Karate Tournament 2011

Today we are sitting in the gym at the College of Mines in Golden to watch Grant compete in a Japanese Karate tournament. He will perform his kata and them spar.Grant started classes the second half of second grade. He takes one day a week after school so progressing is quite a bit slower than with the Kenpo Karate classes he took a couple of times a week in Carrollton.

Last year Grant competed in Japanese Karate for the first time. Being a beginner he didn’t score high, but the idea he performed in front of so many people, remembered all of the moves impressed me. In Grant’s group there are 6 boys.

Wado-Kai is the name of the styles of Japanese karate Grant is learning. Wado-Kai is one of the four main styles in Japan and Europe. The name means “way of peace”. A visual used, empty hands, is the same as used in Kenpo.

Grant won’t go home with a metal today, but he will go home with high marks, and a proud family. This year his movements are stronger and crisper than last year.

Spelling Bee

Tad and I sit in the gym waiting for Grant to walk in from his class to join the other kids in front of us that will compete in the spelling bee. Both our boys amaze me with there willingness to try new challenges seemingly without fear.

Most weeks Grant get all of his spelling words so we already know he is a strong speller. We practiced on and off the week before the competition.

Grant is the last student to show up. He takes his sit and I begin to relax. The 25 contestants introduce themselves, tell the name of their teacher and their grade level.

When the rules of the bee are explained we find out it’s just fourth and fifth graders competing with each other. Oophs, we should have been practicing those fifth grade words too.

On the first round several kids go out. They exit to the side wall and sit with a teacher that gives a couple of pats as tears roll down the cheeks of the kids.

Grant goes out in the second round and my heart goes out to him. Its the luck of the draw to quite an extent, you may get words you know or perhaps like Grant, the word you don’t know.

Round seven starts with seven kids. This time they drop one by one until the last boy is standing. Eirik is one of Grant’s friends and he is also I strong speller. Then the work, rodeo. What? Rodeo is kind of a let down.

After the bee parents and kids hug, and everything is good again. I find out Eirik’s parents offered him a bribe. It worked.

P.S. The first winner of a national spelling bee died at the age of 97 on March 23, 2011. Here's the link to the story.