Project 19 to 19: Day 7

Who is that Masked Man?!?

Today marks a week into this project and I am so glad that we still have another 12 days to go!

This flash back photo from 2007, brings an INSTANT smile to my face! This was taken the Friday before his first day of Kindergarten. He was taking "Little Dragons" martial arts lessons at a local karate dojo and they held a big blowout to celebrate the end of summer and the start of the new school year. The theme was "Super Hero Training Camp."


As you can see, Wonder Boy was well prepared for the event! He's in his Incredibles outfit and mask. He's donned his Batman cape. And he has his trusty Jedi light saber at his side!

Like every other kid in attendance, he flew around that dojo like never before that evening! He showed off his high flying skills, leaping tall towers (of training mits) in a single bound. His dexterity was on display as he climbed mighty cliffs (played by the instructors). And he gave us all a demonstration of his strength as he knocked out pushups, sit ups, and punched every heavy bag in the building!

A great time was had by all, especially by those of us watching our little Supers run wild.

Believe it or not, every time the Boy leaves home these days, he is also sporting a mask.


While this mask is a fun one to look at, wearing one right now is not a laughing matter.

This is, of course, yet another reminder of life in the time of the Corona virus. On the rare occasion that we leave home, we wear a mask and usually disposable gloves as well. We remain at least 6 feet away from others. All packages/supplies coming into the house go into a 3 day quarantine. And we generally do not have in person visits with anyone.

We have lived like this since mid-March and there doesn't seem to be any indication that things will change in the next few months. This is why Wonder Boy is doing his first full semester of college from the relative safety of our home. All of his classes are on-line.

It wasn't an easy decision to keep him home this fall. But with the number of students on campus contracting the virus, we are all certain it was the right call to make. We are still very hopeful that before long the Boy will be able to attend classes on campus. And our biggest wish right now is that he will be able to live on campus by next fall!

Today's masks may not evoke the same smile or hit that tender spot in my heart, but they go a long way towards protecting us. So I guess in that same way, the Boy is still my favorite Super!

Project 15 to 15: Day 10

Well here we are on Day 10! We've made it double digits into the project this year and only have a few days left. I am enjoying it every bit as much this year as the past two years. And so far, Wonder Boy has been pretty supportive as well.

Today we feature the Boy with his boy:


When I look at this snap, I think Wonder Mutt looks like either a ballerina or a great white shark - I can't make up my mind. I'm pretty sure if we could read his mind, he would identify more with the shark than the ballerina though. Wonder Boy and the Mutt have a very special relationship. They share a room. And Wonder Boy was telling me just this morning that every night, the Mutt settles down on his doggy bed in such a manner that he always has an eye on the Boy. I think that is just PERFECT. The Boy will literally drag the Mutt into the computer room with him or up on the couch for a good cuddle. The Mutt is always under the Boy's foot at the dinner table. The two are just meant to be together!

In looking back to 2010, we are back to another martial arts snap. This time from the Boy's muay thai classes:


This was taken just a week or so before Wonder Boy started the 3rd grade. It turned out to be a real blessing to have him in the muay thai classes as his 3rd grade year was, unfortunately, the year he would have real struggles with a classroom bully. His years in martial arts had taught him plenty of ways to AVOID a fight and he did his level best to follow through with that. But when push finally came to shove and he had taken his fill, it also taught him how to stand up for himself. And even better than that, Wonder Boy's years in martial arts taught him how to stand up for those that cannot or will not stand up for themselves. This is one of those characteristics that make my heart swell with pride. With his academic life taking more and more of his schedule, we've had to temporarily step away from martial arts. But I hope that these are lessons he will carry with him always.

Project 15 to 15: Day 9

For Day 9 of our count down to Wonder Boy's 15th birthday, I wanted to highlight his love of music with this snap I took during his viola practice of the day:


I've shared it many times here, but the Boy has developed a real love of music, especially classical music over the past 4 years or so. His dad and I are both music lovers and have played all manner of music for him since he came into this world. But things really took off when he joined the orchestra in 5th grade. He enjoys orchestra. It's his biggest social activity. But it's also a means of expression for him as well as a personal challenge. This morning on the drive to school, he was telling me about some of the advanced students in orchestra - those that he admires and aspires to emulate. I have been so pleased that he made the commitment to stay with orchestra into high school and hope that he will continue with it as long as possible.

In looking back to 2009, I stumbled on this photo of the Boy at a judo belt test:


Oddly enough, as part of this yearly project, I haven't shared many judo photos. For many years though, judo (and other martial arts) was the Boy's biggest confidence booster. What he lacked in size and strength, he made up for with determination and dedication. There were/are so many gifts from being involved in the martial arts for so many years. But for me, seeing the Boy grow in self confidence and in his ability to focus on a desired goal (like earning a new belt or mastering a particular technique) was the best part. I am thankful to every coach, sensei, instructor, and partner he had during his time in martial arts. I hope they all know that he carries a part of them with him where ever he goes.

Purple!

When soccer is done for the season in both the spring and fall, we make our way back to the dojo to re-sharpen our judo skills.

Before soccer started this fall, Wonder Boy and his instructor were preparing him for his next belt test. There was some talk of trying to squeeze in the test before soccer season kicked off, but it just was not in the cards.

When we returned to the dojo in November, those talks and preparations resumed. Wonder Boy, feeling rusty after the 3 month break in training, was much more hesitant facing this belt test than any other before it.

As a family, we spent more than a month drilling him at home, going over techniques, and even quizzing him in the car on the drive to and from school most days.

Wonder Dad and I both knew he was ready, but when the big day arrived, you could sense his butterflies.

He needn't have worried though, as with every belt test I can remember him taking in judo, once he was on the mat, his training took over and he flew through the test with ease.


This test was a little bit different. Sure, Wonder Boy still had to demonstrate every technique he has ever learned. He performed combinations of techniques, and answered questions on general judo trivia.

But what set this test apart was the kata. Kata in judo is performed with a partner. And maybe because it requires some pretty precise coordination, Wonder Boy's instructor saves the teaching and performance of kata until you are an advanced belt.

Here is Wonder Boy doing the first three parts of the Nage No Waza kata.

Nage No Kata (first 3 parts)

You will note that I had the pleasure of being Wonder Boy's uke (throwing dummy). Part of that was due to the fact that the test was held at the start of the winter holiday when there are fewer ukes from which to choose. And part of it was due to the fact that you need to be an advanced belt to perform the kata (or, in my case, have it performed ON you). And finally, there are not a lot of ukes at the dojo anywhere near Wonder Boy's size. Many are smaller. Many are a LOT larger. So this turned into a mother-son affair. I truly have been honored to be a part of this special day.

And I think you can tell from the looks on our faces, Wonder Dad and I are ever so proud of our purple belt boy!

Judo Boy

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, someone is playing "Sunrise, Sunset." And once again, it is hitting me just how fast time flies when you have a child.

When I was a kid, it seemed like I would never grow up, that time moved so very slowly. Everything seemed so far away.

But since Wonder Boy was born, life has been on fast forward. And it seems like I can barely hold onto a moment before 10 more have flown by and some other milestone has been reached. *sigh*

Please understand that I am not complaining! It's one of those bitter sweet truths of being a parent, I think. And there are moments when it takes me by surprise.

What sparked this particular moment of reflection, you ask? Wonder Boy had a belt test at judo class last night. Yes, that's all it takes.

He passed with flying colors, of course. In fact, I think it might have been his best belt test yet. And I guess that is what you would hope for - improvement with each passing test, each year, etc. But something about his performance last night just struck a chord with me. I don't know if it was the confident way he approached each question, each technique, each opportunity to shine, or what. But whatever the case, it really got me to thinking about how far he has come.

He started martial arts while still in preschool, in a class designed for young kids. He had fun but was always a touch timid. He can be a bit shy. Then in Kindergarten, he started judo and it has been a great fit from day one. Even though he was often the youngest and smallest in class, he was having so much fun, that he rarely seemed to notice that he was so young and so small.

Fast forward though the years to last night and you would never, ever guess that he had ever been anything but completely confident in himself. He just oozed faith in his abilities.

I don't think there was a person there last night that didn't feel it. My heart nearly popped right out of my chest, I was so overcome with pride. Even Wonder Boy's instructor made a point of remarking on his excellent performance. We were all caught up in just how far he has progressed in the many years he has been studying judo.

Wonder Dad and I endured some questioning about starting him in the martial arts at such a young age. People worried he would learn to be a bully. But anyone who has studied the martial arts, ANY of the martial arts, can tell you that the opposite is true. What the kids learn is discipline, self confidence, respect, and patience. True, they learn how to defend themselves. But they also learn how to avoid potentially dangerous physical encounters. And they learn that honor and dignity are much more important than being the baddest guy on the playground.

Wonder Boy has learned all of these lessons and more as he has walked the path of the Martial Way. My hope and dream is that he will continue to walk this path and glean from it the innumerable values and benefits that the martial arts offers.