Cheaper by the Dozen

Ladies and Gents...
A dozen what? Eggs? (not for me!) Donuts? (ok, sometimes) Kids? Well sort of...
In an effort to not get too mushy on Open House day, I wanted to shout out to our FAB instructors (including K and me there are a dozen of us...get it??!!)

Liz-She is a dynamo. Period. She has a zest for life that I only hope to have, along with being fashionable and fabulous. Over the years, Liz has been an immeasurable help to us-from when we got our start to today. And we will never forget that.

Tammy-Giggles. That is what I understand her family calls her (half of whom attend classes here-thanks Tammy!) She is fun and funny with a strong foundation underneath. She's taken on classes that were rough and tough and put her positive foot forward every time. So, get yourselves out of bed early and check her out! Tammy has kept us out of a few 'pickles' over the years and, here again, we won't forget!

Kristen-Poised and professional, she brings education and knowledge together with her signature Country tunes! (with a side of NKOTB, right Kristen??) I remember watching her dance (over by the locker area) one day while I was sitting at the desk and thought...HMMM, she'd made a great instructor. I was right! She's always there to help, even after having taught (all day) to a lovely bunch of 4th graders at school! She's a gem!

Patty-Thoughtful and wise. She might have started teaching a bit (ahem) later in life, but she has taken to it like a duck to water. She has a razor sharp sense of humor and brings that, and much more, to every class! She's allowed us to have someone to rely upon to build our morning classes while K gets to do some valuable Mom stuff! We love her!

Lyn-Sweet. That really tells you all about Lynnie. She loves Buble and the old time tunes and mixes those with all the techno stuff. She is kind and generous and, right now, we're missing her. She's helped us out of afternoon jams with her smile! She'll be back soon and we can't wait!

Jill-2 long years. That's how long it took to convince this child she could teach. Lord. (teasing...) Was it worth the wait? Oh yeah. She's a financial whiz kid at work but she brings her terrific sense of humor (and stories of her life) to her classes. Friday nights will never be the same with Jill here. She's given so much to us already, we can't imagine the staff without her! Don't miss out on Friday nights with Jill!

Maripat-It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for! She's a quiet force to be reckoned with teaching our Friday early AM classes. She really bailed us out and between her family, teaching in Pepp and here-she's super busy but never is frazzled! Here again, show up EARLY and see just how Maripat rounds out our week!

Jessica-Wise beyond her years is how I'd describe Jess. She's cool, calm and collected and even though she started as a 'not so committed' (she's in class, she's out of class...right, Jess?) college student, she came back with a vengeance and only needed a bit of prodding to start teaching. All I can say is WHOA! She's powerful, fun and brings her youthful exuberance to every class. Soon to be married, we can't wait to see our beautiful bride! She's helped us keep up the pace of 30 classes a week and we are thrilled!

Kara-Special. Well, they're all special but Kara is a special Ed teacher in a HS all the while teaching here! That takes a really special person! I watched Kara in class for a few years, we saw her get married and settle in to married life and then...we pounced! She is fun and open and brings that special-ness to every class. She came at exactly the right time, allowing us to keep things going with our Lyn out for a bit!

Tina-Our 'baby'. She's our newest and has already been a HUGE help. K now has another person to help her so she can step back a bit and do all those Mommy things (and her own things) she wants/needs to do in the AM's. While I've always had tons of options to cover classes, Tina finally brings this to our AM's between Liz, Patty and Tina, K has her pick! Finally! Tina is strong and, while still learning, she certainly is doing a bang up job!

And finally...but in no way least:
K-What can I say about K? For such a long time I thought I was the one, standing in the background (you know, like that movie Beaches? One friend is 'out front' and the other one is more 'in the background'), but I was wrong. I used to watch her teach and hope I could do 'that'. The one in the background is the strong one, the one that holds things together, quietly (well, in this case not so quietly...). The one that always makes you feel like you have a 'safety net', someone to count on when the going gets really rough. While she certainly doesn't mind the spotlight (and I kind of do mind it), I get 'shoved' there a bit more often than she. I do all the PR stuff, get up and warmup the big crowds at charity events and get on local TV. Most of the time, I'm not sure why but I do know 1 thing FOR SURE-if it weren't for K, none of it would be possible.
To get really mushy for 1 second-she definitely is the 'wind' beneath the wings of this operation.
So while I will take the 'credit' for dreaming and driving forward to our Center location-everyone needs to know that K is the one who truly keeps me grounded and on the right track. And is usually right and cuter and younger. (And that will be the last time I admit all that! HAHA) (And she might add smarter to that list!)
The real point is-we do it together. We always have. Before we had all these fabulous women (more to come, by the way...) we did it as a duo. Now we are blessed to be able to leave our Center in the more than capable hands (and feet!) of the women listed here. That is a feeling hard to describe when I can be home, with my family, knowing that each of you is getting an awesome class-safe and sound with one of our wonderful Associates.
So girls, thanks. Presents for you (instructors) on Open House day. A small token of appreciation for not only teaching all those classes, but giving K and me peace of mind. And what's better than that?
Nothing!