Little Miss Fall Festival

Friday night was the Little Miss Fall Festival pageant! I was honored to be asked to judge 13 Kindergarten and 1st grade girls vying for the title. What do I know about 5-7 year olds? Well…a surprising amount! I taught 1st grade this summer in Phoenix (and absolutely LOVED it!), and now teach Pre-K in Tulsa. Little ones are so fun because every day is a new day – new personalities, new interests, and new, unbelievably funny words and sayings. Miss Riverwalk’s former director, Nicole, also asked another TFA friend and YWCA employee to judge – what a small world!

Kevin met me in Coweta, which is about a 35 minute drive from my apartment, where the skies were a hazy shade of grey and a Fall chill was beginning to set in the air. Initially, the pageant was intended to be held outside, but after a wild downpour, was moved to a local church. It was so cold that I can’t imagine keeping the girls outside in their beautiful dresses – would have been tough!! On the way to the church, Damaris and I huddled under an umbrella, but still wound up soaking wet. What seemed like the entire town was waiting outside the church because it was still locked – priceless! Haha, we looked faaaabulous..

 

Damaris was the emcee and it was wonderful to catch up with the newly crowned Miss Oklahoma State Fair. After making our way into the church and drying off, the pageant was on! Each contestant first competed in modeling – wearing their gowns. They were SO adorable! After each was finished, they took a seat on the stage behind the other contestants. Once modeling was complete, we moved to talent.

Honestly, some of their talents were better than mine! The winner was a gymnast, another precious angel sang a country song with more attitude and personality than I have ever seen before, and there was even a magic show! There were several singers, a few dancers, and also a guitarist. The last portion was interview – where Damaris asked the girls a few questions about their interests or hobbies. One ate a whole pound of fudge before her mother caught her!

During awards, I was so pleased to see each girl receive something for her hard work and bravery to even just get on the stage. The winner was the cute gymnast in a fun, pink gown! I had so much fun and would love to do it again. After the pageant, I chatted with several girls – those who won and those who did not place, telling them what I loved about their performances. It’s hard to not win at any age, particularly when you may be too young to see the big picture. These girls ALL have a shot at Miss Oklahoma someday – and I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Miss Oklahoma 2023 was on that stage Friday night!

The Villages: Grand Opening

Last week, Mi’Shell and I (plus pageant chaperone/body-guard/director, Kevin) attended the Grand Opening of a new assisted living center in Tulsa – The Villages. Since I was in school until 4, I wasn’t able to make it until 4:30 and looked like a total train wreck. Guess that’s what happens when you teach for 8 hours before an appearance? We had a great time greeting and chatting with those visiting the new facilities near the Southern Hills area though!

I was also able to speak to a few residents – absolutely fascinating! It’s amazing to see what people can do in 70-80 years on earth. I loved hearing about their lives, families, and how much they really loved The Villages. With family in assisted living centers, I have seen what a positive or negative atmosphere can do to a person, and it was refreshing to hear about the joy being brought to residents. The assisted living center was so fabulous – a theatre room, craft room, two salons, a sweet shoppe, multiple dining areas, cafe’s and even a sports bar! Mi’Shell and I also met the staff and founder, along with seeing one of my Miss O red coats. Hopefully we will be able to go back and visit more residents once everyone is settled!