Power In Numbers

May is like December, except that there aren't presents waiting for me under the tree. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THIS MONTH. I'm exhausted just from looking at my calendar and I haven't hit the worst of it yet.

Saturday was packed wall-to-wall with Kid Stuff. Alexis had a cheer fundraiser, Mila had dance class, Alexis had a dance class, and Alexis had dance recital rehearsal. All of those things took place at different parts of town, so basically I spent 4 hours driving to 5 hours worth of activities. It's nearly the end of all of the things, so we just need to survive the finales, so to speak.

Except cheer. Cheer is just getting started, really. Nationals aren't until the end of July. They are in Orlando this year, which HAHAHAHA. ALL OF THE MONEY. There are a billion fundraisers to help with that sort of thing, but this is one of those times when it super stinks that we don't have family nearby. It's really hard to sell hoagies to people who live 6-10 hours away, you know? Alas, Alexis is stuck focusing on the couple of events that aren't best directed towards family. Events like the one Saturday where I made her stand outside a Walmart and beg for money.

That's a thing, for the record. It's called "Canning" and it's a sanctioned Walmart activity. Non-profits can sign up for the privelege of blocking the doors and begging for donations. It seems like a terrible idea, but we've done it every year for cheer. Every year Alexis has pulled in around $30/hour for her efforts. See also: WORTH IT.

In previous years, Mila has sometimes joined in on the fun. There's not really anything in it for her, except that this year she gets to go to Nationals and then run across the street to Disney World. So, there's totally something in it for her this time. Thus, I instructed Miss Mila that she HAD to help her sister this year. Cute little kids are *ka-ching* when it comes to begging for money, you know.

Let me just tell you, Mila yelling, "WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION SO MY SISTER CAN WIN A CHEER COMPETITION?" is the cutest stinking thing you've ever seen. Truly. And she yelled it at the top of her lungs for a good hour. How do you say "No" to that? YOU DON'T. Strangers far and wide felt obligated to drop their spare change and help a bunch of girls get to Orlando.

There's more to this story, but I'll finish it tomorrow. It requires ... focus. In the meantime, let's just enjoy the fact that Alexis and Mila are one heck of a team when they decide to work together. Here's to hoping they continue to use their superpowers for good rather than evil.