Take Downs

Early in the week we spent an afternoon at a playground with Henry's friend and younger sister.  It was the zipline playground, which we hadn't been to in about a year because of COVID.  They had a great time and played hide-and-seek tag for a long time.  They ran so much that by the time we got to the car they collapsed from exhaustion.  That's a good park-date.  

Caroline has observed many of Henry's jiu jitsu classes lately.  After each one she has said she wanted to do it, so we signed her up for a trial class to see how she liked it.  She made it through the warm-up which was no joke.  It was a very intense warm-up.  She did a good job trying all the skills, but she was definitely hesitant during parts of class, especially practicing take-downs with some of the more seasoned kids.  After we got home, Caroline walked in the door and immediately told Josiah, "I took two people down."  A bit later, she relayed this story to us: 

        <    "I was partnered with that girl, Annie. She asked me, 'How new are you?'  I told her, 'Well, this is my first class, but my brother does it, so I know some things.'  Then I took her down."    >

That right there is why Caroline is in jiu jitsu and not dance.  The following day, Todd took her back and signed her up for classes and ordered her bright pink gi (her choice).  Now she can practice at home with Henry and they can work on their take-down skills.  

Henry earned his first stripe in jiu jitsu this weekend.  He gets a new stripe every twelve classes.  After four stripes, he can move up to the next belt.  

Henry submitting another kid.

It has been a cold week.  Really cold.  We have felt bad for Benson since he destroyed his softer, warmer bed.  We gave him a blanket for his hammock bed and he has loved it.  He snuggles with it all day.  I got a picture of him sleeping on his blanket with his paw holding his favorite ball.  

We currently have freezing rain outside and the temperatures are supposed to drop to the teens.  The kids are really hoping for snow, but most of the weather reports are talking about ice.  Either way it is crazy cold.  I read that this will be the third time in 25 years that we have temperatures in the teens.  Pipes are not insulated here like they are in colder climates, so we've had to wrap blankets around all our outside pipes.  In looking at the comments section on the weather reports, some have declared next week Plumber's Appreciation Week because of all the work they'll get from busted pipes.  (That happened to us several years ago.)  Henry was supposed to have a winter retreat tomorrow at church, but that has been cancelled, roads are already closed due to ice, and Todd has been told to work from home on Monday.