Pittsburg Karate Tournament Day 1

Okay, I'm finally updating this blog!! Are you proud of me?? It's only been 3 months. And as you can see, we've been busy with a lot of stuff happening. This past weekend, we took Jacob to his karate tournament in Pittsburg, KS. He did amazing out there. Didn't get the trophies like he wanted, but he had fun!! We were there for 3 days, and each day had different activities. Day 1 was the first day of seminars. Jacob got to go to the Pittsburg dojo and work on some karate skills with the other students. He got his belt signed with his name in Kanji by Shihan Fumio Demura. Jacob thought that was pretty cool. He also hung from a bar at ceiling level and moved across it BY HIMSELF!! He has gained a lot of strength and confidence.

Here is Jacob's kata video...

And his kumite video...

Pittsburg Karate Tournament Day 2

Jacob wearing his yellow belt one stripe (he just earned this the week before)!!
Jacob getting ready to do his kata.

Jacob sparring!

I had to add this picture in. I think all the kids that came from Belton brought their Nintendo DS. This is a picture of Jacob and one of his friends in the hotel before the banquet. Before I took this picture, there was 4 kids laying next to each other like they are, and one more laying across their laps - all playing the DS! It was pretty cute and neat to see the friendships building!

Jacob and the other kids from Belton posing with Shihan Fumio Demura!

Day 2 of our trip was the actual tournament. Jacob did very well considering his age. He competed in team kata, individual kata, and kumite (sparring). He met his team for the first time Friday night, so they didn't have too much time to practice. It was all for fun and learning. His team did pretty good for being a new team. Jacob did not place for individual kata, however he got a participation medal. He knows his kata very well, but he tends to get in a hurry and speeds through it and sometimes gets a little sloppy. He was a little disappointed for not "winning" a trophy, but it was a very good learning experience for him. I think he understood that he needs to practice even more and to concentrate on his moves. For kumite, he placed 4th. This was probably out of 8-10 kids. I feel he did very well in this event. Most of the kids he competed with are a year or so older then he is. I think kumite is one of his favorite events. I'll be uploading a couple videos showing his events. I'm very proud of Jacob for trying hard. It was a long weekend, and he really kept up with everything.

After the tournament, that evening, there was a banquet for the students and families. It was nice seeing everyone dressed up a little and all together. Jacob had fun sitting with the other students from Belton, and they all got a picture together and one with Shihan Fumio Demura (he was the stunt double for Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid). It was a nice evening!

Pittsburg Karate Tournament Day 3

Jacob with his Bo (and karate headband)!!
Jacob with his buddy from the older kid karate class.

Jacob getting some help from a higher belt student during his weapons kata seminar.

Practicing some more with another helpful student!!

Working with his partner in the kata seminar.

Day 3 of the tournament was 2 more seminars for Jacob to participate in. The first one was his favorite...weapons kata!! We bought him a Bo on Saturday so he can have his own to practice with. He picked up on it really well - for being the youngest one (and littlest one) there. He is a hardworking and dedicated karate student!! Jacob got a lot of compliments from others (instructors, parents and students) about how great he was with his determination and skills. It made him and me feel good!! One thing that really touched my heart on this day was the other students. They all were so very helpful to him. They really wanted to help him learn. And since he was about 5 years younger than a lot of them, it took a little more time to show him how to do things. There were a couple other kids that took it upon themselves to work with him one on one. Even in between the seminars, they were out on the mats with him practicing. This karate program really stresses respect for yourself and others and patience. We plan on sticking with this for a long time. Jacob is already talking about getting his red belt ("junior black belt") - maybe that will be his 5 year goal!!

Zoo & Work! (April 23rd, 2009)

On April 23rd, Ashlyn got to go to the zoo with Mommy, and Jacob got to go to work with Daddy. It was a fun day for both of them. Jacob kinda thought Daddy's work was boring. He took his Nintendo DS into the staff meeting and kept turning the volume up. Then 15 minutes into the hour long meeting, Jacob tells his Daddy that the meeting is boring and wanted to know when it was going to be over. I'm sure the others in there were thinking the same thing!! They decided that work was not fun and left early to see a movie.

Ashlyn and I got to see the entire zoo that day. Usually we only do half each visit, but since we had all day, weren't in a hurry and the weather was BEAUTIFUL we walked everywhere. I think Ashlyn's favorite part of the zoo was the Africa section. She LOVES elephants, zebras and giraffes. After spending all day there, we were exhausted and ready to go home. I'm looking forward to doing it again soon!!

Happy Easter!! (April 12th, 2009)

We want to wish everyone a (belated) Happy Easter!! Jacob was very handsome wearing his little tie, and Ashlyn was a pretty little girl in her sailor dress. They both really enjoyed dressing up and going to church.

Family Outing at the Zoo!! (April 11th, 2009)

We decided to take a family trip to the KC Zoo a couple weeks ago. It was nice getting out and spending time together. The kids had a blast looking at all the animals. We let them have a camel ride and they really enjoyed that. The animals were very active that day, so we were very entertained. The little monkeys in the discovery barn were bouncing all over, and the kangaroos were all over the walking path. KC Wolf from the KC Chiefs was there and the kids got to pose for a picture. The weather was beautiful, so that made the day even better.

T-Ball Practice! (April 8th, 2009)

Jacob started playing t-ball this spring/summer. He was excited about that. His team name is the Rattlers. He has a really good throwing arm!! We practiced with his t-stand in the front yard before practice, then we headed to the ball field for his first practice on April 8th. We are still waiting to play our first game - the first one was rained out, and we were out of town for the 2nd one. Hopefully tomorrow will have good weather so he can go show his stuff!! We love watching our little athlete.

Deanna Rose, Again!! (April 8th, 2009)

I think these will be the majority of the updates...Deanna Rose and Monkey Bizness!! Like I said before, we LOVE going to Deanna Rose. On this visit the kids bottle fed the baby goats. They both had fun with that. Ashlyn seems to always attract the babies! And I think she seriously gave every single one of those goats a hug!! These goats are the perfect size for her.

Monkey Bizness, Again!! (April 4th, 2009)

Well, here we are again...at Monkey Bizness. The kids really love this place. Like I said before, it is a great place to just let them run wild!! Ashlyn loves climbing, and Jacob loves swinging on the swing. Until next time...Adios!!

DEANNA ROSE!! (April 3rd, 2009)

YEAH!! Deanna Rose if finally open again. The kids and I LOVE this place. There is a lot for the kids to do, and it's FREE to get in. They love just running and playing with their friends. There is gemstone mining, a dairy barn, pony rides, fishing, tractors, goats, and more!! We try to come here as much as we can, sometimes we stay all day and have a picnic lunch out there, other times we just go for a couple hours. I can usually get some really good pictures of the kids out there too. Stay tuned for more Deanna Rose pictures this spring/summer!!

Jacob's Tadpole (April 1st, 2009)

Jacob got a frog/tadpole habitat for his birthday. We thought this would be a neat gift so he can watch and learn about how tadpoles turn into frogs. We found a tadpole at a small pet shop not too far from our house. Jacob decided to name him Speed (from Speed Racer). We tried to take care of it the best we could, however - unfortunately - little Speed died. That same pet store no longer carries tadpoles, so we are in the process of locating another one. I did get a few pictures of our first attempt!!