My kids are treasure hunters. Not that their treasures are worth much in terms of money. My boys' treasures can be found wherever we go. Most of the time they're on the ground, hidden under clothes rounders, in those dark and dusty places we'd just as soon not think about let alone come in contact with.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
one person's trash
Posted by janelle at 9:24 PM 0 comments
raindrops on roses
Posted by janelle at 9:22 PM 1 comments
thank you, sir
which is what you must say after your karate teacher (called Shihan, for his rank) orders you to do 20 pushups. The idea being that the pushups make you stronger, and you're grateful for the opportunity. The pushups are the first activity in the ceremony to advance in rank. The higher the rank, the more rigorous the physical requirement at the advancement ceremony -- on the day a person gets their black belt they run 5 miles and then do 100 pushups and 100 situps at the beginning of the ceremony. Wimps not invited.
We found the greatest karate school! After a few years of being asked if they could take karate, the boys saw their cousin Gabe do some of his karate moves and that was it. That was the final straw. There was no more asking. It had to happen.
Does anyone know how much money it costs to have one kid do karate, let alone 3? It's mind boggling. I started searching because I was finally convinced that the boys REALLY wanted this. But I wanted a good studio and good instruction. We have found the perfect place. Matt and I call it the Mr. Miagi studio. It's not flashy and doesn't hand out advancements in rank according to a schedule or even very frequently, for that matter. The students really earn them. They are taught by instructors who love what they're doing, are experts at it many times over, and worked really hard themselves to get to where they are.
I love it because this school doesn't just tow the karate line that the kids have to keep up their good behavior outside of school, they actually check to make sure it's happening. When a student is ready to advance, the school schedules a meeting with the parents where the parent has the opportunity to rat their kid out. Whoa! I see opportunities with this.
I am so happy to see how happy the boys are. Each one loves it and they're good at it. Really, they've been halfway trained in karate their whole lives with natural boy wrestling and the lightsaber fighting they were raised on from infancy.
This week Zach, Spence, and Jake each got their first advancement. Gold belt is next and weapons training. I can't help it, I get excited for them!
(I can't load the pictures! Ugh, I'm working on it.)
Posted by janelle at 9:20 PM 0 comments
Monday, October 03, 2011
fudge
I love fall. I love fall. I love fall.
Posted by janelle at 11:09 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
it's june and they're all growing up
Posted by janelle at 4:33 PM 1 comments
Monday, March 21, 2011
a rose by any other name
one of a class of cute little roses in the grand production of Romeo and Juliet....
Posted by janelle at 8:34 PM 2 comments
Sunday, March 20, 2011
rolie polies move on one more generation
Posted by janelle at 5:01 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
halloween happiness
Posted by janelle at 10:15 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
party like you're not the old lady at the concert
What I really mean is that at the Maroon 5 concert in Seattle last week my friend Melissa and I were the same age as the old people were at concerts when we were in high school. Actually, we fit in pretty well with all the other old people at this concert--there were many. I don't think kids go to concerts anymore. I'm not sure what they do. But I think it's sad if it's true. As soon as I got home I did a search to see if there was a concert in Utah I could take my kids to. They need to experience it.
Posted by janelle at 8:47 PM 1 comments