Exercises in Enthusiasm

Originally Posted Feb. 7 '09 @ lifeinatown.wordpress.com

This week, Ben decided he really wanted some homework. He expressed feelings of jealousy that his older sister Vi and many of his bus friends have homework. This is the sort of sweet enthusiasm exhibited by very young learners. If only we could keep this passion alive throughout grade school, junior high, and on and on, throughout our lives.

In my own experience, the fires burned brightly until about ninth grade, when my primary love interest turned from books to boys. My intellectual curiosity didn’t regain its full fervor until late in college, when I looked back with no small level of remorse about the brilliant scholar I might have been were it not for the allure of dancing eyes, witty one-liners, and Stetson cologne. But enough about me!

Ben wanted homework, so we took a look at Mrs. K’s Pre-K Newsletter and found the Home Corner Activity of the week: “Draw a picture of a place you can go or something you can do to get exercise.” Taking cues from his strong-man dad, Ben quickly sketched the attached picture. To add weight to the work, Ben asked me for the first letters of several of his friends’ names, which appear on the right side of the body-building boy. Beautiful.

In other Waters exercise news, Vi had her first P.E. swim session last Monday. This is an experience Vi had been fretfully fearing—even dreaming about—since the first day of fourth grade last September. We have taken her to the school pool to practice as frequently as our crazy-juggling schedules would allow (not nearly often enough to suit Vi). We have discussed the dreaded “Swim Test” many times over the last several months. The night before the Big Day, Vi received a pep-talk phone call from Auntie Jean who lives overseas and who promised to offer prayers for peace, strength and success at 2 o’clock Monday, our time. After school, big smiles: Vi was one of 6 kids in her class to qualify for the Deep End—in the non-nutty sense of the term. What a relief! “Who of you by worrying can add a [swim-stroke] to your life?”

Lastly, I can’t end an entry about this week’s exercises without sharing a bit about our Ballroom Dancing lessons, which we’re taking Tuesday nights in February. I gave Will a gift card for the class as a Christmas present. I thought it would be fun and funny, and I liked the notion of supporting our friend, the dance instructor. Will felt sheepish at first: When we arrived at the studio and the greeter/receptionist asked whether we were there for Ballroom lessons, Will asked her to keep her voice down. But when he saw several other respectable men enrolled in the class, he seemed to let down his guard. And, amazingly, we found out we can Fox-Trot! The part where the man is supposed to guide his partner into a spin was the most fun for me. The instructor tried telling the men how to apply pressure to the woman’s left shoulder to indicate the intended twirl, but Will gave away the move every time with a ridiculous brightening of his face, raising his eyebrows and dropping his jaw in a jaunty grin. It was fun and funny—and will be for the rest of this month. We hope to be able to show off our new moves at two weddings we’re to attend later this year. Breakdown!

Original Comments:

1. I LOVE reading your posts!! I could just see the scene at the dance studio!! Too fun!

Comment by SeekingPlumb — February 7, 2009 @ 4:24 pm