Jiu Jitsu

 Well we've officially added a new activity: jiu jitsu.  This came about because Evie's still struggling with sleeping after the burglary in November; she keeps imagining what would happen if someone were to break in while she was sleeping.  So I asked her, would it help if you took a self-defense class and she immediately perked up and said yes.  After a quick Google search, I found a place close by and signed her up for a trial class.

When we first walked it, it was very loud, and I could see Evie shrinking already.  Then she was invited to go out onto the mat with the rest of the kids and she was pretty reluctant.  So the guy who had checked us in called over one of the female instructors and introduced her.  The instructor said, "Oh, I was really nervous my first time too.  It's okay, I'm gonna stay next to you the whole time."  And she did.  But she also introduced her to another girl about her age, and they partnered for the half hour for all the sparring.  Then at the end of class, the main instructor called her up in front of the class and had her demonstrate her skills and then had her break a board.  The look on her face when she broke the board in two is something I'll never forget - she was so proud of herself.

So we are signed up for jiu jitsu now.  She was hooked.

This girl amuses me so much with her back flexibility drills that she creates for herself.  Here she is wearing her wolf slippers, putting her feet on top of her head.

This weekend was the Easter egg hunt and this was Evie's first year to be too old to hunt, so she helped hide eggs for the younger kids.  She also took a group of kids to their hiding grounds and gave them an amusing set of instructions wherein she dealt with a past trauma by telling the kids that if someone falls and their eggs spill out of their basket, don't come and grab them all.  Apparently this great injustice was done to her several years ago and she's never gotten over it.

Hiding in the hallway

Giving instructions to her charges

We dyed 19 eggs Saturday afternoon.  I'm always thrilled that she still wants to do these traditions with me.