I am a dance mom

I am a dance mom. I am a rhinestone embellishing, car pooling, crafting fool at times. I support my son and his "girls" 100%. I may have a boy dancer, but I know how to put up fake hair. I am a master of zip-ties and hair gel.

Yes, I do think my son is the best boy dancer at the studio. He works hard and thrives being the center of attention for his clogging line. He works that much harder to make sure he does not let his girls down. I may be a bit crazy at times (I won't deny it), but that's because I want him to do his best. But he's not only a dancer, he is a student as well, and school always comes first.

My son dances 3 days a week, unless you count extra practices. I bring my crafting to the studio. Being at the studio during class allows me know of changes in the routine, announcements and learn what my son needs to work on in his spare time. I am also a member of the booster club board (though, I won't be doing it next year), so if parents need to know about fundraisers, I have all the information.

Most of the time, the moms (or dancers) will come up to me as I'm working and ask "What are you working on today?" I love talking about my work, and they will often ask if I sell my work. This is the perfect opportunity for me to hand out a business card. I never miss an opportunity to promote my business. I always have a stack of cards with me. This has brought me a number of referrals for rhinestoning. I rhinestone studio jackets. Just adding a little sparkle to make the girls feel a little special.

My son wears sparkles and sequins. I don't apologize for this. He only wears them for competition and he doesn't mind. I did rhinestone his jeans this year for clogging, though. I asked his permission, and he agreed. I think he secretly loves the sparkle. Nothing wrong with that. He loves his jeans, so I might have to do it every year from now on. I'll put the other ones on Ebay when he grows out of them.

This weekend marks the start of competition for this year. With two routines this year, and me being line mom for one of them, this is going to be a challenging and rewarding year. Frankly, I think I'm more nervous than my son, but I always am. He was born to be on stage. He has a million watt smile and a charm that makes the judges fall in love with him.

So, here's to a wonderful season and the best of luck to all the studios out there.