Those times when you wish you had a picture...

Today was one of those times. I didn't have a camera with me, but it probably would not have been the most appropriate times to take a picture anyway. Jael had a class in karate today. They are every Sunday and Thursday right now, and this was just a regular class. Usually the door to the room is closed during class (partly due to the chattering Moms, but they were amazingly absent today), but the teacher let it stay open even when he saw me getting a peek. Class started out with the teacher taking roll and telling students where to sit. Jael was put on the front row with some of the bigger kids. Most of the kids are smaller and younger than her; and a bit more squirrel-y too. She listened, and followed directions, and did the stretches and warm-ups as I would have expected her to. Then came some punches and kicks. The teacher stopped to correct her form a couple times and she kept working hard to get it right. I saw some of the others get tired and half heartedly go through the motions when the teacher wasn't looking, some even when the teacher was looking. But not my Jae. I could tell as the class wore on she was getting tired, but she still did her best. She tried to have her best form, slow down to do it right, and not skip to the end so she could rest. I saw such effort from her and I was bursting-at-the-seams proud of her. Near the end of class Cai and Se were nearly crawling in the door to watch and the teacher invited them in to participate. Cai shrank back, but Se, who has requested to take Karate this spring, slipped in for a couple exercises then slipped out just because she was so giddy at the thought of joining. I can only hope she will learn from her big sister what hard work looks like (she has the determination down flat - we just have to learn to channel it more productively). So, I don't have a picture, but I am, beyond a doubt, proud of my hard working, strong, and determined karate white belt.