After 2.5 years, kids are getting even closer to BLACK belt! (^_^)

CONGRATS to our Red Belts ~ ~ 9 months to go!! (^_^)

I still remember the day I decided that the kids are DEFINATELY going to do Taekwondo (aka: Take-My-Dough)...... and that was the day they had a big cat fight in my Honda Odyssey.....in which they literally demolished the DVD cords which were attached to the dual car-mounted DVD monitors! I think we were stuck for like forever in the minivan coming ALLLLLLLLLLLL the way back from Victoria, Canada to our home in Ladera Ranch, CA. The summer trip was a 12 day live-out-of-suitcase-trip traversing all states on the west coast. NEVER do that, EVER!

 

I almost abandoned ship when the kids flipped out that day and wanted to jump on a plane and let hubby and kids can come back by themselves...... So I decided that moment....that as soon as we get home, I'm going to sign BOTH of them up so they can fight PROFESSIONALLY! Let Mr. Kim teach these wild youngsters how to respect and cohabit with one another without breaking each other's body parts! Hence, ever since August 2011, Mr. Caleb and Miss Abbie officially joined our Ladera Ranch ATA Taekwondo Martial Arts! (Btw, they still fight all the time, only now more fearlessly and forcefully. Respect for one another is out the window (unless they are in public with complete strangers, of course). Their monthly advancement in belt color and ranking is actually making my physical discipline extremely difficult because they can now swiftly and reflexively block all my angry swats and run/dodge as fast as my flying chickens!




From innocent little White Belts, they spent the last 2.5 years working their way up, faithfully attending classes twice a week, tournaments once in awhile, and testing every 3 months.....(and mommy & daddy paying week by week.....by week......) to be where they are today!

 

LOVE THE NEW COLOR RED!!!

Little RED belts they officially are....as of today!!!.... they are now officially 9 months or so from getting their BLACK belts!





Come to think of it, they will definitely have to finish their red gold bar belts and recommended black belts.... in the Philly suburbs somewhere! That's ok, the MOST important thing about parenting is to Savor the NOW and worry later about where in the world the new ATA place (on the other side of the country) may be!




This Blog post is dedicated to daddy Mark, who is still freezing like Snowman in the blizzard-ridden Philly! Your kids did superior today! Great job!!




Cupcakes ALWAYS follow a new color belt!!!

 

Our Laker Team's Very 1st Basketball Championship Victory !! ~ (^_^) Woohoo!

 

 

I look back and Caleb has been playing seasonal leagues (8 weeks per season) since quitting his baseball career last March. It was super hard for us all to change gears about his decision to stop baseball altogether (after all, he's going PRO, right?), not to mention the financial commitment ($500+) for his new travel-ball team membership/uniforms/equipments, etc. 

But after a chilling 3 day tantrum/meltdown marathon we realized that his mental health was more important than anything else.

So we accepted the end of his baseball career and just focused on letting him get the exercise & teamwork/skills exposure regardless of what sport he chooses, AND not expect him to be the one realize our (ok, dad's) athletic career (day)dreams! Little did we know that this was the beginning to great opportunities and a wonderful turning point in his (and our) life!!















Note: And really, looking back, I'll DEFINATELY choose sitting indoors, on actual chairs, for just one hour, OVER being outside....lugging around folding chairs/heat lamps/blankets/ski jackets/baseball bats, helmets, gears, in the cold/rain/wind/blazing heat, for 2+ hours, watching my kid stand around on the field or sit on the bleachers waiting for his turn to touch the darn ball... ANY DAY!



We played a few leagues in the past and it was hard for Caleb to get used to the extreme physical contact of this sport, not to mention the gigantic boys constantly towering over him. He was always the youngest in his academic and athletic life due to his late birthday (Thanksgiving), but he seemed determined to enjoy and do his best at whatever he puts his mind to. At first we thought if none of the 'balls' worked for him, he can enter Track and Field in Tesoro high school, since he was nicknamed "Dash" for his super speed! I guess with our latest Basketball Playoffs, the speed paid off handomely too!

We had super skillful, wonderful and gentle Coach Dan and Assistant Coach Ara! They coached for many years and taught the boys all the basics so they would have a solid foundation. He helped train them in teamwork, attitude and skills. All the boys played extremely well with one another, helping each other out when needed on and off the court, and no one was ever left out. The whole season was full of fun, and went super smoothly....so smoothly that we were undefeated all season! We thank the coaches especially for the time and energy they dedicated to train/lead our boys, by experience and by example!

Yesterday we played 3 games at the playoffs. The last 2 games in our Championship games were with the "Heat", a formidable team that was undefeated except when they lost to us one time. Amazingly, the boys put all their skills and coolness to the test and came out triumphantly! We played them twice and we rose to the top at the end!! The Youtube videos (sorry, mama Soph is an amateur videographer....I'm sure someone on the team has super highlights with captions and bubble annotations, haha!) speak for themselves!
Enjoy the videos, dear Lakers team and Coaches!











You are all wonderful, respectful and kind boys (and our dear girl KELLY!). We are so blessed to get to know all of you in these short weeks! Look forward to seeing you all at the Summer League or when school starts in the fall....or at Pavillions?!!

With Love and Gratitude ~
Sophie, Mark, Caleb (#4) and lil sis Abbie
 

On Your Mark, Get Set, SPARRRR!! (^_^)

This is the first week the kids officially begin Tae Kwon Do!



It's exciting because it's a sport the kids actually do together, and since they love fighting so much, I decided to let them do it professionally. Speaking of fighting...... Lately I got to thinking....why do these sibs fight & bicker so much? Yet when one of them is not around, the other mopes around looking sad/bored! I guess that's the sibling 'dance' - the constant ebbing and waning of feelings. At home and with each other, they feel safe to unleash their lowest and highest emotions, without fear of rejection or judgement. It is in the home where people accept you as you are, and you don't have to act like class talent, super scholar, or star athlete. Hence, this summer I've learned to also accept that the sibling duo will continue to test one another with their 'true self'. After all, home is where  you can let yourself all hang out, and family memeber still love you for the way you are!



So this ATA Martial Arts training, twice a week, will help 'bond' the 2 peas in a pod....  The class consists of a good combo of  strength/endurance exercises, learning respect for others, learning self-control and responsibility, and socializing with other kids too! So we will take on this challenge for 1 year, and see how it goes! Good-bye to Ballet for awhile, and watch out world...for my 2 karate kids (Abbie especially)!

This Summer is So hot! Here is Abbie's alternate karate wear

One problem I do see (drawback for moms) is that the kids (well, Abbie) know how to block me (and kick back) when I try to swat her when she misbehaves! Maybe I should take mommy karate to counter her attacks!

Cirque De Soleil Siblings ~ Caleb & Abbie's 1st Circus Camp

I was flipping through Orange County Register, and an ad from Cal Elite Gym's caught my eye: "Circus and Aerial Camp, Fun for Kids of All Ages"! I though...."Hey, it's a very good deal and my monkeys can go together!" I even took the extra precaution to call the gym and ask them if a 9 yr old Boy would enjoy this special kind of camp. The teenage receptionist cherrily answered, "Of COURSE your son will enjoy it!! Sign him up NOW!" And so I did. To my surprise on day 1, we were greeted in a small room with 2 female gym teachers and 17 girls whose ages ranged from 6 to 14! There was NOT a single boy in sight!



Hiding my surprise, I nonchalantly told Caleb that, "Oh, the boys may arrive TOMORROW. Have a good time kids!" And ran as quickly as I could. I wasn't bad actually. When I picked them up 3 hrs. later, they actually all had a great time! They even went up fabric ropes like they do in Cirque de Soleil, and climb up high trapeeze and did aerial stunts!





I was surprised that they actually did things that you see in Ringling Brothers, and Caleb was balancing on a huge ball like the elephants on "Curious George" episodes! It was a super fun 5 day camp, and the experience will surely be another unforgettable one in the kids' memories. Though it was a very unusual camp, and Caleb was a bit on the minority when it came to gender, the two siblings learned to cope with different arrangements and adapted super well!

On the last day of camp, they did a "Surfin' USA" Show, and Caleb ended up being the Top Dude, enjoying his spotlight, albeit short-lived, as "Mr. Lifeguard"! Hey, now THAT is every guy's dream!!

Summer fun continues w/Uncle Steve & 2 Karate Kids!

After the trauma of being car-bound with 2 wild rivals (ages 9 and 5) on our super long trip 2 weeks ago, I decided to take the ultimate step of discipline (too much love at home!) and enroll both kids in ATA Martial Arts! They both were very excited going to the trial class and begged to enroll right away!  I think that will be a good place for them to work out, learn self-control, self- defense and build confidence. What's great is that they can both do fun/constructive things together (a bit trickier and not doable in more gender-defined team sports like baseball and ballet....)!

The ATA Martial Arts combine Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Kung Fu, which is very different from other similar types of martial arts. And they have hundreds of locations in the U.S. (and outside). If we go to Vegas or other places this coming Christmas, the kids can train there too! Very cool (^_^)!



We had a fantastic fun visiting Uncle Steve last weekend too! He bought a really cool professional camera  and started a new hobby in photography! He captured on his photos sweet moments of (and between) the siblings that were too quick for me to ever catch!

This is my camera....you can see the blurriness (^_^)

I was so touched by the beautiful pictures and emotions inspired from the looks on the kids' faces! Thanks for a great time, bro! Keep up the good work, your hidden potential was officially revealed last Saturday!

Sibling love!! Gonna blow this one up to 8 X 10 and put on our wall!

My favorite picture of me this year!

Abbie's eyes were glowing!

I could feel the coldness of the water on Caleb!

Abbie learns to swim from daddy

My Little Leaguer ~ Caleb the Tarheel, Go!

Caleb began his new Spring baseball season! Time really flies... I can't believe he's in his 3rd year of Little League already!

I'm thankful that I have a sweet boy (and girl) who loves life, works hard (in school) and plays hard. Watching him enjoy the love of his life ~ baseball ~ makes me realize that God created everyone with different passions, interests, and talents. Whatever they are, if we use our gifts for the Lord, and enjoy what we do for Him and others, then our life is meaningful and abundant.

Go Caleb ~ Go Tarheels! Enjoy the process, not the result or score. The friendships you cultivate , the challenges you face, the trials you endure, will shape and mold you into the vessel that God will use some day.

Love you and enjoy what you love too!

Abbie the Soccer Girl ~ Go Blue Angels! ~(^_^)~

Today is the first time Abbie plays in a soccer team....with teammates, soccer, goal and opponents! We were very excited!

This morning, we woke up with excitement and decided that we are going to have a good day! As it turned out, Abbie threw a big tantrum and had to be timed-out many times (not wanting to eat breakfast), but finally she calmed out, and surprisingly she was full of energy during the game!

They could steal the ball and change directions ~ amazing!

She ran like a bullet and made the first 2 goals of the season! We were so proud of her!



Other parents asked if Abbie played before, but I told them that she just loves "kicking"....everything and anyone around her. They reassured me that this 'talent' is paying off, and could mean the beginning of a shining soccer career!  

I'm tying my shoes! No cameras please!

She loved playing and running, and it was funny to see some of them score in the other team's goal. It was confusing to everyone, I must say, since they switch goals at halftime. Not easy for little ones (or moms)!

The girls look professionally serious!

The girls loved cheering on their teammates and enjoyed their super yummy snacks too! Thanks everyone for your love and support!



Abbie fell asleep after (a big tantrum after) the game! I guess she never ran so much/hard before! Here's the slideshow for a milestone day for her (^_^)

Opening Day ~ Go Trojans!

The season has officially begun after weeks of training (and tornado and rain)! Caleb had a blast and Abbie and I dawned our Trojan-wear to cheer him and his team on.

Abbie cheers big brother on!

Pix taken by Abbie. Here, mama becomes a Trojan!

Caleb runs in and changes to his 'batting' gear!

Abbie plays with "Winnie", our neighbor Katie's doggie!

Katie's son Blake is Caleb's good friend on our steet and on the field! 

Caleb started Little League last year as a 'Rookie' Dodgers player under the guidance of our dear Coach Matt (his buddy Blake's dad). Now he's moved up a notch and is in Single A. Single A teams are very professional and very serious when it comes to training, full-swagger gears, and promptness! I have much to learn from these little guys!

It is very fun to watch these games out in our parks. Just remember to dress accordingly! It's freezing in the late afternoon. Good thing we bought our thick, warm Trojan gears, Abbie girl!

Coach Howard pep talks and praises the team after our opening game.

Go Dodgers GO!!!

We just started Caleb in his very first baseball little league! They practice once a week and games are twice a week. I really enjoy watching Caleb play his games! It's 59 degrees out there and I'm cheering him on in the freezing cold, and it's really fun! I've never joined a baseball team growing up, so I guess I'm living vicariously through him!



Caleb and his schoolmate Blake is on the same team, and Blake's dad is the head coach! The kids develop teamwork, listening, and self-discipline skills during practices and games! Caleb's favorite team had always been "Angels", so at first it was hard for him to dawn the Dodger's outfit. But pretty soon he got used to it! Enjoy my boy! This is your childhood!

Caleb's Two Very 1sts Today!!

Today was a busy day for us! Caleb had his very first Little League try-out at 12:30 noon.

Then 1-hour after the try-out, Caleb showered, changed into his next outfit, and arrived here! He had been fidgety all week because this would be his very first piano recital.