TKD...

We know many people who started their children in dance, gymnastics, soccer, or whatever else when they were 3 years old. And that's great for them but we didn't think it was right for Phoebe. She likes to do a lot of things but that doesn't mean that she'll want to do them on a regular basis for long term. Not to mention the effect on family time & the pocket book when you're children are involved in too many things at one time.

Phoebe really likes to swim. She took her first swimming lessons when she was 6 months old. I think she's part fish :o) She really enjoys being in the water. Last year at this time, they had a swim clinic for her age group. It was for a week or so & then at the end of it you could decide if you wanted your child to join the local competitive swim team.

Phoebe wanted to do the clinic so I signed her up. At the end of the week they sat all the parents down & went over how much the swim team cost & everything else that was involved in it. My heart sank as I knew I was going to have to tell Phoebe she could not join. One it was too expensive & they wanted all the money up front...plus you had travel expenses on top of that...and two, it was a huge time commitment.

So as thoughts whirled around my head as I tried to figure out how Randy & I were going to tell her that she could not join, she came up to me & said, "This has been good Mom, but it's a lot of work. All they want to do is race & I want to just swim & have fun." Whew...what a relief! She was content to take swim lessons at the YMCA during the winter & go to the local pool (almost) every day in the summer.

During her kindergarten year she did participate in Daisy Girl Scouts & Upwards Cheerleading, which she really liked & is doing them again this year. Both of those activities are a good fit for her & our family. The Upwards Cheerleading is only for 3 months of the year which leaves the rest of the year other than swimming in the summer as an "active activity." Phoebe really likes music & dancing but she's not what I would call a "girly" dancer. I couldn't see her grabbing ballet shoes & going to dance class every week. The same for gymnastics & other activities that her friends are in. So I kept praying about it. I prayed that God would show me what Phoebe should do & when she should do it...and he did :o)

I kept sensing that she should take some sort of martial arts class although I had always been set against it. A couple people mentioned to me that they thought that would be good for Phoebe & then I got a coupon to try a TKD free for 6 classes. Hmmm, looks like this is the direction we should be going :o) So Phoebe started TKD (Tae Kwon Doe) four weeks ago & she really likes it. She has one more free class & then she will officially join.

Somewhere down the road, we may have all the children in it. Shakira & Samara both sit beside me as we watch Phoebe & they throw the punches right on time as the instructor calls them out. And it might help Caleb to "man up" a little :o) but he has to wait at least until he's 3 to join the "Tiny Tigers."