Recommended Black Belts!

This round of promotion/graduation/testing worked differently than those in the past. Usually, they get a week ahead of time to get and improve their scores on their form; then at graduation, they just have to spar and do their weapons form. Well, this time because they are black belts (that's what their instructor said, even though their belts are transitional red/black), they had to do everything at testing--one chance--board breaks too! Yowza! 

The kids did exactly what they were supposed to do . . . they had a lot of fun! They accomplished their goal, and they are ready to complete their first degree black belt training over the next eight weeks--then . . . we celebrate!

Here are a few pictures from today's events:

B makes sure the other fellow keeps his distance.

Gab does the same . . .

And C does the splits!

This weapons form is all kinds of tricky--with a jump, spin kick and a yell . . . whew! (The kid at the front of the pyramid isn't ours, just happened to be in my frame ;)

You must be polite and ask the head judge if you may have permission to break a board.

I guess she said yes! They all broke their boards (hand and foot techniques) on the first try! Yay!

Getting his new belt

B's turn

And then Miss G

Finally Miss C!

Acting silly to celebrate . . .

Really silly :)

Aww, that's more like it!

Graysen wanted his picture with our Senior Master (teacher)

I guess he wanted to be silly too! Lol! Such fun instructors!

New Specs and Family Funnies

New glasses! Her others were super broken. She's been acing her new contact lens wearing for one week,and passed her re-exam/check-up with flying colors!

SUPER cute frames :)

And I have to share a funny story . . . okay, maybe two, but this one applies to today :) We went to karate early, because we knew the eye appointments would go over regular class time. After we got home, the girls were both still wearing their bright purple, theme-of-the-month *Discipline* t-shirts. 

As we were finishing up school and getting ready to get ready to go, I looked at them and said, "Are you going to the eye doctor as twinsies?" BOTH instantly said, "No, I am wearing this shirt; she can change." They debated who had more short-sleeved shirts (they share everything, so I find this hilarious :) and ultimately, who was going to get to ride in the front seat (because we had Buck's car, while he took the van in to get the tires rotated because his eye dr appointment was before ours and before he started work--got all that? :)

Finally C says, "She can wear the shirt or sit in the front seat, but she's not getting both." G seemed happy with this arrangement.

Fast forward an hour . . . we're waiting in the tiny, super busy eye doctor's office, and I notice NEITHER of them is wearing the bright purple karate shirt!! 

"So you both changed?!" I asked in wonder.

Caelan helplessly pointed to the other side of the glass sliding door where her brothers were watching Finding Nemo on the tv displays. Wouldn't you know it? . . . Graysen was wearing HIS bright purple karate *Discipline* t-shirt!!

"He said it matched his hat," added Gabby.

I started laughing so hard! The girls didn't want to dress like each other, but their little brother had no such qualms . . . he was the tie-breaker, and he didn't even care, lol!

So the other story is from yesterday. I started putting all the karate and swim gear in the van, then left the house/garage door and my van door open to bring out my purse, etc. while the kids settled in the back. Well, as I was taking care of things the kids missed in the house, they started a clapping/whistling game in the van. 

The dog is always waiting for a ride-along invitation--he took this to be his cue! Imagine his surprise when only the driver door was left open . . . I can almost hear his dog brain churning, "Whoo-hoo! A promotion! I used to have to ride in the back, but now they're going to let me drive!"

And then when all the kids started yelling, "No! Get out! Oh no!" you could almost hear the dog thinking, "Oh crap! I'm in trouble! Misread the cue, misread the cue!"

But the funniest thing was, he didn't jump into the seat . . . he jumped under the dashboard by the pedals. And he got stuck. :) A 100 lb. dog in that little space trying (in a panic) to turn around and escape was almost too much :) Oh my goodness! We were all laughing so  hard. Poor critter :)

Skillz

Using two computers to program his very own Pong game . . . just like Uncle C, right? :)

All four kids are working on this baby blanket. Grandma J started it long ago when I somehow talked her into a new hobby ;) She decided to let the grands take a run at it, and they're hoping to get it done in time for a little baby girl we know to arrive in a couple of months :)

It's a Circus around here! No wait, it's a Zoo!

Furbaby got a Valentine from coastal grandma

I can almost guarantee that it was the youngest who decided that the pup needed new decor in his relocated bed space :) I took down (and I'll admit, tossed) the variety of notes and pictures that have been hanging half curled, half faded over his bed for nearly 3 years. How cute that his Valentine from grandma can now make him feel special, just as those that hang on the doors to the kids' rooms make the kids feel special :) 

Greatest babysitting job ever!

We took this little fellow and his family to the circus as a birthday treat! He has dreamed of riding camels (but with something to hold on to) ever since a camel showed up at his daddy's work a few months ago :) His mama is expecting a baby and could not ride with him, so she asked C if she would do the job. Of course she was happy to accept and Gab graciously said she should (Gab was to ride with the younger, who decided he wasn't feeling the whole camel thing this round :)

Seems like adding captions is the only way to center these gems :)

Super fun to see the polar bear up and moving on a beautiful, not-quite-spring day!

This is the coolest zoo ever! We were happy to spend an extra warm February day wandering through the changes and improvements.

Be Mine, Valentine!

Happy me, happy me, happy, happy meeee! I've been wanting a treadmill since we lived on the farm in Mt. Union . . . okay, well, then I guess we had one, but since we haven't since, that's how long! I was thinking about the places I've jogged--I won't even try to compare with sister-running-pants, but here's my little list of regulars:

Barefoot on the dirt roads beside our rental farm
Past the palm trees in the retirement villages of Grandparents T in Arizona
Through the twists of campus town in college
In the misty rains of Ireland
Along the tracks and to the ocean beaches in CA
Up the road and around and around the wooded city park in our last town

And then. Nothing. For three years. There are so many big hills here and no sidewalks (and no time!) I had a whole big case built up to justify the cost and Buck was like, "Yeah, you've been talking about that for as long as I've known you. Get one."

I didn't even get to present my case, so I asked if I could anyway, and he politely agreed ;) A few weeks later and my valentine has arrived and, though I only had 30 minutes with all of today's craziness, I walked my first mile. Wooohoo!!

Bonus Mini-vacation Pics

Just for you . . . more trip pics! Well, I guess for my sister, this is all the pics you get ;) We spent a few action-packed days in the Kansas City area (where Buck was in work meetings for a day). I still cannot believe how many interesting, educational adventures we were able to enjoy!

This is inside the big tower, awaiting the metal cage elevator.

We had an amazing time at the World War I Museum and Memorial!

Our little works of art at the Atkins Nelson Art Museum--we're not too into contemporary, but this was neat!

Your next president?

Or perhaps one who "no's" a lot of history? :)

Hello from the (amazing!) Harry Truman Presidential Library

Look Aunt J! We found a little bitty bison in our room ;)

Buck is always up for a challenge!

Little Buddy hanging out with Mr. Truman

Little Buddy made several interesting friends on t his trip. Ouch, Maxine! Hallmark Visitor Center antics :)

Yes, this WAS in our hotel! Coolest hotel ever!

Sweet chair, right? It's a throne for my sweetheart :)

"Hey Mom, let's do a selfie!" I guess he was inspired by alligator appetizers to share a crocodile smile ;)

Civil, Revolutionary War?

I really do enjoy their costume creativity! And I love when they apply what they're learning in school to their play. It helps lock in the lessons--we may have to discuss the leggings though ;)

We are the Champions . . .

Or at least the team that we root for are the champions . . . dah dah dah dahhh :) 

It was a much anticipated day of fun. A non-fan co-worker was willing to switch shifts, so Buck headed into work all kinds of early and was able to leave around 4, which got him to the party before kickoff! He was so nervous, he couldn't eat, but the rest of us dug into the chili made by my friend S (and me, if you count chopping a million bell peppers ;) and cornbread (made by Caelan) and monster bars (made by B). 

Silly kids! They were able to play ping pong and pogo stick jump during game breaks.

We did go to church earlier in the day, btw, yay us! Afterwards we came home to do our baking and some schoolwork (I required one homework item completed before going to the Superbowl festivities, talk about motivation ;)

B saw their t.v. and said, "Well, that's a cute little television!" Lol!

Our friends had a fun game that let the kids win a prize based on football points at each quarter's end. B got 3 of the 4 wins and Gab got the other! B was nice though, and gave one to his friend (who's parents provided the gift cards in the first place :) There were also cute cups and plates and napkins, even a cookie cake with blue and orange. Our kids brought extra Broncos gear to share, because everyone needed proper attire for this event!

Our four and their five, great friends!

Buck was so excited when the Broncos won! He still couldn't eat, but when we got home he had some cereal in celebration. 

Getting home was another heart-pounding experience--whoa! The sky decided to spit snow in the form of dippin' dots, completely unbeknownst to us. It was like driving home on a slip-n-slide. I had zero traction in the van every time I stopped at a light or stop sign; getting going again was a fishtailing failure most attempts! I won't even describe what I probably did to the transmission trying to get up our two steep neighborhood hills--let's just say, there was a cloud of blue smoke and more than a few moments of panic when we were stuck on the hill unable to move forward an inch. Finally, Buck was able to get his car parked and come back on foot to rescue us. We slid on into the driveway, and now I know why I do not drive our van in winter weather at all in and out of this neighborhood!

Anyway, yay Broncos!!

The Warm Glow of Love

Yes . . . that mysterious blue, glowing object you're admiring is, in fact, our toilet . . . :) For Christmas, I received a heated toilet seat with nightlight. I've become a bit spoiled as a result; when our electricity went out during this week's blizzard, so did the electricity on my toasty buns toilet seat. That is an unwelcome shock in the middle of the night! Expecting to sit on a pleasant ring of warmth and instead--ice cold porcelain! Ain't nobody got time for that ;) I've been wishing for something of this sort for years, and Buck discovered they are a reality when he visited his step-brother in Colorado. Whoohoo! It's the little things . . . :)

The Mysteries of Our Van

That's a much more promising title than this post will be interesting, lol! I feel like if I take a pic of something, I should share the pic and that usually leads to me needed to also share the reason why I took the pic in the first place ;)

Look! Our van can count by two's!

This is Maggie. Maggie has been missing since we visited Colorado last fall. We searched the van--each of us, searched the van--we removed rugs, we vacuumed, we dug through compartments, glove boxes, no Maggie! We were about to give up on ever seeing Maggie again, when I realized we had a trip coming up and I needed to navigate it with just the kids. Hmmm . . . I needed Maggie!

So I grabbed G$'s head lamp, pushed the front driver and passenger seats as back as far as they could go, and . . . viola! There was Maggie! Oddly enough, where all of us should have easily found her . . . directly beneath the passenger seat, sticking out from the base, not even under a carpet or anything. I'm a little worried about the explorations Maggie might be doing on her own. Well, anyway, I'm glad she's back to navigate us to our destinations once more :)

Mini Make Over

After pulling the gnarly glass shower door from our friends home in November, Buck started hinting again at his desire to remove the one from our master bath. Yes, it is ugly, I agreed. Yes, it is gross, I agreed. Yes, it is inconvenient, I agreed. So why did we keep it so long? I guess because there would be no place to hang shampoo bottles and I wasn't sure if we could keep the water in because the lip at the bottom is so low. It's a pretty tiny shower :) But when he told me he thought there was mold building up in the metal strips . . . okay, you got me!

Here's the before and after . . .

We're hoping that adding gray accents to the mint and purple will distract from the fact that our bedroom is mint and purple ;) I think it looks cute! I have done next to no rearranging or redecorating because I thought we were moving soon. Buck has decided that's at least a year or more away now, so we're fiddling with some things. The kids were thrilled to help me rearrange the basement, so we'll see what gets the fix up next!