The Body Project: Thunder Thighs

I'm trying not to focus too much on the size of my clothing, but since getting to goal weight, I've stayed pretty much within two clothing sizes for most things, depending on brand, cut, etc. In pants, I wear either a 4 or 6, and I'm happy with that.

In the winter, I tend to wear pants to work a lot, so I'm always buying more, trying to keep up with the wear and tear in my wardrobe...and pants are just one of those items of clothing you have to try on before buying. If there's anything I've noticed, it's that if a pair of pants are not going to fit, it will be because of either my hip/booty combo...or my thighs.

I don't have a thigh gap. These babies rub. There's a little bit of cellulite on the back, and when I sit, my thighs spread out across the seat. I can wear those tiny running shorts for shorter runs, but anything over 3 miles and Baby Got Chafing.

My favorite pair of "winter white" pants fit perfectly around my waist, hips, and bottom. They flare gently around my calves. But at my thighs, they hug, and they hug tight.

I have thunder thighs.

And that's okay.

My thunder thighs are mostly made up of muscle. Muscle that works hard. This morning, I ran ten miles, marveling at how, even though I'm tired and my calves are sore, my thunder thighs don't complain. They keep pushing, up the hills, down the hills. Sometimes, I briefly put my hands down, and lay them flat on my thunder thighs, just to feel the muscles bunch and release as I walk. There's some fat, too, because most women have a bit of extra fat on their thighs.

I call them my thunder thighs because thunder is powerful. Thunder makes your house shake. Thunder is nature's way of yelling. It's always followed by electricity. If I'm going to be gifted with thunder thighs, then may I use them well.

Yup.

Who wears short-shorts? 

Go, Thighs, Go!!

My Week in Instagram (Week #90)

Words like "busy" and "tired" don't really do this week justice. But it was a good week. While I shall now be running around like a hyperactive puppy for the next few months, I kinda enjoy it.

Sunday:

Mom. <3 td="">

Dad took one of me, so I took one of him.

I had a birthday cheeseburger.
And it was good.

The Super Moon

Monday:

Aww, thank you, Big Bank that helped tank the economy!

First Day of School selfie.

I wore my green Chucks, of course.

The staff did a gender-bending dance to "Grease" at the rally.

A Grizzly head.

Tuesday:

The morning sky on my birthday. 

My new pink skirt had the most satisfying "swish" to it. I
am convinced it gives me super powers.

The Student Government kids are GOOD.

Lindsay sent me flowers at work!

Birthday cake. 

Birthday cuddles and purrs.

Wednesday:

The mid-week state of my desk. So horrid.

Wednesday night Indian food with Sarah.

Thursday:

Bloodshot eyes. TIRED. 

Friday:

Friday Face

I stayed after school for two hours and got my desk back
in order. 

Organized Teacher is organized. 

Saturday:

Spent several hours today reading Outlander on my Kindle.

With a brief pause for cuddles. 

Very appropriate card from Maayan. 

This coming week promises to be just as insane. Bring it on. ; )

Whirlwind

Well, there's Week 1 in the books. I'd say I'm off to a good start.

I certainly didn't finish most of what I thought I should this week, but then, who could? The first week of school is always brutal, and, as I told my new boss, Mrs. Principal, today, I'm very, very hard on myself. "So am I," she replied.

That's good and bad. On the one hand, it's not cool to be so hard on oneself. On the other, it does rather raise the bar towards excellence. At least I have weekends for balance.

It was a good week. I like my kids. They're a young group, leaning mostly towards the younger half of high school. I'm okay with this, because, if I can engage them and excite them about choir, they will stay. They're friends who are currently still in junior high will want to join them. The program will grow. It just takes time, and remembering to water the roots.

My piano class is fun--I have too many kids and not enough pianos, but we're working on it. Today, a few kids left early for activities, so I sat at a vacated piano. "Are you going to play for us?!" one kid said excitedly. This prompted most of the class to take their headphones off and look at me. I smiled. "Nope! I'm going to play for me." To a chorus of "Awwwwws," I put my headphones on and started playing Fur Elise. Several bars in, I realized the room was very quiet. I paused and looked up. Across from me, T., a mischievous freshman, was grinning and holding the jack to my  headphones.

"Oh, good grief, you all could hear that?!"

My class started clapping and woohooing. An advanced student said, "That sounded great, Ms. Cooper!!" I laughed and looked at T., with an evil grin. "I'm so going to do that to YOU during your first play test." He just laughed. It's only day 5 and they already know I won't do that.

I have absolutely passed out every night this week, even though I'm reading a book that's hard to put down. My body simply decides it's time to sleep, and the Kindle eventually shuts itself off. A little while later, I start awake, turn off the lights, and properly go to sleep.

My To Do List is only going to get longer, but I feel up to the task...especially once I get this weekend in. I have nothing scheduled, except a long run (I'm up to ten miles!) on Sunday. I plan to do laundry and clean the bathroom tomorrow, but not much else. I'll do a bit of planning for the week ahead, but I also just want to relax as much as possible. Sit and chat with my parents, read, maybe watch my DVD of "To Have and Have Not" (rest in peace, Ms. Bacall).

On Monday, I'll hit the ground running again, refreshed. Bring on Week 2!

A Very Merry Birthday

My 36th birthday celebrations started early, with Mom's cat Bella serenading me at 1:00. I believe this morning's wee-hours rehearsal involved Wagner's Ring Cycle. I know for certain it involved me getting out of bed, peering grumpily at the kitchen clock, and half-yelling, "Bella! KNOCKITOFF!" into the living room before harrumphing back into bed and passing out again.

I appreciate her efforts, though.

Things got a little more manageable later in the day. I went for a walk as the sun was starting to rise up over our neighborhood, and it put on a hell of a show for me.

Keane was playing on my iPhone and the sun was doing this--I stopped in my tracks and just enjoyed the moment. Sometimes, pure joy just takes over.

After years of never being at school on my birthday to carry balloons around, these days, I work on my birthday. Last year, it was the first day at my new job. This year, it was the second day of school and less of a deal. Still, the student government kids put a sign up by my classroom door, and my choir sang to me. One sprinted into my office to grab the inflatable tiara we use for birthdays, and I gamely wore it for a few minutes.

Otherwise, things were quiet. At lunch, I bustled through the office on the way from my choir room to the piano lab, and saw a man waiting in line at the front counter with a flower delivery. I thought vaguely that someone else must have a birthday or something today, as I sailed out, my arms full of papers, my planner, and the massive stack of catalogs I'd found in my mailbox...and my brain full of everything I needed to get done during the piano lab class today.

During 4th period, I had a text from my duck lady, Lindsay, in Michigan, asking if a surprise had arrived. In a rare free moment, I responded that I hadn't been home since early this morning, to which she responded, "No, at school!!" After school, I headed back to my office off the choir room, to find an email from the front desk ladies informing me I had a delivery.

Sure enough, those flowers had been for me. : )

(She even had "Go Grizzlies!" put on the card!)

I didn't stay long after school. I originally meant to, or to go to the gym, but home was calling me. Home meant a nice chat with Mom and Dad, and chocolate cake, because of course there's cake on my birthday.

I'm just relaxing tonight. There's tons to do, and I'll be up early tomorrow to do it, but for now, I figure I am allowed an evening of relaxing and reading. And digesting chocolate cake.

It's been a lovely birthday.

36

Thirty-six is an even number, divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 36. It is the square of 6, and the number of degrees in the five inner angles of a pentagon. There are 36 inches in one yard.

It is the atomic number of krypton (a noble gas), a perfect score on the ACT test, and the standard number of gallons in a beer barrel in the United Kingdom.

Otherwise, it's not the most exciting number, but that's okay. It's my age today, and I suppose I'm officially starting to "push 40" or something. I'll just happily be 36 for now, munching on a cupcake and maybe having a celebratory margarita later.

Happy Birthday to me!

Cleared For Take-Off

I have a couple of unfinished blog posts that never got to publication state over the last week. I've simply been so busy! But the good news is, I'm ready to get going tomorrow, as my kids come back. I have 18 kids in choir this semester, which is a little smaller than I'd like, but apparently, I have 33 next semester. Woohoo!

I have a lot of freshmen coming in, which hopefully means I'm doing something right in my recruiting efforts.

The course handbooks (for choir and piano) are finished, my rooms are ready, and all I need is a great night of sleep (please Universe, none of this too-excited-to-sleep stuff tonight, I'm bloody tired!) and a good workout in the morning. I ran 10 miles this morning, so I'm certainly tired enough physically to sleep well tonight.

The next seven weeks are going to be absolute madness, leading up to what can only be a great show. I want Come Fly With Me to knock socks off, and I hope I can get a great audience. Having only 18 singers, that's a little scary, but I am creative!!

Before we know it, I'll be watching my kids soar up on stage, then taking the girls on a field trip the next day (my local chapter of CMEA does a Real Men Sing event in September and  Women's Choral Festival in October), resting on the Saturday, and running a half marathon on Sunday. Bring it on.

And that's that. I'm cleared for take-off and ready to make this semester, and the school year as a whole, amazing.

Fasten your seat belts and turn off our electronic devices. This is going to be a hell of a ride. ; )

My Week in Instagram (Week #89)A Foun

This was the week I really went back to school, even though kids don't start 'til tomorrow. And yet I still managed to get a lot of Instagram pics.

Saturday Evening:

I bought myself some LEGOs and built a plane.

LEGOs are seriously awesome.

Sunday:

Nine miles, feelin' strong.

Sunday with Bella.

And JUNIOR WINS!!!!!!

I love this--his crew chief ran out to congratulate him.

Stunning sunset.

Monday:

I got my new posters up, and reveled in how awesome they
look. P.S. Even with a tall ladder, getting Frank up there
was terrifying. 

Note values

On the left, there will be pics of my choir kids.

Tuesday:

Rain!!!! 

Good morning, Drum Line. 

Great pic but...um, what's with the extra M?

Birthday board.

Wednesday:

My last poster had arrived, so Wednesday, I put it up.
"You buy 'em, we fly 'em!"

I seriously can't stop being all giddy about this stuff.

Ahh, that's better. 

Student government puts these up to help students find
their classes. Notice I have TWO classes this semester!

Two girls came in to help me out, and one wrote this on
the board. I love their excitement. I have terrific kids.

The other girl did this. Very cute. 

Almost ready!! 

Thursday:

Thursday was a district-wide inservice. I took copious notes.

No one told me there'd be a test!! I went to a pull-out
session on making grading more meaningful, and part of
it required taking a mock test (it all made sense, trust).

Kap is back!! First pre-season game for the Niners.

Friday:

Every year, the student government kids give us breakfast
on our first day back at the site. And they cheer us as we
come into the cafeteria. So awesome.

School-wide theme for the year.

A gift from student government--it's a pen. 

We were split into groups based on bears. There was a
Teddy Bear group. :) 

I spent some time working on Friday afternoon, getting
chairs set up. Ready!

Found two little tiny kites at Walgreen's on clearance. Win!

Posing with my handiwork. 

Saturday:

Seen at Papyrus in the mall. 

Fake ducks!

I met my friend Meghan and her daughter The Roz for
lunch and some back-to-school shopping yesterday. Saw
this at Hot Topic.

Star Wars Vans. So awesome.

My Little Pony shoes. 

This week is going to be full of nuttiness. First week of school, my birthday, etc. etc. etc. Good stuff.