Kids 'N Things

Over the summer I watched the first Karate Kid movie with the kids. After that E couldn't stop talking about karate so I took him to a trial karate lesson at the community center in our neighborhood. He loved it so we signed him up. I was also thinking that a) it might be a good way for him to expend some energy in a controlled way and b) that the discipline of it would do him good. He's been to two lessons and he comes out of the room beaming each time. The lessons are twice a week for an hour. I sat in on the first lesson and was VERY impressed with the teacher. VERY.

There was another little boy there with his friend and at one point the friend had to leave the room to pee and the little boy started crying because his friend left for a minute. The teacher told the boy to come kneel by him at the front of the class. He put his arm around the boy's shoulders and told him to close his eyes. Then in the calmest, quietest voice he told the boy, "OK. I want you to take as much time as you need to find the quiet, still place inside you that will allow you to be brave and not cry even though your friend isn't here right now. When you find that place inside you, tell me that you found it." The teacher carried on instructing the class and after about a minute, the little boy who was still kneeling beside the teacher with his eyes closed said, "I found it!" And he had stopped crying. It was very impressive and the teacher handled it so well.

Y also went to a trial karate lesson and was considering it but then also went to a trial zumba lesson and like it better so I'm going to sign her up for that tonight. That is once a week for an hour. In addition, she is continuing this year to take private English lessons which she loves.

E has been having a fairly hard time going to gan in the mornings without being clingy or crying. I'm not sure why although I have my suspicions. Yesterday I made a weekly chore chart of sorts for both his morning routine and his evening routine. The morning routine includes: getting out of bed, getting dressed, putting on his shoes, eating breakfast and going to gan with a smile. I used clip art images to illustrate each thing. The evening routine includes: brushing teeth, pajamas, reading a story with me, getting in bed and going to sleep with a smile. I showed him these charts last night and he got really excited about them and it worked wonders last night and this morning. He loves doing each thing and then running to the fridge where the charts are hung to tick off each thing he accomplishes. Maybe at the end of the week if he keeps it up I will buy him a small treat/present but I haven't mentioned it to him.

The mornings and evenings are getting colder and it's getting dark earlier and earlier although THANK THE LORD the government made the decision to leave daylight savings in effect for a month longer than usual! Why they don't just leave us on daylight savings time year round beats me. I have never understood who the switch benefits. With the darker, colder nights I feel myself slipping into hibernation mode which is my least productive mode. Oh dear.

See you in the spring!