September 12, 2007

With a Cherry on Top

I started out my day at midnight. An extremely frustrated Mr. BBM brought down a crying Lil C and said, "I give up." Mr. BBM puts her to bed each night and it just wasn’t happening. I suspected that she wasn’t feeling well, so I got her a drink and cuddled with her on the couch for a bit. I figured her marathon of sleeplessness would end soon.

I was very wrong.

Lil C stayed up until 2 a.m. A very tired me realized that I had to get up at 6:50 a.m. in order to get Big I off to school on time, and I knew then and there it was going to be a bad day. When the alarm went off at 6:50 a.m. on the dot, there was only one thing to do. . . hit the snooze button.

I enjoyed ten more minutes and then dragged my very tired butt out of bed. I threw on some shorts, leaving my pajama top on because I had every intention of walking Big I to the bus and coming right back in to hit the pillow again.

Things were going fine, right up until Big I went upstairs to brush her teeth after breakfast. It was taking a ridiculously long time for her to get back downstairs. I was watching the clock nervously, not wanting her to miss the bus. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I charged up the steps, opened the bathroom door, and there she was with this wide-eyed look.

"Oh thank God, Mommy! I couldn’t open the door." Apparently, six-year olds forget that they should dry their hands on a towel before attempting to open the bathroom door. I told her not to close the door anymore to brush her teeth and we both ran down the stairs.

We grabbed her stuff and ran out the door with one minute to spare. We were sprinting to the bus stop when my neighbor called my name. I was about to tell her I really didn’t have any time to talk when she said, "I think you missed the bus."

That was it. My master plan of going back to sleep was over. I quickly retrieved a hot Lil C from her crib. I thought for a second that maybe she was just hot from being under her covers, but I knew I was grasping. We raced Big I to school and returned back home for a visit with the "birdy" (ear thermometer).

102.3. Fabulous. Just what my Tuesday morning needed.

I gave her some medicine and lured her back to sleep in my bed with Sesame Street reruns. We woke up a few hours later and I spent the rest of the day following around a very runny nosed Lil C.

T minus 72 hours before I have whatever the girls have had. It’s a given.

I spent much of the rest of my day having an email debate with someone who happened to stop by my blog on a day when I was talking about his biggest pet peeve. It was exhausting.

Then, while I was on instant messenger discussing a trade possibility with a teammate in one of my fantasy football leagues, some guy IM’d me out of the blue and asked me if I could "do a full split"? He then also asked me what types of techniques I would use on attackers. I sensed he was looking for a little more than martial arts advice and quickly made my exit.

Big I and I then went to karate tonight. I don’t know what Big I’s problem was, but she was just not into it tonight. She seemed like she was in the twilight zone or something. It was just not clicking for her. I think she was tired, and that she’s still getting used to her school schedule. Tonight showed me though, that I need to put some tape on my makeshift basement dojo floor for her so that she can learn proper stances. I know she’s only six years old, but I get so frustrated with her when she zones out like that.

Follow that with the advanced class where I had to do my kata for Shodan, Seisan, in front of a small crowd. It’s good I did. My instructor was able to point out some crucial things I was doing wrong and give me some very good explanations are far as bunkai goes. I was just nervous being out there in my new dojo in front the advanced crowd, but I guess I better just get used to it. I have much practice to do on Seisan this week.

By the time Big I and I arrived home, my head was just pounding. The lack of sleep, lack of hydration (due to being too busy wiping a little nose all day to get myself much in the way of food or drink) had just caught up with me. Plus, September 11th always makes me feel blue, as it well should.

Sometimes, however, storm clouds come with a lovely silver lining. I got a new comment from someone who said he came from BlogsWeLuv.

What’s that?

A quick search on google brought me to the site where one of the contributors, (and also my blogging buddy) Da Mack Daddy had written this totally awesome, completely flattering review of my blog!

A little ibuprofen for the headache, and a new badge to put on my blog make me very happy. Thank you DMD for such a nice send-off on an otherwise craptastic day!

Posted by Black Belt Mama on September 12, 2007 in Mental Strain for Mama | 10 Comments

September 11, 2007

Like a Sore Thumb

I recognized him instantly and it sent a chill down my spine. He stood there with a grocery basket in my grocery store. He wore a black baseball hat, a baggy t-shirt to match, and held an unlit cigarette in his hand. He stood apart from everyone else in the store. Instinctively, I held Lil C a little closer to me and was happy I hadn’t stuck her immediately in the truck cart.

I made sure to make eye contact with him. I wanted to send him a message that I knew exactly who he was, and that I am no one to be messed with. It wasn’t just my paranoia. My husband recognized him instantly too. After we were out of earshot, we both spoke at the same time, "That was definitely him."

About a month ago, I got an email from Family Watchdog. I had registered with them a while ago. Their site offers information on how to keep your children safe. They also offer notifications when a sex offender moves into your area. I have 111 sex offenders living in my area, but this email greatly disturbed me. This sex offender had moved .4 miles from my house, on the same street that I live on.

I was able to see his picture and some of the details of his arrest. When I took a walk with the girls a few days later, I realized that we often walk right past his apartment. It made me sick. I can deal with it when they live a few miles away, but within a few minutes walking distance is just entirely too close for comfort.

I don’t believe that sex offenders can be rehabilitated, especially those who go after children. People who go after minors have serious mental problems that can not be solved by a short jail sentence. I know all the issues with full jails, but I don’t think that convicted sex offenders should see the light of day. Why should I have to trust that they will treat me and my children with respect, when they have already shown once that they can’t?

I once read a research study somewhere that said that those who commit sexual assault are likely to be repeat offenders. My sister used to work with sex offenders. One day, one of the sex offenders attacked one of her co-workers. Once they’ve done it once, they will do it again. It’s only a matter of time and opportunity.

I know that they are walking amongst us all, but to recognize one of them so clearly in my own grocery store was so unsettling. I think about how I used to play outside for hours at a time when I was a little girl. My girls are under constant supervision when they’re outside. My parents never really talked to me about "bad people" when I was little. Sure, I got the "don’t talk to strangers" that every kid gets; but I have already had in depth conversations with Big I about what makes a good person, what makes a bad or dangerous person, and how she needs to handle herself if she’s unsure.

There are arguments that the problem is no worse today than it was years ago, and that crimes involving sexual attacks are picked up and blown up by the media. But it’s hard to deny that there’s a serious problem when you go to Family Watchdog, type in your address, and watch the screen light up with colored dots showing where convicted sex offenders live and work, within minutes of your home. When they’re also shopping at your grocery store, alongside you and your family, it really hits home.

Posted by Black Belt Mama on September 11, 2007 in Mental Strain for Mama, Things that get my gi all in a bunch | 15 Comments

September 10, 2007

Britney’s Booty and Other Rants

It’s been a while since I let off some steam, so I thought I’d let you know the things that are on my nerves as of late. Please feel free to share your thoughts as well.

Britney Spears

I was at a wedding reception last night, so I missed what is being called a train wreck of a comeback. Yes, I’m talking about Britney Spears. Let’s first get something straight. I am no fan of Britney Spears, but I was curious as to how her opening performance at MTV’s VMA awards was going to go. I went to MTV’s website and watched it for myself, after reading several scathing reviews on various news venues. While I agree that her lip syncing was completely off, and that her dance moves lacked any sort of motivation or get-up-and go, I am highly annoyed at those out there talking about the state of her body. That 25-year old train wreck has had two children in the past two years and she was on TV in a bikini. No, she’s not as cut as she used to be. Yes, she has a bit more of a booty, but cut the girl a break already! She’s had two kids and she looks THAT good!?! To quote John Stossel, "Give me a break!"

Boys and Field Hockey

I read an article in my local newspaper about a problem with field hockey in my county. Apparently, there are some schools who are allowing boys onto the girls field hockey teams. Because of this, certain schools are putting in place policies that state that their all girls hockey teams will forfeit to any team with boys playing, rather than have their girls risk injury playing in a game against boys. Last year, one of the local schools had three girls get injured during a single game against a team who had several boys playing. One of the girls even required stitches.

Now, if you know anything about field hockey, you know that there are strict rules against making body contact. Field hockey can be a very rough sport (Ask my still bruised up shins if you don’t believe me), but the injuries usually come from high sticks, and/or the ball. Apparently, it’s becoming more of a contact sport with the boys on the team.

Here’s my take on the whole thing. If boys want to play field hockey, great; but get your own team. I think it is ridiculous that boys are being allowed to play on a girls field hockey team while there are able-bodied girls sitting on the bench. If a team doesn’t have enough players, that’s one thing; but sitting girls on the bench in order to play boys is not at all fair. If Big I or Lil C ever play field hockey and a boy plays ahead of either of them, I’m going to have a serious problem with that.

While I’m all for equal rights, there are more sports for boys than there are for girls. Cheerleading does not count as a sport. (Don’t even argue with me on this one, because I am a former cheerleader. Extracurricular "activity" I’ll give you. Sport? No). There is no valid reason for allowing boys to start taking over spots that should belong to girls on a girls team. It’s not like the boys don’t have plenty of their own sports.

Studies have shown that playing sports is highly beneficial for the self-esteem of girls. Good self-esteem helps to keep girls out of bad situations: drugs, teenage pregnancy, excessive drinking, to name just a few. I don’t think that allowing boys to play on a girls team does anything to promote girls confidence, which is what girls sports are intended to do.

When a bunch of girls at my high school decided it would be fun to play football, we rounded up enough girls to make a team and set up a game with another school who did the same. If the boys want to play, they should get their own team, plain and simple.

Fantasy Football

For those of you who don’t know what it is, here are a couple definitions for you. The first one is courtesy of wiki:

Fantasy Football is a fantasy sports game in which participants (called "owners"), arranged into a league, each draft or acquire via auction a team of real-life American football players and then score points based on those players’ statistical performance on the field. A typical fantasy league will employ players from a single football league, such as the NFL or an NCAA division. Leagues can be arranged in which the winner is the team with the most total points at the end of the season, or in a head-to-head format (which mirrors the actual NFL) in which each team plays against a single opponent each week. At the end of the year, win-loss records determines league rankings or qualification into a playoff bracket. Most leagues set aside the last weeks of the regular season for their own playoffs.

Here’s my definition:

Fantasy Football is the equivalent of banging your head against a brick wall on a continual basis with emphasis placed on Sunday’s. "Owners" choose a starting line-up and then watch their bench-goers get twice as many points as any of their starters which subsequently makes them wonder why they ever thought playing fantasy football would be fun in the first place. Fantasy Football is an exercise in anger management like no other, where "owners" must either learn to deal with their anger appropriately or suffer a fantasy football related aneurysm.

Examples: BBM chooses to play Ladainian Tomlinson and Maurice Jones-Drew as her starting running backs for week one. LT scores 19 fantasy points. Maurice Jones-Drew scores 3 fantasy points. Adrian Peterson (sitting on my bench) scores 29 fantasy points. Don’t get it? Here’s another one for you: Marc Bulger scores 13 fantasy points. My bench QB, Ben Roethlisberger scores 32 fantasy points. Want another one? Here you go: Vince Young scores 9 fantasy points, while my benched QB Jake Delhomme scores 27 fantasy points. Think that’s bad? My opponent’s starting QB, Drew Brees scores 1 point while his bench QB Tony Romo scores 42 points. He’s still probably going to beat me, which makes me even more irritated.

Deep breath BBM, deep breath. . .

Feel free to post your thoughts, but keep it respectful or your comment will stay in the cave.

Posted by Black Belt Mama on September 10, 2007 in Things that get my gi all in a bunch | 9 Comments

September 8, 2007

Sore

Wrap your entire house in bubble wrap and foam, and I guarantee you that my toddler will find a way to hurt herself. Lil C was playing in my bedroom while I was blow drying my hair when this happened:

Lil C, meet nightstand knob. Nightstand knob, meet Lil C. Why did she have to hit the knob at that exact spot??? WHY? WHY? WHY?? As if the dive into the nightstand wasn’t bad enough, you know? It took about an hour for it to stop bleeding. It wasn’t a fast bleed, more like a little build up that would drip eventually if not wiped.

I don’t know the last time you tried to dab blood off of a toddler, or put ice on a toddler’s injury but it doesn’t elicit a very cooperative response. Even after finding a Cinderella washcloth and pleading with her to "Please let Cinderella ‘kiss’ your boo-boo" it was pretty much a lost cause.

The good news is that we have no need for purple princess eye shadow when playing dress up, because Lil C has got the natural kind of eye color going for her right now. The gash is a nice burnt red, and the layers of rainbow-like goodness go down from there. Today, we have shades of purple, blue, red, pink, a bit of green and I can almost guarantee that tomorrow will bring with it a bit of buttercup yellow.

We are just one month shy of the big number two birthday, which means that the pictures may have been spared. She’ll look less like an UFC fighter by then, I’m hoping. I guess she just decided that she’s celebrating the NFL kick-off with her own personal flare.

She did this on Thursday. I would have posted about it earlier, but I have been unable to do just about anything without being in pain. My neck is fine. It’s the 100+ jumping jacks, the 50 killer crunches with legs in the air, and the multiple push-ups at the beginning of some classes that are making my life a bit unpleasant right now. It’s all part of the getting back in shape process so I’m dealing; but it’s not really cool when your husband knows he can poke you just about anywhere and you’re going to shriek in pain.

I spent time in karate classes this week working on moving drills, break falls, open hand kata, more weapons kata’s (bo, tekkos, etc.), and some cool self defense vital point striking with both open hand and some small dowels.

Yes, the neck injury girl said break falls. For non-karate-ka’s, practicing break falls means practicing the proper way to fall so that you minimize the potential for injury. Falling in the proper way means going against the natural instinct to break your fall with your hands alone when falling forward, or when falling backwards to go down on your spine, neck or head, all of which could cause serious injury (Trust me-I know). When you fall down on your side, the proper thing to do is keep your body in tight, and make a triangle between your torso, your leg (from hip to knee) and your arm, which slaps the ground a few inches away from your knee. I don’t know who this guy is but he does a pretty good demonstration if you’re interested:

We spent an entire class this week working on break falls, and I was happy to do so. I wasn’t brave enough to start from a standing up position, but I did make it up to my knees and that was plenty of practice for now. We also did karate rolls in class. I sat out for that part because I still need to be careful with my neck.

Although I don’t think that a proper break fall would have helped me when I got injured in July (because I don’t think I even had a chance to exercise proper technique with the way I was thrown), it was definitely a good thing to go over in baby steps, as we did. I did not understand the little nuances of the break fall before. I know I didn’t have the proper angle when it came to my slapping arm. I didn’t know that it mattered where you slapped, and was slapping out perpendicular to my body instead of angled V-like down toward my knee. It was the same with the back break falls. I thought you were supposed to put your arms out in a T position, when a V-position works much better to stop your momentum.

I ended up working out at the dojo for about six hours this week with three different instructors. It feels so good to get back to it, that I can’t seem to get enough right now. My injury break was like being stuck out in the desert. I’ve now found an oasis.

Posted by Black Belt Mama on September 8, 2007 in Mental Strain for Mama, Tales from the dojo | 7 Comments

September 5, 2007

Whole New Aura

I went to my massage therapist appointment today. As my therapist came out to get me, she smiled and said, "You’re back at it. I can tell. You have a completely different aura about you." She’s right. I do. I am a very grumpy person when I don’t get to go to karate classes. Being back feels so wonderful.

During my massage, she said the muscle tension that was in my neck and back is just gone. It’s amazing what a build up of stress can do to your body. I am very glad to be rid of it.

Speaking of stress relief, I had another great class at the new dojo last night. We did some moving drills individually and then moved on to some two-man moving drills. I partnered up with my buddy from camp last winter, the one I suffered through those brutal two-man leg stretches with and it was great. "Like old times" he said. It’s so nice to already know many of the people there. They all seem happy to have us there.

Of course, last night I went solo since Big I came home from school with a 102.5 temperature and body aches (Yes, already. Can you believe it???). She spent the day at home, and seems to be better. I’m glad it was just a 24 hour thing since I’m sure it will make its way through the entire family before Big I brings some other germ home.

Last night was also a chance to meet one of the other instructors at the dojo. He ran a great class, and made it a lot of fun too. We did a ton of work with weapons (bo, sai, nunchaku). Boy, do I need to work on my nunchaku. That kata always gets dusty if I leave it alone too long, so I definitely need to practice it more often.

Over the weekend, I spent some time outside working on my bo kata’s (when I wasn’t exposing myself to Hershey Park). I spent a good 15 minutes just working on hand changes, and then I spent some time incorporating them into some basics, before drilling them into the three bo kata’s I’ll need to know for Shodan.

I feel pretty good about the state of my bo kata’s. They are all sticking in the brain pretty well; and I even feel comfortable with bunkai for the first two thanks to a fabulous bunkai partner who doesn’t seem to mind how long it takes for things to stick in this brain of mine. "Patience" must be his middle name.

So, the aura is good. My stress level is down and my neck seems to be holding up just fine. Now if I can just get Big I to hold up for the rest of the week. . .