Weekend Wonders

Our days just keep clipping along! This past weekend the kids had a karate tournament ... it's a "just for practice" tournament, so they only compete against others in the same school. That makes for small competition groups, but quick rounds on the mat :) In addition to this, the instructors have more time to help the students work on specifics in their weapons routine, their black belt form (a series of movements done exactly the same every time), and their sparring.

It turns out, all of our kids excel in sparring :) Three first place finishes and a second where sisters had to go for gold and silver in the same ring. We also had high marks in the other categories. However, I think just as much fun as competing for the kids, is helping run the other rings--time-keeper, score-keeper, score-flipper, etc. they just really enjoy being part of the action!

After things wrapped up at the tournament, we went off to celebrate their hard work and their dad's annual bonus :) We ate at The Olive Garden and it's the best we've had there in YEARS. And now that the kids aren't eating off the children's menu, it's a good thing dad got a bonus, lol!

With the excitement of the new cage and the Pippen mouse escape (Graysen caught him again), the kids have been looking into a bigger furry friend that will stay in the new digs.

Well, meet "Gimli the Czar"-- he's a Russian Dwarf Hamster, fat and furry, cute as a button! He gets to live in the classroom, as yet another classroom pet. BTW, the toad has now been named "Bombur" and our dog has a new, additional middle name "Beorn," so that all our pets have a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit inspired moniker :) Carrying on the tradition, since Buck and I named our first puppy "Frodo."

Another BTW . . . the kids think the little critter in its clear exercise ball is hilarious!! The dog is still skeptical, and the critter is very brave :)

Blue tape is "just in case" until we're a little more used to handling Gimli . . . who likes to *nibble* the boys' fingers during the learning process :) The boys maybe don't like this so much, ha!