Testing for Yellow Belt!

We've been in TaiKwanDo for nearly a year and today we tested for our third belt.  We all really love learning this and doing it as a family (L has to wait a few more years till she is big enough to join us).  Although, we won't know for sure till Monday, I think we all passed and will get our yellow belts Monday night at class.  Here are some pictures of testing.  (LOTS of pictures!)

We get there early to stretch and run thru things a couple times.

L ready to watch the show.

During opening warm ups, we all do some punches, kicks and blocks in unison (like in the movies -HA!)  This is G.

In the center is A, doing his warm ups

After warming up, everyone is called up in groups of up to 6.  Only like belts are called together.  Here G is ready to start

M standing at attention.

Here A is doing his form...

and M doing his.

And G.  they also have require kicks to demonstrate

The judges pair them off for self defense

and sparring

get 'em G!

The king does his form.

And I do mine.

Then we pair up for self defense and sparring.
He totally kicked my butt while sparring- I am not overly happy about that.  

Today was hair day!

Today was the day to redo L's hair.  I try to get a style to stretch over 2 weeks and sometimes it makes it even longer.  I took out her previous style yesterday, washed and conditioned her hair.  Put it in big braids to stretch the curls and then did this style this afternoon.  It took about an hour and she was not happy by the end (note to self: right before nap is not hair time).  It is one continual two-stranded rope twist starting just above her left ear and looping all around her head into a little bun.  It is great protection for her hair and makes getting her swim cap on very easy.  I can add a flower for decoration!  I'm hoping to make this one last till next friday!  We'll see.

I clearly need to finish my yard work.  Oops!  HA!

She wouldn't look at me and smile.  But she liked sitting in front of our pretty purple flowers!

Strawberry Time! Strawberry Time!

Well, now that its June and we are out of school, I think it is safe to say it is officially summer.  We've been to the pool, we've swam in the pond (I haven't yet I guess), and yesterday the kids played slip n slide at a friends house.

For me, though, one of the biggest "steps" to it actually being summer is strawberry season.  I love strawberry season.  And so do the kids.  They don't even complain about the picking part.  HA!  And we enjoy the "fruits" of labor all year long.  Well, as long as it lasts.  

The kids helped pick these 2 flats of berries at our local strawberry patch.  And they are still smiling.

 There aren't more pictures of us picking (although I wanted them) because the kids are the "slacker police" and will call you out on it-loudly.  One year my dad came with us and ran into someone he knew (which isn't hard) and the kids STILL get on to him about what a terrible berry picker he is cause he runs his mouth too much.  :)

2 flats = 26.5 lbs of berries.  Nom nom nom.

First batch of strawberry jam!  I love the color when you make strawberry jam!

Berries in the dehydrator....you can not fathom how good this makes the house smell...but it doesn't yield much so I don't plan to do it again but I'm glad I tried it!

Some of what all those berries yielded.  On the left-jam, on the right-sliced berries in syrup, and in the center dehydrated berries.  (yes they are sitting on my floor-it is less cluttered than my kitchen counter-don't judge)

From all the berries we picked, we yielded 10 pints of jam, 1 pint of dehydrated berries, and 6 pints of sliced berries in syrup.  Plus plenty to eat fresh and bake with for a while.  On my list for next year, a raised strawberry bed.  It is gonna happen!