Hapkido

For the last month, Mikey and Roger have been taking Karate...actually their particular class is called Hapkido, but it's all karate to me.

They take it at the local Rec center twice a week. My only complaint is the time the class is at. It starts at 5:30 and goes for an hour. I wish that it was either an hour earlier or an hour later because it's right when dinner should be. It's also a difficult time because Todd is rarely ever home in time to take them, so I have to get 4 boys shoe-ed and in the car, then I have to take them from the car into the rec center in the freezing cold.

They have enjoyed it....well, Mikey tolerates it while Roger LOVES it. I hadn't gotten them a karate uniform because I wasn't sure if they would like it or keep taking it. A week ago I asked the boys if they were serious about taking karate because I didn't want to pay for uniforms if they weren't going to do it. Roger gave a very enthusiastic "Yes!" whereas Mikey said that he didn't want to keep taking classes....too bad kiddo, if Roger is going to be taking it, you're taking it as well.

Roger has been asking when they would get Karate suites. I guess it is pretty difficult when they are the only kids in the class not wearing one. We got their uniforms and they wore them for the first time Monday. They were pretty excited and they did look pretty good. I think the uniforms helped Mikey feel like he fit in more. The only problem is that I am not able to sit in the Karate class room because of the 2 other noisy children with me, so I usually will glance in, now that they match everyone else and don't stick out like sore thumbs, it takes me an extra minute to locate them - and even then I'm not 100% sure that I'm looking at the right kids. Another downside to their new uniforms is that when they had street clothes, the instructors knew by experience to not let them stand next to eachother (what can I say, they are best friends), with the uniforms they stood by eachother undetected.

Monday they had their first "Tip Test", so I came in at the end to watch them. They lined up with all their fellow classmates. To my horror, it seemed as if Mikey and Roger were the only ones not standing still. They were twisting and turning, constantly fidgeting.

I asked my friend's husband Jim, who is usually in there watching, if my boys were always moving around this much. He replied, "Oh, no, their actually being better right now. Usually they spin all the way around."

Though he claimed to be joking, I don't think he actually was.

But I guess I can't say I really minded that much, for Roger was very focused on turning to me and smiling, winking, and blowing me kisses....he is my boyfriend.