"When in Rome...?"

I think the phrase goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans..." Is that it? Well, my version is, "When at Fort Irwin, where there is no Shotokan Karate, you take Tae Kwon Do." Elijah has been taking it for a while now. He caught on quickly, considering it's so different than what he's been trained in for so long. And, lately, the class has had a guest instructor who is teaching them Ju Jitsu. Or, "Army Combatives." Nice. They LOVE it, though. I thought (we thought) his interest was waning in Martial Arts, but it wasn't. He still loves it and he's still really good at it. He finally earned a "stripe" from his new Sensei this week. She's pretty tough on him, and she doesn't just "give away" increases in rank or stripes. I like that about her. She really is a great Sensei and Elijah likes her. too. He thinks she's hysterical, and she is... he's about the only one in the class who gets most of her humor. So, she finally gave him a "coveted" stripe. In the grand scheme of the boy's life right now, it doesn't mean as much as it will one day. He's enamored with football right now. And, rightly so. His dad (hero) is coaching his team, the Superbowl is coming on, and folks out here in the Wild West get into those Pro teams A LOT. A lot more than in the Southeast where College football reigns supreme. So, he wasn't as happy with that stripe as I was. Oh well. He'll thank me one day. He'll be grateful that we "encouraged" (pushed?) him to earn those belts. Especially that black one. Someone I admire once said that "good ball players are a dime a dozen, but great Martial Artists are few and far between." I am looking forward to a new Post where we can find a Shotokan School. I think the "love" for the art will come back. Until then, he's gained a few new skills. Just the other night, the "Guest Sensei" said, and I quote, "This is how you break someone's arm." Oh my. The first football game is this Saturday. Let's hope he leaves the arm-breaking skills in the Dojo.

Legos... the drug of choice

I have discovered the 8 year-old boy version of crack cocaine. Legos. I know- I am probably not the first mom to make this comparison, but let me enjoy the moment anyway. I could sense the "obsession" coming back in the summer. All he talked about was the "Lego store" in Ontario and going to "Legoland" someday soon. Then, the holidays came... Between Santa and the grandparents and the Aunt and Uncle and Mommy and Daddy... the addiction came into full bloom. There are little plastic bricks covering every square inch of any available surface of my house. I step on Legos. I vacuum up Legos (and then dig them out of the vacuum), I sit on Legos, and I honestly think Shelby has taken to eating Legos. The most amazing part? Elijah can't stop talking about Legos. If we tear him away from his "creations" for two minutes to say, eat, he spends the entire meal talking about what he's gonna build next. He reads Lego magazines. He visits the Lego website. I'm telling you... Legos are like crack for this boy. He has a chunk of change from Christmas gifts, and what does he talk about buying? You guessed it. I do have to make a Wal Mart run this weekend... Maybe if I remind him about the Lego aisle, he'll go along a little more willingly and pleasantly. I swear... they're taking over. At least the drug of choice at the moment is a little plastic building set. It could be worse. It could be girls. Thank you, Lord for small blessings!

Who has time to BLOG?
Who in the world has time to blog? I am still trying to figure that one out. I, of all people, do not have time. I can't even seem to keep in touch with my closest friends and family members in the "old school" ways (like phone calls and emails)! I will not even begin to discuss all the "extra curricular activities" I find myself involved in. Then... there is the "stuff" that I am supposed to be doing anyway! Like cooking, cleaning, supervising homework, taking out the trash, scooping the litter box, paying the bills, driving the son to school and karate and Awanas, and oh my heavens... I do not have time to have a blog. But, it looked like fun. (It's so like me to take on one more thing when my plate is already full.) And, I thought some long lost acquaintances might like to know what's going on with us. And, maybe some friends and family members might like a different perspective of what we do all the time. And... what we don't do. So, here it is. Autumn's Blog. 2008. Maybe this can be my New Year's Resolution?