Wesley is speech-delayed, of course, but he does make a lot of noise. Sometimes the sounds he makes even resemble words. Like “at” for “cat,” “at” for “light, “at” for pretty much anything, really.

Just today we’re noticing his first sound resembling a word that actually has a consonant sound at the beginning:

“NO!”

It’s progress, so we’ll take it.

I helped organize a Zumba Halloween party that raised money for the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation. The party was on October 29th. The first hour was all Zumba (in 20-minute segments taught by three different instructors), then we broke for a dance performance by P.A.L.S. (a dance troupe of young adults with Down syndrome). Following that, I taught my 20-minute segment, we drew some names for prizes, and then we did 20 minutes all-request Zumba.

Around 75-100 people came, many in costume. In spite of the heater not working and it being about 40 degrees outside, the event was a success. For a first-time effort at organizing a fundraiser, it turned out well. And I learned a lot. One thing I’ll do differently next time is not agree to teach three back-to-back Zumba classes the same day as the event, because by the time it was my turn to teach my body was like, “Three hours of exercise is enough. I quit.” It was fun anyway, but I was tired.

I just got back pictures from the event taken by our talented photographer, Tabitha Davidson (check out her photography Web site).

Observe:

We held it at The Apollo in American Fork. The lighting was cool.

Desree taught the first segment, and we had a surprise visit from Michael Jackson!

Then Jessica taught.

And Laura. I didn’t even recognize her when I arrived. Nice wig, Laura!

(By the way, these three ladies are GREAT Zumba instructors.)

I was supposed to be a schoolgirl.

The last song I taught was a booty battle. My classes love booty battles. We divide the room in half and face off. One side does a move, then the other side does the same move, trying to best them. There is much booty shaking and smack talking.

Wes was Superman.

GOOD NEWS

I got a new job teaching aerobics at BYU starting winter semester. I’ve been subbing there for a year, but now I’ll be teaching four classes a week. Aerobics at BYU is open to anyone in the community (not just students) and it’s the cheapest deal around: $44 for a whole semester (3 1/2 months) and you can go to any of the cardio classes. Here’s what I’ll be teaching:

M/W 6 a.m. (step aerobics)
T/Th 5:30 p.m. (Zumba)

Other cardio classes you can attend:

M/W 5:30 p.m.
T/Th 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 a.m.

So if you’ve been looking for a new workout class, especially once the new year hits, come check it out.

AND NOW THE BAD NEWS

Sort of bad news. I guess it depends on how you look at it. I’ve had four miscarriages this year. Four miscarriages is not usual, especially not four in a row. But hurrah for insurance, which will cover 100% of the recommended tests. Without insurance each test would be $250-$570, and there are eight of them. If any of you have had recurrent miscarriages and actually found out what the problem was let me know.

On the bright side, I like not being pregnant because I can enjoy teaching aerobics and Zumba without the inconvenience of morning sickness, varicose veins, or a big belly.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Speaking of which, I’ll be teaching a new Zumba class in Springville at the Academy of Ballet (200 South Main) tomorrow (Thursday Nov. 12) at 8 p.m. Cost is $3.50.

I’ll also be teaching another 8-week Zumba session starting in January 20th on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. My current session just ended last night. I gave my class a survey at the end to see how to make it better next time. They were a subdued class, so it was hard to tell how into Zumba they were. Turns out they loved it and only wished they could make the class longer than eight weeks.

AND ONE MORE THING

I’ve lost weight since I started teaching Zumba/aerobics last year. I’ve gone down about a size in both pants and shirts. So I have all these old t-shirts and tank tops that I used to workout in that I never wear anymore because they’re baggy.

This week I pulled out one of my old tank tops and took a scissors to it. First I cut off the straps in the back and tied the straps together behind the neck (halter top fit). Then I cut straight down the back and took out a few inches of material to make the shirt less baggy. I saved the material to use for ties. I punched holes down the back side and used the extra material to tie the shirt back together.

It was a good practice attempt. I’m going to try it again on another shirt I actually like. If it turns out well I’ll post pictures. Have any of you done this before?

We’ve been busy, running around everywhere. Or at least Wes has:

He learned this game from nursery at church. At the end of class when they’re waiting for parents to come they line the kids up against a wall and have them run back and forth. I remember when Wes started nursery at 18 months old. He had only been walking for a month or two then, and he was small and still didn’t have any teeth, so the teachers would hold him while the other kids ran. It’s been eight months since he started nursery, and now he knows how the game works and can run as good (but maybe not as fast) as the rest of the kids.

Sometimes I look at him and still see a baby. And then other times, increasingly often, I look at him see an ACTIVE two-year-old! He loves to run and climb everything he can. Lately we’ve seen him stepping on the handles of the drawers in the kitchen to hull himself up so he can peek over the top of the counter.

He’s got four molars and four front teeth (the two on top and two on bottom). He’s starting to get the teeth that go in between the front teeth and molars. Basically he’s been teething since last April. He won’t chew on anything except his hands, so his fingers are fat with calluses. I’m super happy he has molars: Now I can give him the ENTIRE piece of toast (crust and all) because he can chew it.

He’s a picky eater, though. There are a few never-fail foods: instant oatmeal (maple and brown sugar ONLY), pretzel sticks, and milk. Yeah, that’s the whole list. Other foods he’ll eat sometimes, when he feels like it: buttered toast, apple sauce, pureed fruits and vegetables (nothing with chunks or he’ll spit it out), ice cream, yogurt, M&Ms, fudge-striped shortbread cookies. I think that’s it. My mom says I was a picky eater, but I’m pretty sure I ate more than oatmeal, pretzel sticks, and milk on a regular basis.