Summer Karate

A friend of mine from my old ward is quite the community coordinator person. She decided there weren't enough things for the children in her neighborhood to do to keep them from getting into trouble, so she arranged with a local Tae Quan Do school for five weeks of free lessons, twice per week. Wow! We do not live in the neighborhood, but because we know her and are in a neighboring neighborhood, we were invited to partake. Danielle and Spencer are in one class, Camie in another with some of her friends, so she is absolutely in heaven, and Taneal is in another class. My kids LOVE it. You can see just how much Spencer loves it in the pictures, he has the biggest grin through the whole class. Danielle thinks it is great, also. Camie loves being with her two church friends. And Taneal takes the karate very seriously. She claims she has the highest kick in her class and that to graduate at the end of the five weeks she has to break a wood board. I really have a hard time because I have to sit at the studio for 2 hours with Nathan. We have to sit still, he cannot leave my side, and we can't make any noise. It is worse then sitting through Sacrament Meeting! I usually leave frazzled and reminding myself that this is a once in a while opportunity and my kids love it. If I had to pay for it, it would be somewhere around $600/month for 4 children. I really need to be seizing the opportunity, so I can endure the silent, no movement torture of my 23 month old for three more weeks, right? If only he liked watching movies. But he isn't quite 2 and I guess it is a good thing that he would rather move and play then sit like a vegetable. And we can't go outside because of the heat and humidity combined with a very pregnant momma wearing compression hose. But lets end on a positive note. The kids are having a blast this summer. They love the karate lessons which also require homework of cleaning their room, doing whatever I ask them the first time, and using good manners including ma'am and sir. It is fun seeing Spencer struggle, not wanting to do what I have asked him but knowing he has to for his class. They are learning good skills and I am loving their excitement.