Pens Gear is Always in Style, Right?

I woke up Sunday with a question. An important one. What exactly does one wear when repping the Dance Mom circuit and then the Cheer Mom circuit? Fortunately, I only questioned it for a second because HI, PLAYOFF HOCKEY.

A Penguins shirt. That's what one wears.

OR NOT.

I don't really understand it, but when we showed up to the dance competition, I wasn't surrounded by twinsies. There were a lot of Pittsburghers, but I was the only one repping the black and gold. Which, WHAT? How is that even possible?

WELL NOW. It turns out that once I pay attention, I notice what Dance Moms wear. The answer - fancy things. I'd say 90% of the moms roaming the halls and dressing rooms were a little bit dressed up. Lots of high heels. Dresses. Those who were wearing jeans fancied the jeans up with a nice top and necklace and WHOOPS.

I was a wee bit underdressed.

It's okay, though. I already knew I don't quite fit along with that crowd. Surely I would be fine once we went to the cheer competition, especially since Alexis was due to cheer right as the puck dropped ...

OR NOT.

It turns out I was overdressed as a Cheer Mom. The uniform there was black leggings and a t-shirt and ... WELL THEN. It turns out that once I pay attention, I notice what Cheer Moms wear. The answer - things that identify them as a cheer mom. While there were a couple of Dance Moms who were wearing jackets that said things like "Dance Mom" or "Ella's Mom," IT WAS LIKE ALL OF THE CHEER MOMS. I'd seriously say that about half the people there to cheer on a cheerleader were wearing clothes that identified them by their kid's thing.

There was "Payton's Grandma" written in huge letters across the back of a team t-shirt.

There was, no joke, an entire family with team t-shirts and identities on the back. "Joy's Mom" sat next to "Joy's Dad" and "Joy's Sister" and some more distant relatives.

There were a whole bunch of "Cheer Mom" shirts. Like, dozens of them. They were all sparkly, too.

And there was a multitude of shirts with kids' first names on the back. "Team Katie" and "Regan's Mom" and "Anna" and the like.

I mean, I answer to "Alexis' mom" but I've never actually introduced myself that way. In fact, now that I think about it, Alexis' friends all call me by my first name. Double-in fact, a whole row of them yelled, "HI, MICHELLE!" at me when we were at the baseball game recently. Then they invited me to sit with them, with Alexis insisting that I sit next to her. In public. With her friends around.

So I guess that even though I don't self-identify as sparkly DanceCheerMom or CheerDanceMom or even slap my kid's name on my clothes, she still likes me. I think I'll take it.

Comments

[Mary]

Because you are the cool mom.