Karate

Karate is a source of strife in our family. We enrolled the boys because it's supposed to give them self esteem, self control, DISCIPLINE, all that good stuff that T. & I have failed miserably at instilling in our offspring. Two years later and they have somehow learned to dread Tuesdays & Thursdays because of karate. In fact, I think karate helped them learn the days of the week: "Mom, is today Tuesday?" "Yep, why?" "Ahhhhh darn-it-sauce! [seriously. they learned that from Spongebob, the expletive is "tartar sauce!" but they have never had nor heard of tartar sauce so they adapted, I guess.] we have karate today..." Most people dread Mondays.

Anyway, I want to let them quit and T. says they have to stay. I've seriously never looked forward to this stage, where our kids are becoming their own little individuals and us parents are trying to determine if we force them to do what they'll later appreciate or if we allow them to decide on their own how diligent they will be with the things in life that they don't like but nevertheless need to be done. Not that karate has to be done, unless you're kid-T. and your friends tell you, "what? you don't know karate? but you're japanese!" You know what I mean: if they drop out of karate, will they someday drop out of school? or church? Seriously though, I have dreaded this moment from long before I had kids. So I'm postponing it and letting T. force them into it and being the biggest loser wife (HA! I did just drop 50 pounds) and instead of supporting Dad 100%, I tell the kids that I can't do anything about karate, they'll have to talk to their dad if they want to quit. I'm such a wimp.

So this last belt promotion was actually good for them. For two years they've been junior white belts. Each promotion they get a new white belt with a colored stripe in the middle. We enrolled them in the next level up (away from the three year olds and joined with their peers. finally.) and they actually skipped the last three levels of their white belt and went straight to a solid yellow belt. They were thrilled. This rejuvinated their tolerance for karate for a whole week! Lucky us. Someday when they're reluctant black belts, I will not be able to say, "see! i told you so!" T. will have that honor then since he's the meanie now.

(the blur right in the middle is Jojo)