New Belts...Sort Of!

The last Tuesday in May was testing day for the boys at Taekwondo. It was also our last class until September. I love that the Kinderkicks get the summer off. We actually won't start back up until October since we are going to Disneyland in September. 

All the kids lined up and ready to test. There are more kids in the Kinderkicks than shown here...these were just the ones that were ready to test. Ella and Logan weren't quite ready yet so they got to sit this one out. 

The boys waiting their turn to be called up to test. 

Jackson did really well. He's really improved...especially his jumping jacks. 

The funny thing is that Ms. Kelsey had just started using a different coloring system for the belts. So even though the boys are moving up a belt the color they are going to is orange which is a color they both have already been. I explained the situation to the boys and they didn't seem to mind much. I love how they just roll with things! 

Love the action shots! 

Time For Taekwondo!

Back when Ella turned 3 I put her in Taekwondo with the boys. I even bought her a uniform and everything. Then about 2 weeks later she decided it wasn't for her. I sold her uniform to my friend Kim for her son Josiah and figured only the boys would participate. Fast forward 6 months or so and then Logan became interested in joining in with the boys and of course Ella did as well.

This time around I had the girls go a month before I ordered the uniforms.   

On Tuesday when we went to class the were in. Due to growth I just ended up getting Jack a new uniform and then gave his smaller one to Ella. She didn't mind! 

 The newer uniforms have the new logo on them. Jack was checking out Logan's! Eventually they'll all have the new logo. I really should have probably ordered a new uniform for Owen has well....his is getting a little high waterish! 

And because Zeke man didn't want to be left out...he back himself right up to the wall and said, "Eeeeee"! 

Snuggles!

Whenever it's time for us to go somewhere I always put Zeke up on the dining table so I can put his coat and shoes on. Last Tuesday we were getting ready to go to Taekwondo and Owen decided that Zeke needed a snuggle and he was at the perfect height to snuggle. 

Zeke is all smiles right now for the camera! 

I love seeing my boys hug! 

Jack decided he needed to be in on the action! 

Cheeeeeeese! 

So precious! 

Big time squeeze! 

Taekwondo Testing!

My recovery after my gum graph went pretty slow at first so Michael ended up having to leave work early to take the boys to Taekwondo for me. It's kind of frowned upon if you operate heavy machinery under the influence of high powered pain medication!

 

 

 Normally it wouldn't matter if they missed a week, but this particular week was when they were getting their new belts since they had tested the week before and passed. Also it was the last class until September since the younger kids are getting to take the summer off.

 

 

Ella is going through this phase...I hope...where she hates for me to do her hair. She wants it to be long and she doesn't want me to put it back in a clip or a band of any kind.

 

 

Even though I love Taekwondo I'm really happy they are taking the summer off. Our schedule is super free now...no MOPS, Home School, Bible Study or Taekwondo. So nice! Although I know good and well that come the end of August I'll be dying to get back to our super busy schedule!

 

 

New belts = proud boys!

New Belts!!!

A couple weeks ago the boys had testing at Taekwondo. Ella wasn't ready to participate in testing this time since she has only been going for about a month.

Getting all lined up and straightened out!

Jackson getting his Junior Orange belt from Miss Kelsey!

Owen getting his Junior Yellow belt! 

Owen was so excited to get his new belt on he had to run over right away. 
 

 Standing in line with all their new belts! 

Proud of my Big Boy! 

Andrew was over the moon about getting his new belt! 

So proud of my Jackers! 

The whole time I was over taking pictures of the Taekwondo kids Logan and Zeke were so good just sitting across the gym! Logan kept talking about her belt even though she doesn't have one, but her made up belt was pink! So cute!

Taekwondo Testing!

About a month ago Ella seemed interested about going into Taekwondo with the boys...even though she wasn't quite 3 yet I let her. She did really well, but I wanted to see if she would keep it up before totally committing to let her go.

My friend Kara gave us this uniform for Ella...she's so cute!!!

Tuesday was testing day for the kids so I figured that we needed a group shot. 

Lined up waiting for Miss Kelsey to start the testing. 
 

Jack doing his high blocks
 

Owen got a "good job" from Miss Kelsey for being the first to remember that she wanted them to come to the center of the room. 

The boys did great and they will be getting their new belts. Of course they were disappointed that they didn't get them that night...patience is SO hard! 

While The Big Boys Do Taekwondo The Little Kids Play...

 Ring around the rosie...

 Pockets full of posies...

Ashes, ashes...we all...

 

Fall Down!!! 

 

There are quite a few younger siblings that aren't quite old enough to do Taekwondo yet so they just hang out with the parents. This little guys name is Preston and he's super cute. One of the times the kids "fell down" he didn't let go of Logan's hand and he pulled her down and they bumped heads and Logan started crying. He was so precious he came over and gave her the sweetest kiss!

Cutie Patooties!

After months of trying to talk Jack into joining Owen for Taekwondo I finally just pulled out the tough Mom card and made him go in. Surprise, surprise the kid LOVES it. I knew he would! He was terrified of the adults and the kids and thought I was going to leave him. Not sure why since he had sat with me and watched Owen every time we took him and I have never left. Who knows how a 3 year olds brain works, but alas he's finally going.

It took a couple weeks for his uniform to come in due to a mess up in the shipping and then the holidays, but it finally got here and he looks so cute! At first Jack was stuck to Owen like glue, but he is getting more and more confident being out there and showing his stuff. I'm so proud of both of my boys!

Our New Ride!

For the last couple years we've known that when the time came for us to trade in our Chrysler Town & Country we would buy a Honda Odyssey. For some reason...probably God planting the thought in my head....a couple weeks ago I started thinking about looking on Craigslist for a van. I just could not get the thought of my head. That weekend we went to Honda of Fife to test drive one. They had a 2006 and a 2008. The 2006 was pretty worn and it was gold. Our current van is gold and I'm not really a fan. The 2008 van was nice, but it didn't have leather and with kids you need leather. They did say they could upgrade to the leather for us, but at the time we just weren't ready to make a deal. We needed to check out our finances a bit more closely first. Last Monday night we decided that it was a good deal and we should head down there and see what we could work out. Unfortunately the van was already in the process of being bought by someone else. The salesman did say that the people trying to buy it had horrible credit so their financing might not go through. We weren't worried though I knew that God had the perfect van in store for us.

Old Town & Country Van

The very next afternoon the guy from Honda of Fife called to see if we were interested in the gold van. I told him we weren't, but if the other van came available to let us know. Then while the girls were taking their naps I decided to check online to see if there were other vans in the area that had leather already. I really didn't want to have to wait for them to put the leather seats in. I ended up finding a 2008 Odyssey EX-L at the Honda of Sumner I wanted to go check out. I called Michael and told him about it and asked him if he'd call the dealership to make sure it was still there so we didn't drive all the way down there for nothing. It was still there so after Taekwondo the kids and I went home, picked up Michael and headed out.

By the  time we got down there it was almost 7pm! Thankfully dealerships are really good about having things for kids to do. They have free popcorn for them to munch on and one of the vans was plugged in so the kids could watch a movie on the DVD player. The salesman Mike had the van waiting for us so I could take it for a test drive. Michael stayed with the kids. It wasn't much different from the 2006 I test drove at the Honda of Fife. The Odyssey drives like a car...it's great!

Anyways when we got back the salesman took the keys to my van and started doing all the research to be able to tell me what they would give us for trading it in. Of course they came back with a ridiculous number and I wasn't going to have it. I actually brought up on their computer the Kelly Blue Book price that I came up with. I told them I wanted 6K for our van and that was it. I also told him I had a check in my purse and this was what we were willing to pay. Unfortunately this is where there was a bit of a miscommunication between me and the salesman. It wasn't discovered though until the final paperwork was being signed and Michael was already installing the car seats in the van. It's okay though...I thought we were going to get a SCREAMING deal, but we still got a great deal! It was fun dealing with him by myself. I felt like a woman in charge! :)

I totally wasn't expecting them to let us take the van that night because I needed to change the check I had from Honda of Fife to Honda of Sumner. They did though! Since it was a bit unexpected we hadn't cleaned out the van. It's amazing what accumulates in all those nooks and crannies. When we had made the deal I called my parents and they came down...the dealership wasn't far from their house. It was nice to have them there to keep an eye on the kids while Michael and I did the paperwork.

When it was time to go we got pictures with the old van and the new one. It was nice that my parents got to see the old van off since my Dad bought that van for my Mom brand new for Christmas in 2000. He even had our friend Santa Al deliver it to her. When we were getting in the van Owen and Ella were quite excited about it, but Jack was SO unhappy. He kept saying he wanted our old van. Then as we got closer and closer to home Owen got more and more agitated and started saying he wanted our old van too. The next morning Owen had finally come around and now he thinks the new van is "awesome"! Jack still wanted the old one back!

We took a long trip to OR for Thanksgiving and it was so nice. It drove like a dream and the kids had fun watching a movie on the DVD player. We have told them that the DVD play is only for long trips. I'm not going to have them watching a movie every time we get in the van.

New Belt!

Today at Taekwondo Owen got presented with his new belt. I was just expecting them to give them to the kids and it wouldn't be a big deal at all, but they did a little ceremony. Miss Kelsey called each child up and stated that they were now Junior something or other...I honestly can't remember.

Then the kids shook her hands and said, "Thank you ma'am!"

So happy about his new white belt with an orange stripe!

I'm so proud of Owen for being such a good listener and earning this all on his own. He still has a hard time with the idea of going to Taekwondo, but once he gets there he really enjoys it. I hope it's something he wants to continue for a long time!

Testing

Tonight Owen has his first testing at Taekwondo and he did great! He had to do all his moves in sets of 5...5 jumping jacks, 5 punches, 5 kicks and he had to yell. He listened really well to Master Kelsey and now he gets to move up to his next belt. I believe it's a white belt with a yellow stripe.

Taekwondo!

In September Owen started going to Taekwondo at Eastridge Baptist Church in Kent. I heard about it from a MOPS friend who takes her kids there. The plan was to have both Owen and Jack go, but Jack wants nothing to do with it right now. So he sits out in the hallway with Ella, Logan and I and we watch him through the windows.

The last time we went was the first time Owen wore his uniform. He was totally against it, but once I finally got him to try it on he LOVED it. He looked so cute in the gym standing in the poses that Master Kelsey was teaching him. Right now for his age group the main things they want to teach the kids are respect, listening and a few stances. They do exercises like run around on the white circle. Or run to the red line, then the green line and so on. They also do somersaults and things like the crab walk or frog hop. It's a good way for him to get all his energy out!