It has been a busy month. I do not think it will slow down much until after "the wedding" next week. I had the chance a not long ago to attend a Daddy Daughter event at the church. My daughter Mary was pretty excited about it and continually reminded me of the up coming event so I would not forget. Upon arrival myself and a couple of other Dads were escorted into a room obviously decorated by 8 year old girls. My daughter showed me where I was to sit. While we waited for the rest of the fathers to arrive I watched how excited and proud the girls were as they sat with their fathers. Obviously this was a big deal for them. I felt some anxiety for the two girls who stood anxiously in the hall waiting for their fathers to arrive. I imagined that they were worried that something would hold them up or perhaps they had forgotten. An expression of extreme relief came across their faces as their fathers came down the hall.
Last week the elementary school Mary attends was having their "doughnuts for Dads" deal. This along with "muffins for Moms" has been a long standing tradition at the school. Mary was pretty excited about having me go to the event, I certain some if the excitement had to do with free doughnuts. I watched the other children with their fathers getting doughnuts, milk, juice or coffee that morning. The children were just excited to spend time with their Dads. Both of these events did not take much time out of my busy life but they meant a great deal to Mary and to me.
Last weekend Michael tested for his red belt black stripe. He did very well and now is faced with learning some more forms and weapon techniques so he can test for his black belt in the next few months. I am amazed at how much he has grown in self confidence since beginning Kyukido. It has been good for him. He has a tournament coming up in two weeks. I asked him if he was going to compete in "forms" and "sparing" both. He said he wanted to do both. I asked him if he was ready to take some possible head shots in the "sparing" competition. He replied that he was. This is not the answer he would have given me two years ago. When he started, he wouldn't even spar in his first tournament. Now that he is eighteen and high enough in rank, blows and kicks to the head are allowed in the tournament sparing competitions. As a father I have my concerns that he'll take a hard round house kick to the side of the head and in spite wearing the required headgear, he will be wearing a diaper and drooling in his soup and living at my house for the rest of his life. I really do not think this will be the outcome. He is a pretty gutsy fighter and can handle himself. It is just that Dad thing, you know, unrealistic worrying about your kids. He will graduate from high school this year and in a year may well be in the MTC starting his mission. Time seems to go by faster the older I get.
Time however does seem to move at a crawl during this season of year in Wyoming. The weather is sporadically warm and sunny one day and cold and snowing the next. When the ground isn't frozen, it is muddy. The fishing typically sucks, you can only hunt rabbits (Mary will not let me, bunnies are too cute, and besides I've never been much for rabbit hunting). Wild turkey season starts in April which is too far away. I could tie some flies or reload some ammunition or look at related catalogs. This however, only lends itself to prolonged periods of day dreaming which are frustrating at best. Author Patrick McManus is also not a fan of the season. I guess that puts me in good company. I think I will go through the outdoor gear and bee keeping catalogs I have and do some day dreaming. I'd better get a new eye glass prescription first.
Last week the elementary school Mary attends was having their "doughnuts for Dads" deal. This along with "muffins for Moms" has been a long standing tradition at the school. Mary was pretty excited about having me go to the event, I certain some if the excitement had to do with free doughnuts. I watched the other children with their fathers getting doughnuts, milk, juice or coffee that morning. The children were just excited to spend time with their Dads. Both of these events did not take much time out of my busy life but they meant a great deal to Mary and to me.
Last weekend Michael tested for his red belt black stripe. He did very well and now is faced with learning some more forms and weapon techniques so he can test for his black belt in the next few months. I am amazed at how much he has grown in self confidence since beginning Kyukido. It has been good for him. He has a tournament coming up in two weeks. I asked him if he was going to compete in "forms" and "sparing" both. He said he wanted to do both. I asked him if he was ready to take some possible head shots in the "sparing" competition. He replied that he was. This is not the answer he would have given me two years ago. When he started, he wouldn't even spar in his first tournament. Now that he is eighteen and high enough in rank, blows and kicks to the head are allowed in the tournament sparing competitions. As a father I have my concerns that he'll take a hard round house kick to the side of the head and in spite wearing the required headgear, he will be wearing a diaper and drooling in his soup and living at my house for the rest of his life. I really do not think this will be the outcome. He is a pretty gutsy fighter and can handle himself. It is just that Dad thing, you know, unrealistic worrying about your kids. He will graduate from high school this year and in a year may well be in the MTC starting his mission. Time seems to go by faster the older I get.
Time however does seem to move at a crawl during this season of year in Wyoming. The weather is sporadically warm and sunny one day and cold and snowing the next. When the ground isn't frozen, it is muddy. The fishing typically sucks, you can only hunt rabbits (Mary will not let me, bunnies are too cute, and besides I've never been much for rabbit hunting). Wild turkey season starts in April which is too far away. I could tie some flies or reload some ammunition or look at related catalogs. This however, only lends itself to prolonged periods of day dreaming which are frustrating at best. Author Patrick McManus is also not a fan of the season. I guess that puts me in good company. I think I will go through the outdoor gear and bee keeping catalogs I have and do some day dreaming. I'd better get a new eye glass prescription first.
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