white belt babies

cole and madison tried something new today: martial arts class!!

they didn't really understand what it was (although cole had some sort of idea...) but were excited to go learn "commercial arts" (according to cole) and "martial arks" (madi's version).

i found a place that's literally three miles from our apartment that offers "tiny tigers" classes- it's for kids who are between 3 and 6, and since madison is less than two weeks away from her 3rd birthday, she was able to join too. they have a special going on that includes three classes and the uniform for super cheap, so we decided that both kids might enjoy it.

remington looks like he's a tiny tiger too... :)

they learned to kick- madi's pretty flexible, i noticed!

they also learned to punch. there were some other things they were taught as well, but the most important things they'll be learning are discipline (self- and in general), self control, respect (manners!), following instructions and taking turns. i wasn't sure what to expect, since they're both usually pretty outgoing and when they're excited, don't focus at ALL... but by the end of their class, they were saying "yes, sir!" and returning to their designated spots on the mats. i was really impressed with how well they did, and they're so cute in their little uniforms! cole didn't want to leave, but after reassuring him that he will be coming back in a few days, he settled down very quickly. again, i was impressed- normally, his disappointment leads to a semi-meltdown (or at the very least, some very tearful shouting) but having just come out of his class, he was still in his self-control mode. THAT was awesome... and even just now, when i reminded them to use their manners please, cole said, "yes, ma'am" and madi echoed with "yes, sir". i think that this class will be very good for both the kids- they can burn off energy, learn basic self-defense and best of all, learn some very important life skills while enjoying themselves. i'm excited... we're eager to see how this plays out over the next few months!!