unpredictable in more ways than one

The biggest bummer about Irish dancing competitions is that the timing is COMPLETELY unpredictable.  Oh, the stories I could tell.  Stories when we thought for sure, based on the stage assignment schedule (um, yes there IS a schedule - laughable), that we would be done by such-and-such a time, but alas we would end up being the last people left in the building.

When Curly had struggled to decide if she should join us in Milwaukee, she had tried the ‘can-I-have-a-friend-over’ angle.  The usual.  Curly’s thought process always includes:  ‘Hmm, if Daddy is working and we aren’t leaving until after lunch, then will I have time to have my BFF over?’  I pointed out that without either parent home, and the older brothers caddying, she wouldn’t be hosting any friends.  

She also hated to miss Mini possibly win a first.  Again, no guarantee.  

Fearing that Daddy would be later than me to the party, she opted to hop on the heading-to-Milwaukee band wagon - aka the great white van.  

Guess what happened?

Mini danced later than we thought she would.  Of course.  With the competition wrapped up, we gathered our stuff and headed to the awards area.  I looked at my watch.  If we left right away, we could get to the 1st communion party fashionably late.  We waited a bit.  The dry erase board listing when a group's award would be announced posted that Mini’s under 14 group would be at 1:30.  

Posing during the 1st communion
party:  a tall Reggie with a younger
cousin wearing matching
cool b-ball t-shirts
that I bought them. 
Oh, yeah. 
Coach beat us to the family party. 
Ouch.

Mini shrugged.  'Let’s go to the party and ask someone else to text us if I won anything.'  Well this was unchartered territory.
     A.  I don’t want to inconvenience anyone else who doesn’t have a kid in the same competition.  No one wants to stand around unnecarily at an Irish dancing competition.
     B.  I also don’t want to ask a mom with a kid in the competition to deliver Mini an award if that mom’s particular dancer doesn’t end up placing.  Awkward.  Imagine the non-winning-trophy-delivering dancer exiting the building and having to contend with:  ‘Oh, look at your trophy!’  Forced smile:  'No, it is Mini’s trophy.  I just picked it up for her.'  

Despite my hesitations, I asked a mom of one of Mini’s competitors, if she would mind collecting a trophy for Mini if she ended up placing.  I explained our 1st communion party dilemma and the fact that Curly had used the Milwaukee Feis as her ‘fastest’ ticket to her little cousin’s 1st communion party.   The mom took pity on me.  She said, no problem and we bolted.

I was desperate to beat Coach to the party, or deal with Curly's wrath. 

We were a mile away from the party when I got a text from a friend who was still at the feis.  My stomach did a flip.  2nd.  Again.  Mini was excited.  I was too.  Later when I looked at the results online my frustration overshadowed my excitement.