The MA$$EY Tree

YIPPEE!! I can hardly believe that it is time for tryouts for the "Fall" Guard for next year!



My youngest made the Winter Guard last year and fell in love with the sport...to the tune of $650.oo for half a year and that was just dues. She has decided she wants to do Fall Guard this year (they perform in the half times shows at football games). I am so excited I can hardly contain myself...or my wallet!

I had to take her for a sports physical this morning...another joke, although this doctor actually performed an exam. Last year a nurse took her vitals, gave an eye test and the doctor came in and asked her to touch her toes. That was the extent of the exam($35). This doctor actually took a history and gave her a thorough exam ($25)...we like this doctor MUCH better!

While sitting in the waiting room Massey told me there was a $10 audition fee for try outs. I thought she was joking until she handed me my checkbook. Are you kidding me?? You have to PAY to try out to make the team that you have to pay MORE for to be on?

If she didn't love it so much and wasn't so darn good...I might make a call to a local TV station to have this racket investigated. When I went to her Southeastern Championships I counted up all the girls on JUST the Winter guard...the varsity team's dues added up to $22,000. Then there is Junior Varsity and THEN both Jr. and Varsity "Fall" guards. I'm thinking in the ballpark of around $65,000 for just these girls dues...not to mention undergarments, rehearsal outfits, money for camp (one at the school and another one in North Georgia) money for food when they go to competitions and selling and buying ads in the programs. Dang, they could get Paula Abdul as a choreographer for that kind of dough.

Luckily she is starting from the first of the year this time and will be able to participate in all the fund raisers to help defray the costs. I am gonna be a candy selling, subscription selling ,wrapping paper selling fool is what I am gonna be!

It almost makes me thankful that Zach is an underachiever...let's hope he stays that way til I get this paid for (I can't afford for him to wake up now).

She came home from the first day of tryouts to announce she thinks she is going to make the team (my modest little angel). The band program is huge at her high school, over 400 members in the marching band program and they are all very dedicated kids at their craft. At football games there have been as many as 10,000 people in attendance.

I am really just trying to be amusing about my little MA$$EY, I am truly glad she wants to be a part of something good for her and is so dedicated and feels such a strong bond with all these young women.

She has turned out to be quite a lovely girl and I feel blessed that she is on the right path in life. It could be a totally different turnout when you are raising a teen...I bet having to send her to Rehab would cost more than band camp...not by much though!!

I am proud of my little girl...she just won't quit growing up so fast. I am proud of all of my kids, they make me happy in different ways and I love them all for different reasons. Life is good ! It's just with Massey, life is good and expensive!! Thank God she is worth every penny.