good day sunshine?

Why are kids so scary?

I think our trainer put it correctly when she said they are ten times more perceptive than adults.

I had Kids Training on Wednesday and…well…I guess I’m now qualified to teach kids?
Training was ok but I found it to be quite rushed, my head was spinning for the rest of the evening. We were taught to teach three different levels Kinder 3 – 6, Junior 6 – 9 and Senior 9 – 12 years old. We got to sing such classics as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes. I have a fascinating bit of information for you, did you know that the Head and Shoulders song varies with each country? Apparently the North American version is a song taken from My Fair Lady. I think we’re the only ones who ripped off an original tune. Every other country made up their own. I’m not sure who’s version we’re singing here, I think it might be the Australian one.

The ABC song also created a bit of conflict with the zed and zee situation. Which one’s right and which one’s wrong? We can’t very well end the song with zed because it doesn’t rhyme with vee. Oh the dilemma!

So there were some moments where we struggled a bit and tried to meet eye to eye but in the end there were no tears or bloody noses. In my case there were just a few aching muscles. I guess we just go with whatever feels right. So, never fear, I’m going to sing the letter zed with my fist planted close to my heart while the kinders will be climbing things, the juniors will be fighting over what colour crayon they want and the seniors will be…I dunno, I have yet to teach some.

The following day I was faced with my biggest fear…the little people. My heart was beating out of my chest, what if they know I’m nervous? Will they start crying uncontrollably? Will I be charged for traumatizing an innocent child with my Canadian English? Will parents grab their children and run in fear from a 5 11” female instructor who can’t teach their 3 year old how to hop slowly? I’m sure I was quite the vision in my first class. Imagine me in a suit, on my knees (no comments from the boys or Jenny please) trying to get one 5 year old to get off the table and trying to get a 3 year old to clap fast, hop slowly, jump slowly and run slowly. It was a no win situation, I gave up about half way through and just started running after them and tickling them…my roommate said this is pretty much her answer to everything. I think the worse part was the parents watching. I have to keep reminding myself that they’re not watching the 5 11” Canadian girl jump slowly, they’re simply there to see if their kids are behaving…right?

My second lesson that day was a “Man to Man”. Yuuki is a very sweet little junior who likes to kick the ball around. I was trying to teach her the four seasons and the appropriate clothing for each but she just couldn’t keep her eye off the ball. We started kicking it around and things got a little fun. We shared a lovely moment Yuuki and I. At one point I looked outside and saw a glowing orange sun on the horizon, I lifted her up to the window so she could see. She smiled and I asked her what it was, she responded by singing “Don’t let the sun go down on me”

I was absolutely floored! I didn’t know this little 7 year old was such an Elton John fan! Suddenly I was having a Bjork moment from Dancer in the Dark. All of the adult students in the other room started singing along, raising their hands towards the sky and shaping them like a sun “Don’t let the sun go down on me”, making goggles out of their hands and placing them over their eyes for “Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see”, miming a piece of something out of their hand and letting it fly away for “I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free” and raising their hands towards the sky again making a circle like the sun “Cause losing everything is like the sun going down on me”.

OK, I’m kidding about the whole Elton John thing, she didn’t even know what the word sun meant but do look forward to kicking her butt at soccer in the very near future.

I now need to get some shut eye after yet another day of training and a couple few beers.

I miss you all

Good night

Delphine