Happy New Year!

So it's been a little longer than a week, but I have thought about you! I hope that everyone had a great Christmas! My Christmas was little different this year, but it was very nice.

A couple of big things that have taken place since I've last written:

1. Have quite a few new routines that I'm working on for class! Yeah!!! So exciting. I'm constantly practicing them (in the car and at my desk at work). So if you ever see me driving along bopping and doing some strange arm movements..then don't worry....I'm just perfecting my routines. Seriously though, nothing makes a trip in the car more enjoyable, than doing a little Zumba!

2. My schedule is changing up a little bit in January, so i'll be sure to post that.

3. I ended one of my classes this month. Although, there was absolutely nothing fun about that! It was my very first regular class and unfortunately, I had to give it up. :-( But thankfully, I was able to leave it in the very capable hands of one of my fellow instructors who happens to be quite good---Ms. Alie Provost!!!

So that is about it with me. I'll holla!

launched peas & carrots

Well hello there to all my loyal readers (all 4 of you)! I must apologize once again for my terrible slackness in continually updating my blog. It's just such a challenge to keep up with this (anyone else have this problem?)!! But my husband gave me a wonderful suggestion...he told me to try to update at least once a week. So I'll try that and see how it goes.

Things are going pretty well with me. My kids are doing good..really excited about Christmas break (I must admit that I am too. I definitely am looking forward to not having to get up at 5am & run behind everybody to get ready for a little while..YIPPEE!!!). My son is doing much better in school (PRAISE THE LORD!!)--although he did launch some peas & carrots across the cafeteria yesterday with one of his buddies. It took everything in me to hold in the laughter when his teacher told me about that one (I thought that only happened on tv?) . He's testing to get his yellow belt in Karate this weekend. We're going to be there for like 4 hours! I had no idea that it was so involved, but I'm sure it'll be fun. I'm so proud of him. My boo is great (talking about my husband here). Still love him to pieces.

Zumba is going very well! This month I have 3 classes a week. I love it!!! The ladies in my classes are so much fun! And it's been getting bigger and bigger. I was getting a little bored with doing the same songs, but apparently they like doing the some of the same songs , go figure! But in order to break from the monotony, I took a couple of the same songs and just changed the routines up a bit. It's great going to other classes to get ideas from. Oh..and the GM at one of the gyms I teach at suggested that I walk around and talk to some of the ladies in the gym and convince them to come try the class. I've done that some before...so I don't know why I'm a little nervous about it now? Will it be insulting for me to tell them that they will have way more fun at my class then spending another 30 min - 1hr on the BORING elliptical machine? Oh well...I guess we'll see tonight. That's what's in my heart to tell people..so that's what I'll do.

Oh..and I've been trying to shake things up a little bit by changing the direction my class is facing in the middle of a song so that the people who were trying to hide out in the back get a chance to be in the front...or going in the middle of the class and doing zumba from there.. People seem to like it (and so do I!). It just makes the class that much more fun. I just need to think of some other fun ideas.. Any suggestions?

Okee dokee...my schedule for this month is posted here on my blog so, tune in next week ...hope to see you at class....Live Long & Zumba!!!!

So much to say

I know its been waaaayyyyyy to long since I've written anything. Please forgive me. I'll try to make up for it today!.. There's been a crazy amount of stuff going on. Since I last wrote, I've taught like 4 times…let's count….the last class was Saturday (I subbed for someone). I think that class was the most fun I've had! Everybody was soo into it and having such a great time. I taught facing the class AND on a stage (that was a first). It was fun! I really liked it…I thought I would be nervous or uncomfortable, but not at all…the people were great! Then before that I was so honored to have my Zumba Mentor ask me to sub her class for her..that was cool too! Before that, lets see.. what else?? I can't remember right now , but that's ok.

Tonight I teach my very own class for the very first time. I'm pretty excited about that!! Gonna try a new song that I haven't done in a class on my own yet, but I'm sure it''ll be cool.

Let's see, what else has happened?...................I made 2 new Zumba friends! One is another Zumba instructor in the area and another, just loves Zumba, so that's fun. She's also been coming to and joined my church (look at Jesus!) Oh and I'm going to be teaching at a gym / studio downtown, so that'll be cool. One thing I'm thinking about doing is possibly offering regular classes at my kids school. I really like that option cause it's extra close to my house and I can have more control of the classes and the schedule. I'm gonna have pray about that one a little bit more though..so we'll see.

I'm gonna go now…I'll make sure not to keep you all hanging again..I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how totally wonderful my class was tonight.

Peace, Love & Zumba!

 

Haven’t cried yet

So today is Monday August 17, 2009 and I have a ton of things going on right now. I feel like I'm kinda walking around in a daze right now..it's weird. Let's start here…my dad (haven't got to see him since Christmas) called me Saturday am to tell me that he's on his way here! He surprised us and stayed with us for the weekend.. That was cool! My babies started school today. See if you can fathom the greatness or momentousness (if that's a word) of what has happened today….1. The twins started KINDERGARTEN!!!!!!! (I have been waiting for this day for almost 6 years!!!!!!!) No More Day Care!!!! No more searching for the right place to put them. They are in a great school, that I love and its free!!! (except for the afterschool program, but that's cool) I wish one of them had a cell phone so that I could call them and see how they're doing. I've been surprisingly calm today though. I was a little worried this am when I got up..but I prayed and just put it in God's hands. I mean, he's taken pretty good care of us so far of my children, always…so why should I start trippin now.. they'll be ok. 2. My Angel pie started 3^RD GRADE!!! She looked soo grown up today with her new glasses on and her little over the shoulder book bag (not back pack – ooooo) Her class room looks like a real classroom, no more kiddie looking room, and they looked pretty serious when we walked her to class today… 3. Azlynn started MIDDLE SCHOOL…what??!!! I don't even really believe that!!! That is soo serious. ….no really…this is like a whole other world she's entered into!! She and Angel are pretty close and get along really well..I wonder if their relationship will change at all? It will be interesting to watch. So with all the changes that took place today, I surprisingly didn't cry !!! When we dropped Angel off to Kindergarten, I cried like a baby and then stood there for like 10min just watching her…. I guess that first one, numbs you to the rest of them. Needless to say , there will be a lot of interesting conversations at the dinner table tonight.

Next….I GOT MY FIRST ZUMBA JOBS!!!!! Notice I said jobsssssss, not just job (did you note that?) !!!! I'm still like in awe about that! I got a job as a sub at Pivotal Fitness Center which is like 7min from my house!!! The lady I'll be subbing for teaches on Tuesday & Thursday night. I have to go to her class for like a week or two to observe. I went there on Saturday to complete some paperwork and to do a mini-demonstration for the class coordinator—you know , the lady who coordinates the classes, just in case you needed further clarity (Ma). It was cool…I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be…I only did like two songs, and there were 3 or 4 people in there to try it. It went well. She suggested that I just need to work on my voice (talking louder) and cueing…but fortunately, they have microphone available for me to use ..so that's cool. Anyhoo..she mentioned that she hadn't done the schedule for next month….so I'm believing that soon I'll have my own regularly scheduled class…you never know?? Maybe the regular teacher wants to cut down on her classes??? Annnndddd… I'll be teaching at East Shore Athletic Club in Mt. Pleasant on Monday nights, starting in September!!! God is really cool! Also…we have a meeting with a church here in the area about starting classes there too…. So can you imagine how overwhelming all this is!!!!

I just have to be careful..when I was sitting and thinking about it..I'm really not trying to be gone from home EVERY night. But the Pivotal thing right now isn't a regular class (cause remember, I'm just a sub, for now)…but we'll see.

So as you can imagine, I am ridiculously excited and can't wait to go on my Zumba Profile to add my classes… Oh and something else exciting happened..but I'm tired of typing and I don't know what the fruits of that offer is going to be yet..so I'll holla back (there's that thug in my trying to get out…..LOL)

as Awesome as I think

Ok...so God is being extra awesome to me right now. I know its been a couple of days since I've written, but I've had sooooooo much going on!!! I got an oppurtunity to teach in front of a class for the first time and that was amazing! It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be..but that could be b/c I was co-teaching with someone. But nonetheless, I thought I'd be a little nervous, but suprisingly when it comes to Zumba, I'm not!

I have 2 offers to teach at 2 different gyms and I'm scheduled to talk to someone next week about offering classes at their church! OMG!!!! I can hardly believe it...work is coming from everywhere!!!!!

So tomorrow, I have a little audition. The lady that I'm meeting with wants to see how I would teach a class, so she's going to have me lead a mini class tomorrow. I'm really not that nervous about it. (I can hardly believe that me, of all people, are not nervous) Usually I can't stand to talk in front of people, it like terrifies me...but with Zumba, its totally different. It's not about trying to impress people, it's all about getting up there and just having fun! and helping others to have fun too! As soon as I got off the phone last night, I went to practicing my songs...and got up this morning and went over them. The best part is that I'm the one who knows what the routine is supposed to look like..so whatever I do (as long as it doesn't look crazy)...will look right to them. Not to sound to conceited or anything..but i just hope she agrees that i'm as awesome as i think i am (just kidding....kinda)...but really...I feel so extra confident when I'm doing Zumba and I have such a love for it...I just want her to be able to feel it too!

Ok..so ill definitely write you all after my wonderful experience tomorrow!!!!

waiting

I heard from the lady about possibly teaching at her gym…I'm extra excited. Unfortunately they needed someone for Wednesday nights. At first I was all for it and just figured I'd be a little late for church, buuuutttt… My husband pointed some things out to me that I hadn't considered. So after getting my mind right and calming down some so that I could hear from the Lord…I agreed that it wasn't a good idea for me to take a class on a church night. Boy, was that a struggle!!!! At first I was like…"Whatever I can get, I'm gonna take!!!" But I have to make sure I keep my priorities straight. I have to keep God first. So I came to the realization that God has to honor my putting him first. So because I choose to honor him but making church my priority, then I know he's gonna honor me. Sooo, it worked out that the lady was very understanding and wanted to know what other nights I am available to teach. So she's gonna try to work with me. She also said that she would send my information to managers at other locations! And I just know she's gonna keep her word b/c I have the favor of God on my life!!! So that's that..I'm waiting.

In the meantime, me and Imani had our first rehearsal together and it went pretty well. Still have lots more work to do though. I was so confident when I was practicing by myself. I just knew that I knew all those routines with no problem! But I did stumble a bit. That's ok though, just requires more practice. Also, we've posted our party info on facebook!! Yippee!!!!

Oh and I'm sleepy.. ..but that'll all change tonight. I'm going to visit a new Zumba Class tonight and to meet another instructor in the area. I think its so cool how Zumba Instructors don't try to compete with each other, but instead do everything they can to help each other be successful….tear…

Where are my pants?

Not too much to talk about today except for the fact that I updated my Zumba Profile on the Zumba website. Oh and my friend told me about a gym that is possibly looking for a Zumba instructor, soooooo let's all pray together that I'll get a response from her. I sent her an email. Oh and one more thing....i did run through some of the routines this am…(not all of them though)…annnnddd…I have this one song stuck in my head that I don't know the name of, gotta get it so I can get it out of my head….Still excited though!!

So…here's a little challenge that I am having….finding some pants that fit me good! Any suggestions??? I found some that are really thin and sit low on my waist which is cool cause it hides my little "I had twins and a c-section and I absolutely refuse to go away pooch". Buuuttt..they are a little snug…so I'm either going to buy them and just bring them home so my hubby can give me his opinion about them..or I'll just hold off and keep looking in some more places. I hear good things about tjmaxx…?? We'll see. I'll make sure to keep you updated with constant updates on this breaking story!

Working on it…

Well since the last time I wrote, I've been pretty good at keeping my word. I practiced Monday night after church but not last night. But I got up bright (well it was still dark) and early to run through my songs this am.. So far, I have:

1. Posted an add on Craigslist to let people know that I'm available to teach.
   
2. Emailed my friend about contact information for their Health & Wellness people (they have a workout facility and they offer fitness classes to their employees).
   
3. As soon as I get some time to myself, I'm going to call these 2 churches
   
4. I have modified our playlist and I'm now ready to put all the songs we need on a cd.. just have to confirm the order..
   

I did get a little discouraged today when I found out about some other little nit picky stuff that we have to in order to teach..but it's all good now…

Finally

So, I am finally a CERTIFIED ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!!!!! Yippeee!!! I'm so excited about it! Our day was awesome. It was a little tiring, but it was great to be around so many Zumba Lovers & the energy was incredible!!!!
So now, I have my certificate and my dvd's and cd's and of course I just can't seem to stop watching them.
Imani and I have solidified the date for our Zumba "coming out" party..for Saturday Sept. 26th, (so mark your calendars)! I'm excited about it, but a little nervous at the same time. You know, nervous about whether or not I'll get the moves right or be as fun and energetic as my favorite instructors. But I keep hearing a lot of people say that as long as you have passion for what you're doing, then that will come out and show to everyone in your class. And Lord knows I'm passionate about some Zumba!

After discussing it with my husband and my Zumba friends, I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and start looking for places to teach. (Why not, right?) My first step was to post an ad on craigslist..which i did (that was fun) and next, I gotta think of date and come up with some places that I want to visit or call and see what happens... oh and i heard recently that I need to get INSURANCE! who woulda thunk it?! (good thing my husband provides that..maybe he'll give me a discount ;-)

I'm making it my goal to visit and/ or make a phone call to at least 2 places by Friday.

Now, as far as these practices go. My Lord! Its quite the challenge to make time for them.. I've made a committment to myself though, that I will run through all of the songs to the routine we're doing, EVERY DAY either early in the am or late at night, but I have to do it!!! It'll be worth it...

Well I'll talk to you all later...and let you know what happens with craigslist and the other 2 places...!!

Bouncing off the walls

Ok, so I am tooootally excited about tomorrow!!! My certification date!!!! I am all packed an ready to go… I printed out my email from the Zumba people (soo cool) and made myself a little checklist…I am so ready! Is it 5:00 yet!?? Oh my goodness…prayerfully this day will go by fast….and I hope it won't be too crowded.. From what I hear, there'll be a lot of people from Charleston there, from our current Zumba class, getting certified..so I hope there's not going to be a lot of comparing and judging amongst us "trainees". At first I was a little concerned about that…but that's ok, I'm over it now. I cannot worry about other people and try to compare myself to them. I have to be confident in who God made me to be and what he's called me to do…..so..that's it…NO COMPARING!!! Why do we women do that? Where does it come from? Where ever it comes from, it need to go back..cause it's not cool!!! So, I'm gonna go now pray this day to go by ridiculously fast. K Bye…..talk at you later!!!

A few more days..

    Sooo, I know its been a couple of days since I've written…please forgive me.. I know you've been on the edge of your seats, anxious with anticipation for my next entry!!...so here it is..

Well today is Monday July 27 and I am only four days away from getting my Zumba Certification and I just don't know if I can be anymore excited. I got a little taste of what the certification date is going to be like this past Saturday when I attended a Zumba Party at the Y. We did Zumba for 3 hours!!! We took like a 15 min break after about 1.5 hours. It was soo much fun!!! I have to admit, I was a little worried first as to whether or not I would last..but I did! And I must admit..I'm quite proud of myself. (and by the way..if you ever put a rinse in your hair and decide to do zumba…please remember…that when you sweat..the color of your rinse will drip off of your hair and drop on to your clothes) anyway… the room wasn't very crowded so it was pretty cool…..so this week Maria's back in town and I do really want to go to class.. however, I have to make a choice b/t spending some quality time with my family or going to zumba tomorrow night…I really have to pray about this one!!! (aagghh)….although..if I don't go tomorrow night..i can still go on Thursday...ok..i'm leaving now..it's almost time for lunch yippee!!!!

Soo cool!

    Did u know that you can blog from Microsoft word? How wonderful! So I'm just checking to see if this works…    

so i was thinking to myself...."Self...maybe you should tell people what Zumba is...or at least give them your description of it..." So, here it is..this is like the technical definition of Zumba:

Latin inspired dance fitness that incorporates international music and dance moves. Dance and have fun to salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, samba, flamenco, bellydance, and more! Great way to burn calories, feel good, and have fun! Ditch the routine, join the party!

My definition:
A fun dance party where you sweat, have fun, let go and get a great workout...... it's never boring and there's always something new and different to try. Its so much fun that you wish it was longer than just 45 or 60 min....

.....just in case you didnt know......

My Zumba Journey

ok..so here i am again..in the middle my day...(on a wednesday. ..5:30pm is the middle of my day b/c we have service tonight)...

So..back to my Zumba journey. I created this blog to chronicle my journey with Zumba and all the other areas of my life. As I said in my "description", I am the mother of 4. I have 5 yr old twins, (a boy and a girl), 8 & 10yr old girls. I found Zumba during my kids spring break from school. I was looking for something free and fun to do with them during the break and decided to look up activites at the Y and low and behold..there was a Zumba class offered.. I had heard of Zumba before and am always looking for a great workout..so I decided to take it. Within the first couple of minutes, I was absolutely in LOVE with it..I knew right away that I wanted to teach this FOREVER! .... I have always "LLLOOOOVVVEEDDD" to dance and always secretly wanted to be a dancer (i know..surprise...yeah..right!) After that first class I immediately went to work looking for another place to go and Zumba. I saw that they offered a Zumba Gold class the following day and I was like "oh, this must be the advanced! i'm there!!" ..but when i got there, it was actually a modified Zumba Class for senior citizens or for people who are new to exercising.. it was taught by this really adorable older lady...very very toned down..but fun to do nonetheless...

So, I went on my mission to find another Zumba class that would be better for my schedule and told EVERYONE i saw about what an awesome time I had. Most people thought i was just exaggerating (MJ!)..but I convinced them to come with me and they adored it to.

Over the next month I visited a couple of different gyms and found an awesome Zumba teacher, Maria. (check her website out at http://www.zumbaincharleston.com) Me and my friend fell in love with her class and proceeded to follow her to every gym (except 1 ) that she taught at in order to take her class.

My friend, Imani and I decided that we definitely wanted to get certified..so we have registered for the Zumba Teacher Certification Training...and we only have 8 MORE DAYS to go before we are certified Zumba Instructors!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really cant recall being this excited about something, except for my wedding...oh...and maybe the birth of my kids??

I love Zumba b/c
1. its a great stress reliever
2. i'm good at it...
3. it's my opportunity to dance till i can't dance no more!
4. it helps me feel confident about myself
5. anyone can do it

It's really unlike any other workout I 've done before (and i've done plenty)... Just try it and you won't want to do anything else!!!!

Soo...I look forward to sharing the rest of my journey with you!

Zumba Blog

This is my first blog entry about my journey with Zumba! It's been awesome so far! I'll write more later.