Karate Testing

It just so happened that karate testing fell on the final day we'd paid for the month. As per our usual, we are pausing our karate training to give the kids (and the finances) a break at this very busy time of year. 

To complete testing, the Crew had two weapons forms/skills and sparring. Testing went surprisingly quickly . . . you know, the second time we went. Yes, I somehow managed to read Rec. as "received" instead of "recommended"--therefore, we arrived three hours early with the first degrees . . . and then left. Buck was out mailing a Christmas box and grabbing lunch (he craves fast food when I'm making him meals, so he takes advantage of every excuse he can while he's out and about--in the last week he's gone to Raising Canes, Smashburger, Subway, McDonald's, and talked me into buying KFC after testing). As sparring is Caelan's favorite karate activity (she'll keep working during our break), I saw this t-shirt online and laughed at how perfect it is for her. You'd never know how much this sweet young lady likes to kick people in the head :)








And here's Brennen making deer jerky from the deer he harvested . . . I'm not sure why I put it with the karate testing post, but at this point, catching up is becoming a within reach goal and I'm not going to argue with myself, whatever the logic might have been! Kind of like going to testing three hours early :) BUT that early testing snafu gave me time to come home and finish readjusting the chore charts, which desperately needed adjusting after many of the animal duties have been sent to other homes. 



I also had a massive stack of grading and paper filing, which I may have already mentioned on the blog, but like I said . . . goal within my sites (sights?) . . . there's no turning back now! I believe it was the same day that I watched It's a Wonderful Life (my gift-wrapping tradition, when I can see through the inevitable tears), so I accomplished several major multi-hour projects in the past week--and this is one more! Gabby said she just emailed me her choir performance guest blog, so I see the finish line . . . there it is! Quick before more interesting things happen (right, all of this has been SUPER interesting to you?! :) Ha! I'm getting goofy--and perhaps a smidge random--in my goal-completion nearness!