Best Workout Eva!

Last night, I got to dust off the memories from my younger years and party like it was 1999!  Even if it was with a bunch of 12 to 14 year old kids.

Yep.  Last night was the much anticipated, long awaited 7th and 8th grade formal dance.  It's been something in the works since the beginning of January.  At first, it was going to be a winter formal that would be held on February 8th.  Then, realizing that Valentine's Day fell on the night before our long weekend break, we decided to go with a Valentine's formal, and have the dance on Valentine's night.  Then, a board meeting caused a reschedule pushing it back to February 22nd.  Thanks to snow, we had to yet again reschedule and move it out to last night.  But, we finally did it.  Last night, despite flurries of snow that appeared right before the dance started, the formal dance went ahead without any hiccups.

I will say, as much as I LOVE teaching 4th grade and having no desire WHATSOEVER to teach Jr. High aged kids - I sure do enjoy spending time with those 7th and 8th graders.

They really know how to have a good time.

I was so impressed with how a large group of kids from different social classes and "cliques" come together and all dance in a huge huddle with whoever's up for the challenge.  And a challenge it was.  I haven't danced that much since attending my own high school dances so many years ago.

One thing that I will admit is that when I first started working at my school, I was a little intimidated by having Jr. High in the same building.  The 7th and 8th graders are HUGE.  They tower over me and make me look like one of the 4th graders I teach when standing next to any of them.  I, at first, regretted having signed up to be a Student Council sponsor - thinking I'd be out of my element and would in no way fit in with the kids.  But after a few short months, I started to feel a little more at ease and realized that I was going to have a blast working with the older kids.

Of course, I should probably credit Peanut in all of this.

Unlike many teacher's kids I've known in the past, Peanut feels no way embarrassed or annoyed to have a mom that wants to get to know her friends, share in some of their fun, and basically make myself look like a fool.  I've stuck my head in to one or two of her PE classes, as she happens to have PE during my planning time.  I've been met with open arms and all of the kids asking me to join in for a game of Dodgeball or Spud.    It's helped me get to know the kids she's friends with, and make a connection with kids I don't get to see that much of.

So, it was no surprise that last night I was able to "drop it like it's hot" and be right in the middle of the dance huddle.  I Wobbled.  I did the Slide.  I Cha-Chaed (the pop version, not the traditional version).  I shook my rear and didn't care how I looked.

And, man, did I get in a work-out.

There's no better way to feel your age than being surrounded by fit kids and trying to keep up with their moves and grooves.  But, I did.  And hopefully it did some good... because there's no way I couldn't have moved that much last night and not have burned some serious calories.  

The kids were all so supportive of my dancing with them - although I'm not naive to think that they didn't also find it completely hilarious.  Anytime I tried to wander away, I was immediately drug back out on the floor.  There were very few breaks for me during the 2 1/2 hours of dancing.

The highlight of my night, however, was not the dancing.  It was getting the kids to dance.  The first 30 minutes or so was very awkward.  Kids kinda stood around wondering what to do.  Boys in their own groups, girls in theirs.  It was my job to bring the groups together...no matter how stupid I had to look in the process.  And, of course, I completed my mission.  It didn't take long before everyone was dancing and having a good time.  Except for when the slow songs came on...then it was like someone had let off a stink bomb in the middle of the floor - cause everyone ran for the sidelines during a slow dance.

By the final slow song of the night, I made it my mission to make sure EVERYONE had someone to dance with.  And, once again, I did it.  I am happy to report that I made a few kids' night by partnering them up with girls or boys they'd wanted to dance with - but didn't have the guts to ask themselves.

All in all in was an AMAZING night, and I couldn't have asked for it to go any better.  I may never want to teach that age group, but being a sponsor for Jr. High activities?  Oh yes.  Definitely in my cards.  So much so that I told the principal last night that she can just put me down to be a STUCO sponsor every year.

I expected to wake up this morning and feel a lot more sore than I am - but I didn't.  Which is a good thing, because I've got plenty of moving around to do today as I tackle the major work-out of cleaning my house.

Lord knows we both need it.

Enjoy your Saturday!