We have had a busy summer. 
I tried my best to provide plenty of opportunities for him to have fun this summer.  I wanted him to feel like he had down time and time to relax.  So we went to the beach several times, Sea World, China Town, LA Zoo, the movies (Brave and Chimpanzee), the skateboard park (many times in two different states), river rafting, took a road trip, lots of swimming,  several birthday/bbq parties, attended gymnastics practice (12 hours a week), went to the XGames in LA and watched the Skateboard Vert. Finals,  earned a Junior Black Belt in Taekwondo and watched lots of episodes of Jackie Chan Adventures and Kickin' It on Netflix.
 In the midst of all the fun, we still attended a summer dual immersion program for five weeks with six hours of instruction.  The instructor, Sra. Soto, did an outstanding job preparing the students for first grade while reviewing what they had learned in kindergarten.  She also emphasized writing and how to use time markers.
First grade starts next Wednesday, so more adventures will be written in the forthcoming weeks and months!

Literacy at Home

Dim Sum

Dim Sum

We took the kids to eat Dim Sum at a Chinese Restaurant several weeks ago.  They just loved watching the ladies push the food carts around and then had great fun selecting various items from the carts.  They really like the shrimp and tofu.

Senior Red Belt Testing

Senior Red Belt Testing

He is now a senior red belt, with a white strip on his red belt.  He is almost there.  The next belt will be a black with a red stripe, indicating a Junior Black Belt level!

Diamond Elite Gymnastics

Diamond Elite Gymnastics

Tuesday, May 1, was the first day of gymnastics training for Jedadiah.  It was a rough start with much confusion.  I was told to bring Jedadiah on Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30, Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 and Saturday from 9:00 to 11:00. However, when we arrived on Tuesday, the office staff person said practice didn’t start till 4:00 and that the practice would end at 7:00.  Also, the level 4 team had not started yet because the level four coach broke his leg and would return to work when his leg has healed.  Finally, the price of the monthly tuition had increased by $25 dollars.  All of the changes created an uneasy feeling.  Fortunately, Coach Matt said that Jedadiah could start practice with the level 5 team till Coach Kyle returns. So I thought Jedadiah would start with 6 hours of training a week, instead he has nine hours of training.  This week, I could tell he was a bit grumpy on Wednesday because he is more tired.  Also he received his first blisters on each hand, while practicing on the bars and ropes for almost 3 hours.  Coach Matt said to put Neosporin or Chapstick on the wounds.  I told Jedadiah that eventually his hands would be covered with calluses, so he won’t get anymore blisters.  Seemingly, he is enjoying himself and making friends with the other boys.  For Samara and I, we will need to get accustomed to sitting and waiting for three hours while Jedadiah practices.  I need to bring and bag of goodies for Samara to play with and snacks for her to eat.  This is a huge commitment we are taking on.  We have already had to say no to the Parent University Graduation and a classmate’s birthday party. 

Good bye to KIPS Gymnastics

Good bye to KIPS Gymnastics

Saturday, April 28^th was the last day at this facility.  The kids were sad to say goodbye to all of their coaches and friends, where they have been for almost four years. Both Jedadiah and Samara received a four-year and three-year trophy respectively. In particular, Samara was so proud of her award and has displayed it proudly on the kitchen counter for the past several weeks.

Perfect Attendance

For the second trisemester, he won another award!