August 29, 2007

New Beginnings

Today was the last day of summer vacation for Big I. We spent the day having a picnic in the park by ourselves (since everyone else started school days ago), skipping stones across the creek, and taking about 4000 slides down the sliding board. We also traumatized Lil C a bit by making her go down a big tunnel slide.

Tomorrow, Big I will go to first grade. It seems like just yesterday that I was sobbing my way through her first morning at Kindergarten. I’m hoping I can hold it together tomorrow, because she is beyond nervous. She’s excited that she’ll be in class with her best friend, but the whole staying through lunch thing is just really bothering her right now. I think I’ll be packing a bit of chocolate in her lunch box tomorrow, because we all know chocolate is a cure-all. Something tells me that recess will be as well.

I’m also a little worried about Lil C. The girls are constantly disappearing to play dress up during lazy afternoons, and have made a fort a day in the living room. Without Big I around to entertain her, that job falls to me. I’m going to have to tune up my fort making skills pronto and figure out how I’m going to fit in a size 5 Cinderella dress. It’s going to be a rough transition for me and Lil C without our event director around during the day.

Tomorrow isn’t the only new beginning for us. Tomorrow night, Big I and I will venture out for our very first night at our new karate school. I got the o.k. for kata and basic’s last week from my doctor. I’m still not allowed to have any contact that’s going to jar my neck and no one is allowed to throw me; but that is temporary (probably for the next month) and then I’ll be back as good as new. Most of the neck soreness is gone, although I realize that it’s going to take some time to build up that crazy damaged muscle in there to where it was before.

Due to some circumstances out of our control, continuing to go to our original school became impossible. Because our former karate school approved a transfer, Big I and I are able to stay within our original federation, which means we’ll be able to keep our rank and have a much easier transition. It’s also a much shorter commute; and I have a babysitter super close for nights when Mr. BBM’s schedule and karate are just not meshing (which is pretty much always).

I already know a lot of the people there, having met them at the past two training camps, so I’m very excited. Big I is pretty excited too. She actually began telling me she was missing karate last week, so it seems like a short absence made the heart grow fonder. That can only be a good thing. It’s going to be exciting to see what kind of progress she makes now that she’s feeling motivated.

I’m going to really miss some people at my old dojo. There’s a little girl who was going to be testing for Shodan with me. She’s a sweetheart with great skill. There’s another man, a Shodan, who was always a fabulous partner and great lunch pal at training camps. He was also a paramedic who watched me nervously when I was 34 weeks pregnant with Lil C and still trying to keep up with class. I knew I was in good hands in case I went into labor early though. That statement made him even more nervous!

There are also some fabulous little kids there who I loved watching progress; and a brother and sister Shodan duo who were always willing to jump back out on the floor and help get me unstuck on kata’s. I also had some great instructors there: one who helped me graduate from foam to wooden nunchaku after much mental counseling and encouragement, ones who spent extra time helping me when I was stuck or frustrated, one who helped me rid my apologetic ways from karate, and those who instilled the love of karate in me from day one. I truly made some great friends there.

I certainly won’t forget where I came from, but I am excited about where I am going. The instructors where I’m going are excellent. I know because I spent time learning from them at training camps in the past. There are 9th, 8th, 7th and 4th degree black belts who teach there (there may be others, but those are the ones I know of right now). I am sure that Big I and I will be in good hands there, and we’re excited to begin our new adventure.

As far as I know, I think I should still be o.k. for Shodan testing in February. Of course, that will be up to my new instructors; but thankfully the neck injury was now and not closer to testing. If it had to happen, it was a good time for it.

So this blog will now probably head back to its karate roots. My summer of tentatively nursing a neck back to health has come to an end. Let the new school adventures begin. . .