Thursday Things

Love Thursdays. During the school year I don't teach every Thursday. During the summer I don't teach at all on Thursday--I catch up. Laundry, Bible study, flowers in the garden, wash the doggy, make phone calls, answer email. And my favorite Thursday Thing is that Muffin comes home from working all week out of town.
Plus, today, Gracie and Boo went home from the hospital. Jonah was so excited that he couldn't take a nap. She said he was like a bull in a china closet with Gracie and the operative words are "slow and gentle". But, he's not quite three and he wants to help so much. Both my girls who are mommies are awesome mommies, so I know Jbear and Gracie will be just fine. I'm packing to go check out the action!
Another favorite Thursday Thing is Body Flow. The class is at 5:30 and is so popular that students begin arriving before the previous class clears the gym. There is a sea of yoga mats and bodies and towels and eager students of all types and ages. When the instructor chooses tracks that I know well, I get a little distracted watching the other students. Today I noticed that there were several men around my age who were incredibly flexible. There was another man who totally gave up somewhere in each track. And there was a young, lovely girl who yawned through almost every track and refused to extend her arms in the strength poses. I love these classes because the age range is from about 10 years old than I am all the way to high school and college students. The late comers are always forced to park their mats near the stage, right under the instructor's nose. I've been in that spot and it isn't comfortable, but can force you to work out harder just to keep from looking like a dork under the eye of the instructor.
Tonight's instructor is incredible. She teaches four, count them one at a time, four different types of classes and there is not a spot on her lyrca-clad body that isn't totally lean. Plus, she has legs as long as telephone poles and is as musically choreographed as a dancer. I felt so good when I left the class that I immediately hit the elliptical machine, then the recumbent bike when the lower back reminded me of my age. But, now one of my favorite Thursday Things is ibuprofen--YES!
Finally, on the list of summer favorite Thursday Things is So You Think You Can Dance. Love that show. Real talent, real choreography, really good music. Each of the dancers is getting the equivalent of a master class each week on the Wednesday and Thursday airings. The choreographers work with them for a very minimal time, but the judges comments are just as valuable as the time with the choreographers. Reminds me of some of the excellent music camps with fabulous instructors that I attended as a student and that my students have attended over the past 30 years. Oops, I'm older than that. Make that 40 years. Forty Years????? Have I been teaching that long. Yes, exactly 40 years. Seems like only a couple of years ago that I was learning to accept the critiques of coaches and teachers and directors with nasty attitudes toward violinists. It still makes me uncomfortable when I watch SYTYCD and the judges deliver unfavorable comments, but I really love to watch the dancing. Hopefully I can learn to speak more kind, constructive, and loving comments to my own students as a result of watching my favorite summer TV.