It Was Inevitable

...me doing my first pageant __ years ago.  When I became pregnant with my first child the question was asked, "If it's a girl, will she do pageants?" I cannot count the number of times I said no.  On the outside I was against it mainly because that's what everyone expected of me.  On the inside I was not necessarily opposed to pageants for my baby, but I wanted it to be something she was interested in.

When I found out it was a girl the questions really started.  I think I did a pretty good job managing things for a while.  I genuinely wanted it to be something Kate wanted to do if she was interested, but I would have been happier with volleyball or basketball or softball.  Once her eye thing was figured out some of the sports things became a little more difficult to figure out.  Also, she started dancing...all the time.

Then it happened.  She found out.  About my past.  Then she started going to Miss O and asking about being on stage.  So now she does them, but only sometimes.  She's only been in a few.  Her favorite parts are getting to dance and be with her friends.  The cool part is that it is doing for her what it did for me.  It's helping her not be so shy.  I could have never done some of the things I have done were it not for the pageants.  So if you are a hater of pageantry, save it.  It's been good for us. We have boundaries.   Like any activity you have to have boundaries and we do.  It's been really fun to see her grow this year.

Here are some pictures from the past year.

 First one.

 First state.  She had strep throat but one talent!

 Everybody Wants To Be a Cat!

 This is Cadence.  I did pageants with her mom.

 Kate loves Libby.

 This is Kate and Alexis.  I did pageants with her mom and aunt.  I traveled everywhere with her great-grandma and great-grandpa.

 Kate and Mae Mae.  They are the tiny miss queens.

 See picture above of Kate with Alexis.  The pretty girl on the left is her Aunt Amanda.  They girl on the right is Joy Pywell!

 Just a glimpse of where it all started.  This is NOT Kate.

 Kate with her acro buddies (Kaylee, Taysha, Libby, Kate, Haylee, and Maddie)

 Kate and Bella

 She was so excited the morning after she won.