As you can see we survived the last month of travel and will embark on the 1st Nationals trip a week from today (that's right 1st trip). She is doing 2 nationals comps this yr, 1 each with 2 different competition companies. Thankfully both are relatively close: 1st one in Toledo, OH and the 2nd in Cincinnati. Cincy is only about an hour and a half away, Toledo is about 5 to 6 hrs away. I, unfortunately, won't get to go to Cincy with her because we (boosters) were already committed to work concessions at HullabaLOU fest at Churchill Downs (KY Derby site). 65 bands on 5 stages in 3 days. Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews Band are the nightly headliners. Will then have a few baseball games to work before college football season starts, thus working those games as well. NEVER ENDING. Outside chance that we, as a family, will try to make down to WDW in Nov for a few days (got to use those tickets that my wife and son didn't get to use back in January), if not we'll most likely be back next Jan about the same time. She did very well in St Louis (top solo for the whole 12 and under division) and 3rd overall (1st in category) in Indy. The Cincy competition she is going to, she is one of a handful of dancers (hand selected by the lady who runs the comp)that will be performing exhibition routines choreographed by the same lady that will be filmed and used as instructional videos; which will be distributed at the largest dance "trade" convention in the country in Chicago.

That's fantastic news about your daughter! It sounds like she is doing really amazing in dancing. That is so awesome.

Have fun working at HullabaLOU fest. It sounds like quite the concert event. ( would love to see Dave Matthews Band)

so exciting for your daughter and the family....she must be very talented. congrats to all!!

hope you make it back "home" for those days in November

Have returned from Nationals. Good Trip weather wise, other than the first day when it was in the mid 90s, the rest of the week only made it to the 80s once. Competition went decent, not as successful as in the past, but not horribly either. My daughter was the only Soloist from our studio to finish in the top overall rankings (17th out of over 60 dancers in her division and tied for 1st in her subcategory (lyrical)). Kids spent this past week @ the grandparents, so will meet them tomorrow at a midway point to pick them up.
Still have HullabaLOU to go in a couple of weeks and she has another Natl comp to go to the same weekend in Cincinnati. Unfortunately looking like the Nov trip ain't gonna happen, so mid January most likely next possible trip (MLK weekend).

Sorry about your (non)trip in November. But January will be here before you know it.

And best of luck to your daughter in her competitions.

yes, sad to hear you wont be able to visit Disney this year....i so know how you feel


many congrats to your daughter on her achievements

for me as a parent, its so much fun to be part of things like this. my daughter loved marching band, and even tho it was a lot of time for both and effort on her part, i will always cherish her performances and the friends i made with other band parents.

i have to say that Facebook is a great thing for all of us to stay in touch "together"

Best of luck with the remaining competitions.