Gearing up for Nationals and Vacation

Our season is coming to an end, and summer is starting! May was semi-calm, but June is going to be a super crazy month for the Rothrocks.

For starters, Kamdyn turns 16 this month!!!! I can't believe I'm about to have a 16-year-old. It blows my mind. I have a secret something special planned for her, still keeping my fingers crossed I'm able to do it. I can't say what it is because I know she reads my blogs (Hi, Kam), but ill talk about it in the next post.

To start out the month, our studio is having its Annual Gala. We are very involved with helping with the Gala (aside from Kamdy dancing in the Gala). Adam will be helping with transporting props and decor while I will be helping with whatever I am needed and helping to set up the lobby. I will also be finishing up editing all the Gala Recital photos in hopes of getting them back to our dance families asap (before vacation). On top of all that, I have decided that I am going to try to have some TDF car decals for sale at the gala along with our 2023 Gala t-shirts. I love supporting our studio with a simple cute car decal on the back of our car. For the Gala, we will have our rehearsals on Friday, and then the big show on Saturday. It will be a long fun and exciting two days.

The theme for the Gala this year is "and we still dance". Which is so fitting. It's a statement of how, no matter what we are faced with, as dancers, as teens, as adults, and as humans... we still do what we love, and for all those kids, it's dance. It's their happy place, it's their opportunity to create, bring joy (to themselves and others), express, process, better themselves, challenge themselves, make connections and relationships, and just let go and be free. Dance is so much more to a lot of people than just putting on some music and moving around. Its storytelling, its movement art, its a showcase of athleticism, its a testimony to their commitment to the art, their team, their studio, their coaches, and themselves. The girls this year did many dances that showcased the power of women. As women, they are so powerful, they are confident, they are fearless, unstoppable, invincible and so much more. I can't wait to watch everything on stage again...and I can't wait to see what the message is next season!

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Also, to make Friday (rehearsal day) a little busier for us, we are closing on a real estate transaction that date (Yay us). So at some point in time, we will have to find time to get to the title company to close and finish up the deal. It's times like this that I'm glad I have a job that is flexible with me and I am able to take care of things like this.

That very next Sunday, I have a maternity shoot with my best friend (she might as well be my sister we are so close). She's having her second baby, a little boy. I am super super excited about this and so happy I get the chance to capture this special moment for her. What this means is a little more editing of photos, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm just so excited she asked me to do it for her! Plus I get to see her little daughter, who is just the cutest! I can't wait to see how she is as a big sister. Anyways, that's one reason why I want to have the Gala photos finished and sent back to parents before the Gala hits, that way I can focus on the photos from the Sunday shoot. Ideally, I want to have all photos done before we head on vacation.

That very next week is full of nationals prep. Not only will Kamdyn be busy at the studio making sure all dances are Nationals ready, it means ill be busy packing and making sure I have everything I/we need for our week-long trip and the drive. I don't want to wait until the last minute to throw things together because that stresses me out. I want to make sure I have everything we can need in order to make the trip as smooth and cost-effective as possible.

For trips like these, we typically pack snacks and drinks instead of stopping and buying expensive (unhealthy) snacks and drinks at gas stations. Plus, when I'm driving, I hate stopping. I like to drive for as long as possible, typically only stopping to fill up on gas, if need be. I managed to book us a hotel with a little kitchenette, which means ill be able to cook pretty much every meal for us, which helps save on the food budget. I also prefer a home-cooked meal over to-go food. When I eat crap, I feel like crap. I know Kam is like that as well. I also love cooking and experimenting with different recipes. I wish I had more time to cook in general. As I've mentioned before, a good decompression time for me is to put on some good music or a podcast and spend time in the kitchen.

Once we get back from our week of nationals, we have a pretty "normal week". I'll be back at work as normal, Kamdyn will be doing her summer dance schedule, Brozden will be doing his summer training for gymnastics, and hopefully, Kamdyn will be working and volunteering a little. We have a friend who owns a cleaning business and has talked to Kamdyn about having her help clean some Air B&Bs and cabins this summer. Kamdyn actually has experience with this, so she's perfect for it. She also likes leaning (as long as it's not her room lol jk). She is a saver when it comes to money, so I told her I would help her set up a good budgeting plan, that will hopefully translate into adulthood (and possibly start her out with a nice little nest egg when she finally jumps ship and moves out). I know Adam also wants her to get a "real job" for the summer, which her summer dance schedule will actually allow her to do so since she's only at the studio 2 nights a week. Now, whether her amount of travel this summer will or not is another thing we will have to figure out the logistics of. I think due to the longer trips she is taking this summer, it would be difficult for her to find a normal job, so we are thinking that volunteering (maybe at the local animal shelter) on the days she can would be a good use of her time and still impart the life skills of having a "job", those teens typically gain with their first summer job. You know, getting up early in the morning and going to work and having to work a full shift. It builds character and helps prepare them for the real world. The older you get, the less things are "handed" to you. I just had this conversation with eh the other day about how she's getting old and she will have to start taking care of some things herself and learning how to be an "adult". Mentally get ready for that time when she thinks she's adult enough and can do it on her own. It's our jobs as parents to make sure she has had exposure to what it's like being on her own, having to work, save money, and pay "bills" (which obviously right now at 16 she doesn't have bills, but she can still save up and build up a nest egg). I know when I was growing up, my mom got me my car and would give me enough gas to get to and from school. If I wanted gas money to just drive around and good off, I had to pay for it myself. Well, Adam and I bought kamdyn her first car and we will do pretty much the same thing. We will give her a budget of gas money to get her to and from where she NEEDS to be, anything beyond that, she will have to cover.

I am hoping that I get to spend a little more time with Brozden also. I sure am missing mom and son time. However, he is getting older too, and moving up in his sport so he will probably be at the gym more often. I'm thinking I might try to plan a little weekend getaway for just the two of us or get back to our movie and dinner date nights. We both enjoy that. He really is growing up right in front of my eyes. While it's exciting, it's super sad. He's the tallest in the house right now.

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After our one "normal week" back home, we are going on an exciting vacation. This will be our first vacation that isn't kid activity related in a very very long time. Adam's dad is taking us to St. Johns Virgin Island! We are so excited! Beach here we come!!

(Just kidding, no Vodka... but maybe a fruity frozen drink)

Im sure ill make a blog dedicated to our vacation with lots of pictures. He said he wanted to take the kids on a trip before they got too old and too busy and couldn't enjoy it. I think now is the PERFECT time to take the trip. The kids are pretty excited too. We have taken them to the beach once, about 5 years ago. We went to Orange Beach Alabama. They loved it, but they have never been to an Island before, so this will be a first. We are staying in an Air B&B close to/on the beach. I am just excited to unplug, relax, and soak up some sun... and maybe a few tropical drinks. I fully expect to come back looking like a lobster and all sunburned lol!

Literally 4 days after we get back from our beach vacation, Kamdyn will be flying off to Orlando. I will not be going with her on this trip. She is going with her Coach and duet partner. I'm sure she is going to have a BLAST. Those three are something special together. They will be flying out to Orlando for a week-long convention as well as a competition that they qualified for during their regional competition. The week ends with a red carpet Gala and they get to dress up nice and fancy. There is a fancy dinner, special guests, dancing, music, and awards. While she is in Orlando, I think she is going to audition for their Pre-Pro program. Wish her all the luck! It's a hard audition against many many amazing dancers from all over the country. While she has received some amazing training and her technique is there, she has the look, etc, she's new to the game within this company. They don't know her very well yet. That being said, every audition is a learning experience to grow from. I think Kamdyn has this same mindset as well. It will serve her well in the future.

Well, that is all for now. I better cut this blog short and get to packing! I can't wait to share how the girls do at nationals, Tremaine Orlando, and our vacation!

-Rothrock Mom