I was so happy when I got the surprise that I made the cheer team I really wanted. But with two cheer teams meant a LOT of cheer this weekend. I am tired but so happy!

He said

Well, to say that this weekend was a busy one, would be the under statement of the year! It was sometime last weekend when we realized all that was going on this weekend and while it was overwhelming, even more was yet to come—It was the perfect storm! We knew that I had a bike race this weekend on Sunday. We knew that we wanted to get in some time at the trailer. And we knew that Emelia had Cheer boot camp as well. What we completely didn’t process was that Emelia’s midseason softball tournament was also on this weekend. And then add the curve ball coming at us out of no where… Emelia got invited to be on a second Cheer squad that also had boot camp this weekend!

So, with all this in play, our weekend took on a completely new, here, there & everywhere kind of theme. Thursday after we were done work, Danielle & I were straight off to the trailer for the night. We spent the evening there relaxing. Friday morning when we got up and going, we got in a bike ride on the G2G before coming back to the trailer and aerating our ‘front lawn’ at the trailer and then covering it with weed and feed. As soon as that was done we were off back to London, to see Emelia’s first game in her softball tournament. I had so much stuff still to get done to be ready for the bike race today, I stayed back to get that done while Danielle went to cheer Emelia on.

Saturday morning we were up at seven to get ready and have Emelia out to the diamond for her second ball game in this midseason tournament. But let’s hold that, because a significant wrinkle to our weekend plans came through in the form of an email to us on Friday morning. It seems that Emelia had been selected for her second team for Cheer this season—a crossover team in Valour. And while they recognized the email came last minute they were hopeful that Emelia could make it to Boot Camp for that team as well… That meant that Emelia would be spending eight hours in training on Saturday and then another eight hours again today! Keep in mind she already was in a softball tournament.

So yah Saturday morning whether her softball team won or lost she would be done softball for the weekend given than her Cheer dance card was just filled (and then some). Disappointingly her team lost a tough well-played game against the other North London team—which had its share of teammates from last season. But, while she would have liked the result to go a different way, they lost, their team was out and it made shifting to Cheer only for the rest of the weekend a little bit more palatable. With Emelia off to Cheer, Danielle & I were back up to the trailer as it made a closer depart for the race I was in today in Mono, Ontario.

So today for the second straight day, Danielle & I were up entirely too early to make the hour and a half trip from the trailer to the Screaming Squirrel race start. This race was only 30km but knowing how Dan the race organizer likes to make his races, I knew there would be way more climbing than I am used to on my dailies. And boy was a right! I set a couple of personal records with top speed at 67km/h and my biggest climb grade at 24%! In the end I got it done and did a lot better than my first race last month where I had a ton of trouble with my free hub. I finished the day 11th in my age & gender (male 50+) and was 36th overall in the whole field. I was delighted with my results, but my favourite thing was than Danielle came along and volunteered again so I was able to see her cheering me on at the start and the finish!

We got home well ahead of Emelia returning from Cheer practice so we could welcome her home. After such a busy weekend, we took it so much easier and plan to do that for the rest of the night! While it was a crap ton of stuff, travel and being everywhere, as Danielle says I wouldn’t trade it for anything as one day it won’t be this busy and we’ll miss it all…

She said

Holy bananas what a weekend!!! We started out knowing we were going to be triple booked this weekend but we didn’t know what that would look like and then a big curve ball was thrown in there that made things even more insane…

Emelia had already had a crazy busy week between school and school activities but she also returned to cheer training while balancing work and a pretty heavy school load right now. On Monday she and a group of her friends joined a charity flag football event for Breast Cancer Research called Powerpuff. It is an all girl tournament where other students volunteer as coaches and trainers, typically boys from the school football team. The girls had an absolute blast and they have all been hanging out with the whole group including coaches ever sense.

Emelia started back Tuesday to cheer for the first time this season, she is really liking her new team and all the girls are really proving to be strong athletes and they are alreading matching stunt groups up and working on elite stunting right from day one. Emelia came home so happy after training and was so excited to get back to training for the bootcamp training this weekend. Little did she know what that was going to really mean. As John and I were waking up Friday morning at the trailer I got a message from one of the other cheer moms I am friends with telling me to check my emails. The gym had finally sent out athlete invitations for the tryout team. Well our girl made the team! So we found out Friday morning that she would need to be at boot camp training not for one team but for 2, this meant two 4 hours training sessions back to back both Saturday and Sunday. Emelia was so excited but knew that this meant a crazy weekend for her.

Friday after work John and I had gotten back from the trailer in just enough time for me to pack Emelia up and head to Glanworth which is a village south of London. That was home for the full weekend tournament. Emelia and her team faced the number one team in the league first game out. There were an excessive amount of questionable calls against Emelia’s team and that shifted the results in favour of the other team. The girls lost game one! They were proud of how they played but were disappointed. After her softball game Emelia and her friend and the boys hung out at her friend Alexis’s house and after a few hours later I picked her up and she crashed for the night.

Saturday we were up at the crack of stupid o’clock to get Emelia to the diamond for just after 8:00 in the morning. The girls fought hard and tried to make a comeback but lost a heartbreaker to the other North team. The girls were crushed as this meant that they were out for the tournament but for Emelia at least she didn’t feel as guilty for having to leave after that game so we could rush home, pack a cooler of food and the truck up and bring her to cheer for the next 8+ hours of training. Emelia went in nervous since it was her first time meeting her new Valour team but by all accounts from my talk with her when she got home it went amazing and she was excited to get back at it today.

Today was another super busy day for Emelia and another VERY early alarm for John and I. With me volunteering at events to watch John race we have to be there even earlier so we are there for set up. The alarm at 5:15 was a rude awakening after such a busy weekend. But we were off and made it to the beatufuil property for the race by 8:00 in the morning. The location was perfect, the weather not as much – but it was a great day in spite of the colder temps and drizzle. The last race I was not able to see John start of finish the race but this time I was able to enjoy all aspects of it. I am so proud of him, I have watched the video and I know there is no way I could have done such a crazy race. After wrapping up the day we packed up and started heading back to London. A few hours after we got home Emelia came in the door, she came home happy but beyond exhausted. She was able to muster a bit of energy to get some homework done and then crashed in her bed. I full expect that we won’t see her until the morning because that girl must be spent!

All in all it was a crazy weekend, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I know these moments are fleeting. This time next year the won’t be cheer in our lives and we will miss this. We are moving into Emelia’s last year of high school and the years have gone by way too fast, I want to take in all these moments while they last!