Band Mom

UIL Regional Contest

I'm a Band Mom and I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a Band Mom.

I didn't think we were crazy, but maybe we are.  I was sitting with another Band Mom at the game on Friday.  We were hooting and hollering for our boys.  A non-Band Mom friend just kept shaking her head. 

There is a neighboring school.  I won't say their name, but those Band Moms are a special brand of crazy.  When they were the Visitors at our game, they came to our Home side to cheer for their band.  And, mercy me, you should have seen them at the UIL marching contest on Saturday. 

For me, being a Band Mom means wearing a wild looking pink shirt all day (so that I wouldn't have to change) for the Pink Out game that said "Fight Like a Knight." The graphics took up the entire front of the shirt.  Perfect for the teenagers.  Maybe not perfect for me.

Being a Band Mom means that I sometimes go to football games by myself, because Fred often has other obligations (usually church obligations).  However, we usually stay within the city of Frisco, so that makes it easy.

Being a Band Mom means that I am cheering on boys in a game that I know nothing about.  And, I usually stay until the last second even when we are losing by a landslide.  Only cold weather or Fred's firm insistence will make me leave early.  

Being a Band Mom means that I've cheered on the same show for weeks and weeks in a row, but always do it with more enthusiasm than the week before.

Knights Band Warming Up

Being a Band Mom means that I sit in a parking lot ready to take Jonathan to band practice just as soon as he gets out of seminary.  It means that I've sat countless times waiting for him to finish up from practice or after a game.

Being a Band Mom means going to bed late on game night and getting up early on the morning of marching competitions.  It means hitting McDonalds to buy his favorite breakfast and Subway to pack his favorite lunch on competition day.

Being a Band Mom means sending good luck text messages and congratulation texts to your boy and others that you hold dear.

Being a Band Mom means rushing back up to the school to see them off even though your tuba player never even realizes that you are standing off to the side to see the bus off.

Being a Band Mom means attending Marching Competitions.  Sometimes by myself-- like on Saturday.

Being a Band Mom means cheering so loud at competitions that your head feels like there is a percussionist INSIDE your head.  (I seriously had a migraine from no food and cheering on Saturday.)

Being a Band Mom means skipping lunch to get to the competition or missing dinner to make it to the football game.  Or, worse, eating meals from the concession stand.  

And, for me, being a Band Mom means not just cheering for our Knights Band, but also cheering for every underdog on the field.  I feel like our band is the underdog.  Last year, they were brand spankin' new and marched without any seniors.  This year, they are more seasoned, but they are still smaller than most of the bands in our area.  I also played in a smaller band in high school. I want all the smaller bands to do well.

UIL Regional Contest

 Jonathan asked me about volunteering and wanted to know why I didn't want to be a chaperon this year.  Of course, I want to.  You have to be available at 5:00.  They already had volunteers for the days I was available. However, I can be an IHS Knights Band groupie!

If we have children, then we are some kind of mom.  We are cheering, buying spiritwear and following our kid around. 

I love the band and I love being a Band Mom.