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!

Winter Interlude

As the fall semester draws to a close, one of our most anticipated moments finally creeps up on the calendar - Wonder Boy's winter orchestra concert! Now that he's in his second year of orchestra, an additional in-school concert was added for Veteran's Day back in November, but the BIG showcase for the fall semester is still the Winter Concert.

As in semesters past, Wonder Boy and his pals in the orchestra have been working for months to polish up a couple of special numbers for us and the concert was every bit as enjoyable as last winter and spring. In fact, in many ways is was even more enjoyable as the pieces they performed were longer and more complicated for these young musicians.


I have mentioned it in the past (& will probably mention it time and again), but it never fails to amaze me how far this group has come in such a short time. They hit the ground running the very first week of school and haven't slowed down one bit as they have prepared for two concerts already!

Here is your chance to listen to the winter concert. I apologize for the shaky video - I forgot to bring the tripod (oops!). The music is great regardless of my unsteady hand.

6th Grade Orchestra Winter Concert

I am confident that, after listening to them play their hearts out, you will understand why I can hardly wait until their next performance!

Introducing: Wonder Mutt

In the last few months, our family has added a new addition. We're calling him Wonder Mutt (at least, that's what we'll call him here). Our Puppy Princess (who is all princess and not much pup any more) wasn't too thrilled with our latest family member, but Wonder Boy couldn't be more thrilled and she is adjusting.


Wonder Boy has been dreaming of a dog to call his own for longer than I can remember. And he adores the Puppy Princess with all his heart. But she thinks of him as a litter mate. They play. And cuddle. But what he was looking for, I believe, is a dog that follows his every movement and cannot wait to be with him at the end of a school day.

Enter Wonder Mutt. The little man just ADORES Wonder Boy. They cuddle on the couch and play games of chase and fetch both in and out of the house(heaven help me).

Wonder Boy has started getting up 30 minutes earlier than normal so that he can lend a hand with managing Mr Mutt first thing in the morning, he helps with feeding time and potty training and all of the other little things that are needed to help Wonder Mutt fit into the puzzle that is our family and our routine. I believe this to be the key to their special bond.

Wonder Mutt came into our home about a month after Wonder Boy's birthday, but it seems like every day is a new gift, watching the two of them together. I look forward to many more years of seeing their relationship develop.

Victory in Defeat

Today, Wonder Boy and his team faced down the top team in the division. Unlike many teams in the division, this group of guys have (mostly) been playing together for a number of years and every last one of them is fit and ready for a grueling season.

So it was with a fair bit of trepidation that Wonder Boy and his teammates lined up across from them this morning.


Things started off well enough and our beloved Green Team managed to end the first half with a draw of 2 goals apiece.

However, the trend just couldn't be sustained in the second half. Wonder Boy's team tried their hardest, but were simply outmatched this time.

But with that said, I think this might have been one of Wonder Boy's finest performances.

About midway through the second half, when the guys in orange had taken a firm lead, you could see the guys in green physically slow down a bit as they became physically tired and emotionally demoralized. Even Wonder Boy seemed a step off pace. But then some switch turned or maybe he got his second wind. Because after that fleeting moment of lethargy, Wonder Boy kicked it back into high gear. He encouraged his teammates, he covered a vast amount of the field - running back and forth from offense to defense - and did his very best to give his team every chance to make a comeback.

The comeback didn't materialize, but we saw Wonder Boy change right there on the field. He went from just being "one of the guys" to being a leader on the field.

And we literally could not have been more proud of him in that moment.

Birthday In Da House!

Today Wonder Boy turned 12 years old. Twelve!

There is a large part of me that would like to focus on the nostalgic side of this birthday, wondering where my baby has gone. But the truth is, this was such a FUN birthday, that even nostalgia gets put aside for this sappy mom.

The day actually started several days, weeks in advance. Or rather, the planning and prep work for the big day started well in advance.

You see, Wonder Boy and Wonder Dad have a bit of a friendly competition where birthdays are concerned. They each try to top one another in terms of creating "memorable moments." And this must be a dominant gene because they are both quite fantastic at this particular skill!

Past birthdays have seen pranks, poems, birthday zombies, special meals, and even underwear scavenger hunts! Birthdays in this house are NOT to be missed!

For the first big event of the day, Wonder Dad and I spent several nights blowing up balloons in the secret halls of our bedroom closet. We blew up over 100 good sized (12") balloons that we then used to fill the alcove outside of Wonder Boy's bedroom! We managed to stack them about 6' high! So when we called the Boy to breakfast this morning, he opened his bedroom door, and the balloons came flooding in!

It was quite a sight to behold!

But that was not the end of the birthday hijinks! Oh, no! We went right into Prank #2.

A few weeks before this auspicious day, Wonder Dad noticed that there was still one yet unopened present from Christmas. I am not sure if Wonder Boy is intimidated by it or what, but Wonder Dad thought (& I agreed) that it would serve the Boy right to wrap it up again and give it back to him. And who knows, maybe that little jab would be enough to get him to tear off the shrink wrap and give it a try finally.

So ... after splashing through the deluge of balloons, Wonder Boy was ready to get down to the business of opening presents. He grabbed the box waiting for him on the fireplace hearth and went to town ripping the wrapping right off.

And then he stopped.

He stared at the box a bit.

And like a good little minion, turned to us and said "Whaaaaa?"

"But I already have this one!", he continued.

He looked to Wonder Dad for explanation, clearly confused. At which point, Wonder Dad launched into a VERY convincing pitch regarding the newness of said gift.

For those that don't know ... Wonder Boy is not what you would call "a morning person." And as such, is not the most clear headed first thing in the morning, even on his birthday.

So ... just as he was beginning to question himself, Wonder Dad spilled the beans and brought out the real gifts (much to the relief of our dear Wonder Boy).

Surprisingly, Wonder Boy took it better than I would have thought, laughed along with us and didn't hold a grudge for the little pranks. In fact, as the day wore on, it seems his favorite thing to do was to tell others the torture we had put him through that morning, but he did so with a big grin on his face, so no hard feelings!


This really is a good picture of how the day shaped up in general - just fun and laughs and lots of good times for us all.

After opening gifts, we settled down for breakfast. Then we got to enjoy a FANTASTIC soccer game where the Boy and his team came away with a 6 to 2 victory (Wonder Boy had an assist)! After that it was home for a sinful lunch of bacon shell tacos (for the Boy anyway). Then a bit of time to start playing with new toys. And then we capped off the day at a special dinner, where we were joined by Wonder Boy's two best buds.

The boys laughed, one of them danced, and we all ate to our hearts' content.

As we drove home, a much anticipated cool front blew in, and we enjoyed a cool walk with our Wonder Pup as the perfect end to an INCREDIBLE birthday!

Wonder Boy should turn 12 every day if this is the way things are going to go!

It's In the Fingers

Wonder Boy continues to amaze the two of us when it comes to his musical abilities. His piano lessons are going so well and he seems to just soak in music in ways we can only dream about.

He is getting more and more confident reading music. But what still just makes my jaw drop is to watch him pick out a tune by ear. He'll sit down and bang away until he finds the right combination of keys. And really, it doesn't take too long at all. Some times he'll even change the key a bit and play the same tune in a new way. Seriously, this just blows me away.


After listening to him the other day, Wonder Dad asked what he was doing (it sounded to us like he was working out another new number) and Wonder Boy replied that he was getting the new piece "in his fingers."

I just loved the way he phrased it.

To him, that's where the music lies ... in his hands.

Even when he's working on a new assignment, it may take his hands a little time to catch up with what he knows in his head. So he practices and practices in order to translate the music to his fingers.

I wish my fingers worked like that.

Back In Action

New team. New players. New uniform. New focus.

Fall is finally here. I wish I could tell you that the air is crisp, the colors in a brilliant last gasp display. But that is not the case in general (this is Texas and it's hard to tell the difference between the late stages of summer and the early part of fall, after all).

However, with the turn of the calendar into fall, there are a few notable changes. Wonder Boy is back at school (& doing pretty well as usual). We are all settling into a new routine for the school year. And maybe most anticipated (at least by me), is the start of a new fall soccer season!

Wonder Boy is still in the U12 division this season. And while many of his teammates from last year have moved up to the U15 division, a whole new flood of kids (graduates of the U10 division) have joined the ranks.

Wonder Boy has a new coach (who seems pretty on top of things), a couple of old, familiar teammates, and a whole bunch of NEW guys with which to enjoy his favorite team sport.
This weekend we got to see their first game. The first game is always this big unknown. The kids have only had a couple of practices together (at best). Those moving up from U10 have a handful of new rules to learn. And there is just a general feeling out process that can only take place under game conditions.


But despite all of that, game 1 was quite enjoyable all the way around. Wonder Boy and his team played mid-morning before the temperature got too hot (& before the rain actually rolled in). And while they still need a few practices together to get a feel for how each of them likes to play, where they like to receive the ball, and that kind of thing, they played pretty well together. The final score was a tie, but there were so many chances to edge ahead for the win that it was almost hear stopping. In fact, Wonder Boy even had a last second shot on goal that had those of us in the crowd holding our breath with anticipation. The goalie made a nice stop though and both teams had to settle for a draw for the opening weekend.

It was a fun game and it lays the ground for an exciting season ahead! Now if only we could get a few cold fronts to keep the spectating comfortable.