Aikido

There are two subtitles for this post.

1) Aikido- Green Belt 

and

2)Aikido- Christmas Party

We'll start with the green belt.

Spencer started taking Aikido in August.  He likes it and we like it as well.  It is two nights a week, he has learned a lot of skills, he has made friends and the instructor is great.  In mid-November he got the paperwork telling him that he was eligible to test for his green belt.  It goes white belt, green belt, orange belt and then you start getting stripes on your orange belt.

Testing night was on December 2nd.  I usually just drop him off at class and then Michael picks him up, but he wanted all of us to be there that night.  I feel like I need to mention that I would have been there even if he didn't ask me to stay.  I'm a lazy mom, but I'm not a monster.

Elliott wanted his picture on a rock too.

  This is what the stage looks like every day, not just on a testing day.

We got there early so he could warm up and practice.

This is why I don't stay for classes.  When I stay, Elliott stays.  And when Elliott stays he ends up playing on my phone for a few minutes, then he becomes loud and disruptive and we go outside to walk around. If we're not going to be in the room anyway I don't see any reason to be there at all.

Right before Spencer's test began.  A whole bunch of these kids all started at the same time in August and they have all been testing for their green belts for the last two weeks.  Two kids per night.

Spencer went first.  Sensei asked him questions and he had to demonstrate his skills.

I don't have a picture of her actually presenting him with the green belt and tying it on him, because I was recording it.  I'm sure there is some way to take a still frame from a video, but I don't possess such knowledge.

This was right after he got his belt.

Then he joined his classmates to watch the second test of the night.

When the two tests were over they learned some new moves.  Spencer helped to demonstrate.

His green belt certificate.

After class was over we went to a diner for a celebratory dinner.  This particular diner has kid meals for half price when an adult buys a meal too.  Both kids got breakfast meals that are regularly $2 each, so with the discount they were $1 each.  Michael got a $4 special, so the three boys meals together cost $6.  I got an $11 skillet.  I just had to go and ruin our budget dinner.

The very next day there was a Christmas party for all of the Aikido classes (they are held in 3 locations).  It was a dessert buffet and awards ceremony so Elliott and I went to Target to get some stuff to make brownie cookies.  He wore the same outfit as the night before because he had only worn it for about 2 hours.

The Christmas party was from 6 to 8 and I thought it was kind of an open house deal where you come at any time during those two hours.  I was very wrong and we missed a bunch of stuff during the first 40 minutes.  Oh well, we got there for the important parts.

Like, certificates of participation.

And desserts.

And SANTA!

Santa told Elliott that he liked his shirt. 

I was incredibly irked with this Santa because I could not get him to look at me when I was taking pictures.  What kind of Santa doesn't look at the camera when his picture is being taken?  Both of my kids, who are highly allergic to looking at the camera, looked at the camera.  

No bueno Santa. 

Before next year please attend some social skills therapy and learn about the importance of eye contact and camera eye contact.

This was the first of several Santas we will be seeing this year, so hopefully they will keep getting better and better.  Something tells me they will.