Tag: karate

children, humor, kids, marriage, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Black Belt Mommy

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Here’s a few things you should know about Mad Dog.  He’s handsome, incredibly smart, generous and he works a lot of hours.  For him long work days are like that he has brown eyes.  They are simply a part of who he is. 

As I mentioned earlier, he is also an incredibly smart man.  He knows that raising two boys, especially the two that I have, is quite a challenge.  Since he isn’t available to help out more, he has always encouraged me to enlist the help of babysitters.

I hit the jackpot last year when my hair stylist offered up to help me with the boys on her free days.  I was surprised because I had shared honestly about my boys and she volunteered to help me anyway.  She finds their extreme energy and strong personalities adorable.  She joined in the routine quickly and has been a tremendous help with the boys and especially  karate.  If you’ve noticed, there have been much less posts about traumatic incidents at karate since she’s joined the ranks about a year ago.

Quite frankly, I owe it all to this sitter.  She is a lifesaver.

Now, her lifesaving efforts will soon be over.  She starts a new job, will have less free days and won’t be able to lend a hand during the week. 

Unless they award black belts to stressed out Moms for their wine consumption, I don’t see how this will end anything but badly…!

Fortunately, with boys as awesome as mine, I can get through anything stone cold sober and with great aplomb. Well, maybe not entirely. Does aplomb have a sarcastic variety?
children, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

Black Belt Anxiety

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This afternoon Full Speed will test for his black belt.  He had the option to break boards (which a majority of graduates choose) or do a solo weapons demonstration.  He chose the latter therefore I’m choosing to freak out.  I feel as nervous for him as if I had to do the demo myself (granted my flying high kick is superb but no one needs to see that).  As for him?  He is as cool as can be.  I think I have more to learn from this kid than I will ever be able to teach him.  He is fearless, he lives in the moment and when he wants something he fights for it.

Good luck, Full Speed!

Full Speed breaking a board for a graduation long ago at the age of 3.
bad day, children, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, Taekwondo

Grace is a Name I Call Myself

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I took both boys to taekwondo.  It was rainy and the sky was clouded in a way that made me feel kind of doomy.  For some reason, I did not have a proper attitude.  My attitude could have stemmed from the twisted knee I sustained during last Friday’s Zumba class (yes, I clearly am highly coordinated) and it twinged with regret every time I took a step.  Or, I am starting to really, truly be over the YEAR ROUND taekwondo situation (Mad Dog, please take note).  Yes, with most activities there is a distinctive start point and end point.  Taekwondo is infinite.  Apparently, my boys can become 128th degree black belts and me?  I would like to start earning my black belt in lounging or slacking off in general.  But, alas, this will never happen.  Even if for some reason we suspend all kung-fu type activity in our home, there will be another activity or goal to replace it. 

My goal?  To try to remain gracious even when I feel completely the opposite.

How am I doing Mad Dog? 

On second thought, better not answer that.  You know with me trying to be more gracious and all.

children, gratitude, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, self-discovery, Taekwondo

The Sparring Truth

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Now that T.Puzzle is a camoflauge belt, he technically is allowed to spar.  This means I am technically allowed to be completely neurotic about it.

the good ol' days when T.Puzzle was still a non-sparring yellow belt.

Oh, my denial runs deep.  I keep wishing and hoping that his sparring days are far, far in the future.

In class as I grabbed a seat another Mom asked me, “Has T.Puzzle sparred, yet?”

I went into this long explanation about how he has not, how I’m not ready for it, he’s too young, too timid and maybe Mad Dog can take him to a sparring class because I don’t want to see it.

I think a simple ‘no, he has not’ would have sufficed.

Needless to say, as soon as I’m done with my crazy little speech, the instructor approaches me and asks if  T.Puzzle has his sparring gear.

Today is the day.

Yikes!!

The more I thought about it the more I realized my concerns about T.Puzzle sparring had nothing to do with him.

I am associating this with him being grown-up.

Newsflash— he is growing up.

Sometimes knowledge like this is worse than a flying high kick to the head.

After it was over, it was all relatively harmless, and T.Puzzle shouted, ‘that was the most awesomest!’, I paused and tried to be grateful for how well he handled it. 

Me? 

I still have a ways to go yet.

children, gratitude, happiness, kids, life in pictures, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting, Taekwondo

Board Break

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Time flies when you’re having fun or when you are simply living your life as quietly as possible hoping for the best.

Another Tiny Tiger’s graduation was upon us.

T.Puzzle has struggled to break the necessary board to advance his belt.  Full Speed asked permission from the instructor to help hold the board for T.Puzzle. 

That was the highlight for me; watching Full Speed want to be the ‘big brother’ for T.Puzzle.

After what seemed like 87 million attempts (all of them failed), T.Puzzle could not break the board.

The instructor asked Full Speed to step in and break the board on T.Puzzle’s behalf.

And break he did.

Eventually, T.Puzzle was allotted some more attempts as graduation was winding down.  He kind of sort of broke it on his own accord.

He earned his new belt and the pride spread across his face from ear to ear.

It’s great to earn a new belt, but even better to have a brother who’s got your back.