Wow!! That is impressive! Geez, after reading that, I want to buy her a bag. So sweet the way she takes care of them. She has certainly earned them and them some. You must be very proud.
This is all sorts of win. Good job mom!
^^^^ Thank you, yeah we're both extremely proud of her. It's matured her an awful lot (in ways that have nothing to do with bags or clothes.
She understands one very important concept ---- if something seems hard, the solution is to just keep trying, and that includes schoolwork. She's been doing it since the age of 5 years and one day, and got her first degree black belt at age 8, so it's really had time to translate into her entire life. We started her in this primarily for the self defense aspect (because she's so small), and also because she's adopted from China. She doesn't do karate, she does kung fu (which is the Chinese forerunner of karate, and is also more self defense oriented). We were aiming for pride in her heritage, but we got a heck of a lot more.
(And yes, she can defend herself if she wants to. She also attends an evening "vacation Bible school-like youthgroup" every week ... it's her only other out of school activity right now ... and last week she almost knocked out one of the instructors. They were playing a game where the kids had to kick a ball, and daughter was taking a kick at the same time this big guy who runs the program was bending over. (Note, he should not have been bending over where the kids were swinging, and no one in anyway blames daughter for this, it truly was a complete accident.) But he was bending over and got nailed in the cheek by her kick. He ended up having to lie down for a while because he was dizzy and having vision problems. I know that sounds "bad", but it was a complete accident, and he was diving in at a time that he shouldn't have been. No one at all blames daughter.
But afterward, he said "Wow, that kung fu must be working. I almost got knocked out by a 90 pound girl." Daughter apologized again, but did correct him that she's actually only 60pounds (like I said, very small for her age). It's weird, because we feel horrible that it happened, but at the same time, we also know that she can do that to someone else if she "has" to. It won't defend against guns, we know that. But I'm instantly a little less worried about her future chances of being "assaulted" otherwise.
I remember your daughter's story but a few years ago. I can attest to how hard she works. My daughter just received her brown belt, after 2.5 years and 15 hours of testing. It is truly a major accomplishment. You must be so proud (I cried when she got her belt in the ceremony). She is on track to get her black belt in the summer of 2015 and is just starting to teach in class (she is 12). I did not mean to high jack this thread, but I wanted to chime in on the karate achievement.
My daughter has a Vera Bradley school tote and an adorable cross-body
Coach (the one with the metallic pink signature print). She is also super careful with her bags and knows that they are a special treat. I am hoping she will be happy with the cross-body for her teen years because I do not want her to have an addiction like mine. I am trying not to set a bad example for her (with the whole never ending buying of new bags constantly). I almost wish Coach did not release so many styles and colors. It perpetuates the process of always wanting a new bag.
Thank you becca.
Yeah, I do remember that thread, and I admit I remember you were pretty upset. That's ok.
Yeah, the classes can get *really* long to sit through. I don't know what your schedule is like, but the way we pull it off is by shift-work. Three days a week I pick daughter up from school and take her to kung fu. I stay til husband is on his way home from work, then we switch out, and he stays with her the last hour while I go home and get dinner ready. (We're lucky, the kung fu school is close to home, and on the way home from work for hubby.) Then Saturday morning, he takes her over for a few hours while I stay home and get lunch ready. It's doing it in "shifts" like that, that makes the hours on end at the place workable. But as you've probably seen, the parents have to commit themselves to this whole thing too. And the kids really do have to take the time to practice at home, especially to retain the old "forms" they've learned. (At least that's what it's like in kung fu, which might be a little more "defense form" oriented than karate. Not sure. We have a *lot* of "animal-style self defense and weapon forms.)
As to Coach's never ending release changes, the reason that bothers *me* is because the lines I like keep disappearing. (Read that: Legacy, specifically Molly, which lasted, what, a few months?) Sigh.
Good to hear from you.
.
