Yellow Belt Ninja

Elianna recently tested to receive her yellow belt.  This means she received 3 black stripes on her white belt.  People sometimes ask how you get stripes and new belts and in general, just how does it work?  So here is my feeble attempt to explain it all.

The white belt is the very first belt she got when she started karate.  In order to get a stripe on her belt, she had to learn certain kicks, punches and forms (sorta like choreographed karate moves).  Once she learned those specific kicks, punches or forms, she received a stripe.  Once she got 3 stripes, she was then eligible to test for her yellow belt.  This meant on a specific Saturday, she went to the Dojo and in front of her Sensei and another Sensei, she had to show that she knew all those kicks, punches and forms.  

They were super gracious to her since she is one of the youngest kids in our Dojo.  Sensei Lee pulled her aside and had her do those kicks, punches and forms just with him.  Elianna still gets super distracted by all the other kids around her and is learning that she needs to focus on what she is supposed to be doing not what all the other kids are doing.

She did a great great job and received her yellow belt.  She will be at a yellow belt for quite awhile.  One of the forms that she must learn while she has her yellow belt is called Pinan #1 and is over 20 steps long.  Many of those steps are repeat but you still have to remember what order they all go in.  She is doing good so far!  It's exciting (and cute!) to watch her!  

Photo courtesy of Sensei Anita

Photo courtesy of Sensei Anita

With Sensei Lee

Waiting to receive her yellow belt

Rubbing the sweat off with the new yellow belt -

Elianna was really unsure about this part

Yellow Belt Ninja

Throckmorton

On Saturday, August 17 baby Throckmorton was born.  Of course, he has a real name now, but in my heart of hearts, he will always be Throckmorton.

Harrison Carter Hubley

August 17, 2013

6:22 pm

9 pounds 1 ounce

20 1/2 inches long

Congratulations to Eric & Sydney!

PreK

There is a perfectly good reason why nothing has been updated for a week.  The title of this post:  PreK.  It all began when I looked at her supply list and saw backpack on the list.  No biggie, right?  Until I went to the store and realized that vinyl easy to tear backpacks are $30 for a cheap one.  What?!??  No way!  That's when this came into play:

For someone who only started to sew in December of last year, this was a pretty big task especially when the tutorial said that it was not for beginners.  But why should I pay that any mind?  It did not turn out perfect which is a tough thing for a perfectionist to say.  The zipper is a little cattywampus but ah well.  Elianna likes it and that's all that matters.

Last week was full of supply shopping, uniform shopping, nap skipping, backpack making, meeting the teacher and a back to school meeting.  Throw in the fact that I came down with a killer cold over the weekend and it has been crazy around here!

Elianna goes to school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons which explains the nap skipping.  So far it's been tough but I'm hoping that her little body gets used to it ... and soon!  

Yesterday was the big day!  Chris was at work in the morning so Elianna and I started the day out by going to Lamar's donuts and Starbucks for breakfast.  I figured the newness and shyness she always has at first would counteract the sugar high I put her on at breakfast.  Worked like a charm!  

Chris was able to meet us at school and so the two of us walked our little girl to her room.  The teacher had given all the parents an extra 15 minutes to come and get their kiddos settled into the new class.  We didn't need it!  While I was introducing Chris to her teachers, Elianna put up her backpack, walked right in the room without looking back and made herself at home in the reading circle.  We never even told her goodbye. 

Apparently she had a good day.  She said she played, ate a snack, and didn't learn anything.  Ah yes!  The time old answer of not learning anything.  They learn that early.  The one thing she did tell me about her day was that her teacher told her "no dilly dallying".  No surprise there!  She has my very southern roots of moving at a slow pace.  

Welcome to PreK little girl.  Our prayer is that you learn much not only about letters and numbers but also about God and His love for you.  We also pray you learn about sharing with other kids and learning to problem solve in situations.  Mommy is glad for 9 hours a week to grocery shop and clean the house ... alone!  

July 4 2013

This year for July 4th, we partied with our friends, the Pollards, at Dicks Sporting Goods Park (the soccer complex).  There was all kinds of free fun kids stuff to do - bouncy houses, bubbles, stilts, zip line, mechanical bull and much more!  These events were going on during the soccer game, and once the game was over, they had the most spectacular fireworks I have seen in a long time!  Elianna wasn't so fond of the fireworks because they were "too loud".  And in usual 4th of July fashion, the traffic to get out was horrendous!  However, we have made our plans to get out for next year along with inviting tons more friends since we had a blast!

Kaleb on the mechanical bull

Jenn on the mechanical bull

I missed Chris riding on the mechanical bull due to Elianna freaking out about going into (not already in but going into) the little kids bouncy house.

Elianna right before she freaked out on the mechanical bull.  Do you see a recurring theme here?  We have a scaredy cat kid.  Com' on!

Elianna and Dani being silly

A Daring Rescue

On June 5, 2013, my brother, Eric, went into the waters at the Palafox Pier to save a man from drowning.  All of the links to the videos and newspaper articles are now "archived" and unless you pay for them (not happening), you can't see them.  Below are two statuses from the Pensacola Police Department's FaceBook page:

Pensacola Police Department - June 6, 2013

Kudos to Officer Eric Hubley, who jumped off Palafox Pier Wednesday night, to rescue a man who had jumped or fallen into the water.

Pensacola Police Department - July 17, 2013

Congratulations to Officer Eric Hubley, who was given Life Saving and Silver Cross medals today by Chief Chip W. Simmons in recognition of a recent incident where he jumped off the end of Palafox Pier to rescue a man in the water.

This is a link to his church, Central Waterside Church, where Eric talked in detail about the event:

Central Waterside Church

Good job, Eric!  We are proud of you!

Greek Festival

Once we got home from vacation, we hit the ground running!  We met Andrea, Sam and Ben at the Greek Festival right outside of Glendale.  We ate lots of good food - spanakopita and baklava - and enjoyed the greek dancers.  It was loud but fun!

Elianna and Chris made coasters

Ben before finding the dirt

After he found the dirt

Vacation 2013 {Part 16 of 16}

What?!? you say?  The last post about vacation.  It's about time. Sunday morning, Rhonda took us back to PA where PopPop and Nana meet us to take us back to NJ.  Of course, we had to make one last pit stop at Rakestraws for more ice cream.  We weren't scheduled to leave for CO until Tuesday morning so Monday was a play day for us.  A play in the rain day to be specific.  It poured Monday morning leaving us with great puddles for Elianna to stomp and splash and wash her hair and lay in.  She had the best time!  It was one of those times when I'm glad I put aside my prissy self and let her be a kid.  It has to be one of my favorite memories!

After we were all dried off (ha!), we went to the new Bride and Groom's house for dinner.  It was so great to listen to their honeymoon stories and get to spend actual time with them before we left.  Elianna and Dave drew and played while Lauren and I talked.  The perfect combo!  Thanks Dave and Lauren for getting married and giving us a month long vacation!  Although I will say I was super glad to be home after being gone that long!

Vacation 2013 {Part 15 - West Virginia}

There is no way we could go "back East" and not visit Chris' brother and sister-in-law.  We love Uncle Marky Mark and Aunt Rhonda and miss them so much!  We were so glad we could spend 5 days with them - even though it rained pretty much the entire time we were there.  The rain was nice though since we needed some down time to relax and recover.  We watched movies and, in general, just visited.  The last day we were there (Saturday), it finally stopped raining long enough to go to the park so Elianna could run out the energy she had been saving up during those long rainy days. 

Aunt Rhonda bought Elianna the cutest rain boots

Elianna dancing while Uncle Marky Mark plays music