Karate Kid

Our latest adventure started one evening awhile back when Nicholas was practicing kung fu moves on Mommy and Daddy's bed.  It looked a little something like this:

Afterwards, it dawned on me that karate lessons might be just the thing for him to try.  I've been thinking the last few months that it might be time to get him involved in an organized sport or activity, so this idea came at the perfect moment.  I did a little research and now, a few weeks later, we just finished with his first lesson.  I am absolutely confident that we picked the right thing for him to do.  He was so proud and excited to be on the mat with the other kids, practicing kicks, hits, and of course his "HIYAH!"  But being the mom, I'm more excited about the imporant values he's learning - how to behave in a group, how to listen to adults, how to show respect by always looking people in the eye and answering "yes ma'am/yes sir", how to follow instructions....wow, the list just goes on and on. I really admire the disciplinary aspect of Karate and what kids learn while still having fun.  It's like vegetables - we don't have to tell them that it's actually good for them.  And, Nicholas wasn't the only one who got to have some fun.  I thoroughly enjoyed every second of sitting on the bleachers and watching him do his thing.  He wasn't the least bit hesitant about getting involved, although you could tell he was carefully watching the other kids trying to learn just what he was supposed to be doing.  Neither of us can wait for next week when we get to do it all again!!  You should have seen his sad face when he walked off the mat after it was over.  He didn't understand why it had to end and asked at least 100 times if we would be coming back soon.  I assured him that we most definitely would!

Modeling his new uniform.  It's not the traditional type but he's in love with it anyway.

  No belt yet.  That will come after he finishes his 3rd lesson.  

 Making new friends...

 Working his way through the obstacles. 

Nail biting concentration...

My ♥ Belongs to You

Yesterday was a terrific Valentine's Day spent at home relaxing with my boys. I fixed spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and we exchanged cards and little gifts afterwards. Nicholas has been begging his Daddy for a Happy Napper for ages so he was very excited to see that he finally got one. We always try to keep it simple by doing just the right amount of sweet and thoughtful for Valentine's Day without going overboard.  Shoot, I'm the happiest girl in the world every single day I get to spend with my wonderful husband and son, so Valentine's Day is just the great big cherry on top.  Happy V-Day to all of you!!

Showing off his half eaten, green heart ring pop.

My beautiful Calla Lilies.

And I haven't included any Instagram collages in awhile so here's a great big one!

Happy Birthday, Jilly Bean!

Whew, we did it!  We just finished our last of the three-in-a-row-out-of-town-birthdays with Jillian's celebration in Dallas.  Cindy threw together an adorable strawberry themed bash which included her traditional hand decorated cake that was not only beautiful but delicious as well.  It was a wonderful party and all the kids had an amazing time, especially when they got to decorate their very own sugar cookies.  Some were conservative, others were quite decadent.  No matter the preference, they all loved getting to pick just what their cookie needed to make it yummy and I loved the idea!  Unfortunately, Jillian wasn't feeling so good after her party but she kept her game face on and rallied through to the end.  I cannot believe both she and Nicholas are 3 now and growing quicker than a bolt of lightning.  By the look of things, tomorrow will be their high school graduations.  Nicholas is already asking me questions about when his birthday is and what we're doing for his party and all I can say is "SLOW DOWN!" I'm just not okay with this.

Look at that little baby.  Where did she go?

Happy Birthday, Bro!

Well, we did our best to surprise my brother, Jeff, for his 40th birthday but we should have known better.  There's no pulling anything over on this guy!  But, the party was awesome even without the shock and awe we were hoping for.  April had reserved a party room at a Branson hotel that had an indoor pool and hot tub for all of us to enjoy.  It's been such a long time since Nicholas had gotten to do any swimming and he was definitely ready to get back in the water.....even if it was brutally cold.  Indoor pool - you'd think warm and comfortable - yeah, not so much.  After about 30 minutes of swimming, Nicholas had purple lips and his teeth were chattering non-stop.  It's crazy what kids will subject themselves to all in the name of fun.  But it was nothing that a little time in a "hot bath" (hot tub) couldn't fix.  On Saturday, Jake, Alli, and Kami all had basketball games so the whole family went out to watch and cheer them on.  I can still hear Nicholas chanting "GO ALLI!  GO ALLI!" and "DEFENSE" from the sidelines.  All that Thunder practice sure paid off.   Each of them won their games and I was so proud to watch them show off their skills on the court.  It was a great Hawkins weekend!

 Feigning surprise for our benefit:

 Gaming on Kami's pink Nintendo DS. 

 In the words of Lady Gaga, "Put your paws up, baby."