfortable moments, i.e. meets, lost on the freeway, meetings, set up, take down,.....we just gravitate to eachother's space, and well, I make her laugh. Anyhow, back to the table.

While sitting there, enjoying the chicken and looking for text signal, I realized something more. Our table, of course, consisted of more than just lil gymnasts and their parents, but rather lil gymnasts that have spent numerous years, weeks, days, hours together bonding on their own. And in the process, we as parents have bonded. As retiring gymnasts were reminded of how many years they had spent in the gym, of their first meets, of their skill catalog, our girls seated at table 14 smiled, laughed, and whispered among themselves of their current memories of eachother.

Banquet started out differently this year. Usually, we start out with Junior Team, welcoming these little gymnasts into the competing world of our gym. Then onto team starting with level 4, and so on until we reach optionals, finally reaching retiring gymnasts and graduating seniors. This year, many of our seniors had awards banquets they needed to attend from their respective high schools so everything was out of order. Level 4 Fall Competing Team, training Level 5 was second to last. And although we waited such a long time for them to receive their trophies and be recognized, it was so worth the wait. Because, as the coaches sat at their table, trying to figure out what they wanted to say about each gymnast for every level, all of them realized that at our level, our group, they had something really special. All the coaches for our group, each and every coach, has had each and everyone of our girls since day one. From beginnning beginners, to advanced beginners, to junior team, to level 4 onto 5....privates and functions, June shows and meets. They have truly grown up with them and can truly assess their progress and take pride in all of their accomplishments. THIS is what was said about our girls............and THIS is what set them apart from everyone in the room. Its usual for girls to somewhat stay together in a group. But as coaches and a group of girls,..I think this is a first. No matter, its pretty darn special. When this was said to our girls, everyone looked around, and all the parents and girls at our table, looked at eachother with the look of pride, happiness, and knowing that this bond is truly special. Our girls are mere 5's, with the expectations of staying together until they retire as seniors.

I do hope for this, I truly do.

So, after "taking down" and cleaning up, I decided banquet wasn't so bad after all. I still felt out of place at times, I still felt eyes were one me. BTW? I decided to boycott dressing up this year, and wore my trusty shorty shorts and summer top and slippahs....what? Atleast "I" was real and comfortable. I may not have had my Coach purse and trendy lil summer ensemble going on, but I was good. You'll always have the "better dressed set", the CEO's of some hot successful company, and all those "head of the PTSA" wives that just don't know what to do with their money but buy up all the raffle tickets, out bid everyone on the silent auction, and wear the most expensive scent that's hot right now.....................and it doesn't even smell nice on "them". Ha, ha, ha,....... and yet? I was good.

Whew! Banquet's over. Thank goodness! And, thanks for the memories! See you next year?