Our karate kid

Sometime over Spring Break Chris started talking to Alex about karate. I'm not sure how it came up but the two of them decided that Alex needed to take karate classes. After lots of asking I finally found a place for us to try. We started last week and they gave us three trail classes before we committed. The classes are M-W-F and they want you to go to at least two a week (it's the same cost if you go all three though). So we went all three last week. When I say "we" I mean Alex and Zachary. Do you think one would let the other do something without them? Not on your life! Last Friday they did a competition where they wore padded helmets and tried to score points by hitting each other on certain parts of the body with a padded "bat". It was a hoot to watch 4 & 5 year olds trying to hit each other. They mostly just hit each other's bats but every once in awhile someone would get a point. (Alex & Zachary are the ones not in uniform.)


After what was supposed to be our first "real" day today the instructor and I talked without the boys around. We both decided that Zachary just wasn't ready. Although he said he had fun he just could not pay attention and follow instruction. He wiggled, fell down, looked all around the room, always used the wrong arm or leg.....just couldn't get it. We called Alex into the office to pick a uniform. Then we all went back out to break the news to Zachary. Needless to say he didn't take it very well. We told him why and that he could sit with me and watch the class and he could try again later once he was able to listen and follow instruction better. He cried. When we got in the car he asked if he could still have a uniform and I told him no. (I think this was the thing he wanted most because he LOVES to dress up.) I told him maybe we could look into something else for him to do. (I've always thought he'd be great at gymnastics.) It would have to be something a little less disciplined than karate though. We'll see how this week goes with him sitting and watching. Thankfully the class is only 30 minutes long so if Zachary is a bad watcher I can always walk outside with him and it won't take too long.

Alex in his uniform. He won't normally wear a shirt underneath but this was just to try it on. I sure hope I can remember the proper way to tie that belt!