Zoo Keeping: Week 5

We had quite the week in our abode academy. The range of emotions this month has been a gauntlet - April showers of joy, frustration, and confusion. The one constant - prioritizing physical activity. Keeping the kids and us parents moving has been critical to maintaining sanity. Also, it ensures that I won't have to go out and buy new shorts for the summer. Alas, with an emphasis on physical education, here is the week that was:

We leaped into the school week with Frog Monday. First off, the amount of frog material I had at my disposal was ludicrous - lily pads worth of amphibian resources. The only resource I needed for the frog race was the neighbor's hillside - thank you neighbor. My daughters and I hopped down the hill with no true finish line. My 3-year-old morphed from frog to woman and finished the activity on two feet. My 5-year-old did some sort of froggy Army crawl. Be all that you can be, frog.

Rhino Tuesday was a super charged event because it coupled with a Zoom ice cream party. Let me rewrite that sentence - Rhino Tuesday was a super charged event because it coupled with a Zoom ice cream party. Bonkers.

Do you know what else is bonkers? There is a white rhino and a black rhino and they are both gray. Thanks, scientists. I'm not certified in teaching or science, but who named these monstrous creatures? The biggest difference between a white and black rhino is the shape of their heads and what they eat. They are both herbivores yet they dine on different vegetation. Neither eats ice cream.

In order to earn our mint chocolate chip and moose tracks, I led "Rhino Yoga". We used our prayer hands to stretch out and eventually established our horns. Then, we did something you don't often see at a yoga class...we ran into each other. There is nothing quite like rolling out your mat and then pretending you are a rhinoceros in a violent power struggle.

I had a bowl of both mint chocolate chip and moose tracks.

My 5-year-old got to celebrate life with her exceptional Geneva Preschool teachers and her classmates. Her excitement leading up to the ice cream party and her focus during the event was truly powerful. Technology continues to give us opportunities to connect. Ice cream continues to bring joy and is scientifically proven to enhance education.

Flamingo Wednesday was a debacle. Our pupils were quarreling as if they were still rhinos. I, the professor, also was not in the state of mind to teach. The show must go on. We did Calypso the Flamingo yoga on Youtube courtesy of Cosmic Yoga. It absolutely helped ease the tension in the classroom. Lesson learned - exercise can help you get out of your rhino mood. Half the battle is simply making it to the mat.

Our final school day of the week was Turtle Thursday. We used exercise playing cards to get out of our shells. "Turtle Taps" was a lesson on how tapping different parts of the body is a way to calm our minds and reduce stress. Tapping, a technique used in acupuncture, creates a sensation that soothes. I thought about doing actual acupuncture but my wife decided that I should stick to what I know.

The other exercise was a yoga shape called "Turtle". The card read, "quiet, safe, inside". My 5-year-old did a terrific turtle. My Dad turtle card would have read, "loud, unsafe, inside". I imagined ending up at the hospital and having the following exchange:

Doctor: "What happened sir?"

Me: "I was doing a turtle yoga pose."

Doctor: "Are you the same guy who did rhino yoga on Tuesday?"

Johnstown, stay active. Leap like a frog. Power up like a rhino. Even on dark days, shine bright like a flamingo. And, when the stress is mounting, do some turtle taps.

And if you have not laughed yet in this blog, here is how a 3-year-old starts off a game of Guess Who?

Mom: "Ask your first question."

3-year-old: "Are you wearing pants?"

Namaste.