Green Belt Karate

Lilly slept until 11 am! She had the right idea. It was dark, gloomy, and rainy well into the afternoon. I didn't try to wake her since her sleep schedule is all over the place lately. Unfortunately, that also meant that she didn't nap. This evening could be interesting...

When we went to the bus stop to get Shawn, it wasn't raining anymore, but it was muggy and +90°F! Blech!   

Shawn tested for his 3rd stripe for his green belt in Karate today! (Next test is in about 2 weeks for purple belt!) He wasn't as motivated or energetic about class today as he usually is. He seemed floppy instead of intense. Not sure what's going on with that.  

Meanwhile, Lilly watched eagerly perched in the doorway while snacking on crackers. She chimed in with, "Aa-YAH!" and a stomp/kick or an arm flail every once in a while.

This was actually taken yesterday, but she was doing the same thing today. "The anticipation of starting her own Ninja training is almost too much for Lilly to stand!"

Lilly and Shawn had dinner early, so when Raj got home, he and I had a stay-at-home dinner date and the kids played. Not entirely romantic, but there was candlelight! 

I made chicken & potato Vindaloo, saag (creamed spinach), and onion kulcha (flatbread). The Vindaloo sauce was pre-made; I just added chicken and potatoes. The frozen kulcha just needed to be warmed. I made the saag from scratch. It's not hard, but when Raj asked where I got the mix or the package for it, I took that as a good sign! We also had Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company to cool down the spiciness. (Shawn loved the name!)

Shawn breezed through his math homework (counting). Then we had a  serious family talk about how karate went today. He admitted he was just making excuses about being tired. Raj and I explained that it's totally reasonable to be tired: school + karate is tiring! On the other hand, if he says he's tired, then it's time for bed and not time to play or do other activities. He can't turn on/off tired-ness at his convenience! (I wish I could!!) Seeing that he had no trouble being awake when we got home from karate, he must not have been THAT tired; therefore, even though he passed his stripe test in spite of his 'tired-ness,' his attitude in class and his test performance wasn't a reflection of his true effort. That's not okay. He apologized for (what he called) lying and agreed that faking wasn't a good choice. Regardless of if he was tired, 'tired,' or not, it was time for bed.

Lilly cat napped through the family meeting. When she woke, she wanted her Daddy and no one else. The two of them played quietly for a little while to have some much needed time together. Before long, she was ready for bed, too. 

Though they both went to bed easily, neither slept particularly well; therefore, I didn't either. Glad tomorrow's Friday. We need a chance to re-charge.