Jay and Julie: Jiu-Jitsu Tournament and Pinewood Derby

Theo has now competed in 3 jiu-jitsu tournaments. We are so proud of his hard work! Mostly we want him to have fun, make friends, and get exercise.

This tournament he had 4 guaranteed matches.

The first, he had to tap after the first 30 seconds. That boy was 11 pounds heavier than Theo.

The next, he was way behind on points but then halfway into the match, he bucked the kid off his back, got on top, and did a figure 4 that finished the match. That boy was bigger than Theo but not by as much as the last boy.

The next one the boys had a really hard time getting each other, but eventually he put this kid in a figure 4 and submitted him. This boy was smaller than him by 2 pounds.

The last match was gi against the first boy, the one who he had lost to. Theo learned from the first match and was really smart. The boy tried the same neck choke 3 or 4 times that he lost to the first match. Theo didn't let him and escaped each time. The time ran out and the boy won by points. Theo was so tired at that point! We're very proud. He did a great job.

This was his winning no gi match. He's in black.

This was his winning gi match. Again, he's wearing all black, but a gi this time.

Theo won silver in both the no gi and gi categories for his weight and belt, which is white.

Theo's first win

There he is with his first medal. He got 2 by the end of the night.

This year our ward had a no-rules pinewood derby for a ward activity.
I made a car with the girls at my parents' house. The girls added stickers. Miri picked a variety of animals and an American flag. Wendy picked a skull and cross bones and bats for her side.

Wendy painted the purple dots and Miriam the pink

Miriam's side

Wendy's side

I thought we had another kit for Theo, but we didn't. Instead, he asked Jay and Jay rigged him up some wheels on a brick in 20 minutes. Theo also brought a car he had made from a STEM kit Tache had sent for his birthday. He didn't enter that in the contest, but he used it afterwards to race his friends.

On the way to the derby, I prepped the kids for the fact that our cars would probably not be the fanciest or the fastest. Miriam said with full 4-year-old confidence, "Well, I bet no one else has stickers!"

She was right.

The kids had a great time, even though Theo's brick unfortunately had a wheel issue and lost every race.

The girls' came in 4th!

I asked my parents to watch our kids while we celebrated our anniversary. A week before that I left the girls with them while I took Theo to get a filling.

My parents clearly talked to the girls about the fact that they would be watching them again soon and why.

I picked the girls up. As Wendy got buckled, she told me, giggling, "Guess what?! On Monday, you and Daddy are going to get married!!!"

She was so excited to for us. I explained a bit that we weren't actually getting married, and she asked, "Was Theo there when you got married?"

"Well, it was almost 14 years ago. Was he born 14 years ago?"

The girls were not sure.

Wendy loves to make sandcastles at her grandparents' and even colored a flag for the top

Wendy making paths to every room in the house

The creative way she zigzagged!

A loose dog in the neighborhood hopped in the car and the girls were delighted to pet him until his owner arrived -- she had a collar with a number I called.

Happy birthday, Alec!

Wendy and Miri lost to this teen and his Batman car. It was pretty cool. That car went on to take first

Here's a blue car the girls beat

I think this is Emerson's Lego car that we beat

Erik beating Theo's brick. But the brick was intimidating

Miri is strong

The girls were running back and forth between the splash pad and the playground. That's why they are in swim suits. I don't often have them match, but when they do, I love to get some photos.