Future-Ninja Daddy

The Boy continues his maturity-spurt.

With the inciting playground traumas that drove him to seek extracurricular activities getting farther behind him, his motivation—and enthusiasm—looked like it was beginning to wane there for a few minutes.

Friday, we went on a blind playdate at an indoor mega-playground with one of his teacher’s sons, who also has issues of social reticence. They hit it off great. We stayed waaay longer than I wanted to, and The Boy conquered his fear his crazy tall, slick, enclosed slides. Kicked its ass completely and repeatedly. Another confidence glitch fallen by the wayside.

Then he came through his first gymnastics class with want-to intact Monday night, so it looks like that’s squared away.

But he was a little bit grumpy today about being rushed to Taikwondo class right after school, indicating it would be really fine with him if we stayed home instead.

I had to remind him why were doing this in the first place, and that he had agreed to see at least the initial 10-lesson plan through. We talked some more a few of the critical areas in the last lesson where he could improve this time and how he could do that. We practiced in the front room. He really seemed to take pleasure in pounding my open palms with his fists as hard as he could.

Then at class tonight, he just blossomed. Right from the start, his focus, seriousness and concentration had made a quantum leap since the previous lesson. And at this stage of the game—as I told him on the drive out—all he has to do is show up, follow instructions, and he’ll advance.

And I guess he heard me. You’ve either seen the video above or rolled your eyes and decided to skip it (perfectly understandable), but compared to the clip below, he’s a whole new Tiny Tiger.

Before class, it still took a little arm-twisting to get him into his Taikwondo uniform; afterwards, he didn’t want to take it off all night, even when nature called. He’s ready to drive through blizzard conditions—in the forecast—to make it to his next lesson on Thursday. He can’t wait.

Me either. Today was a good day to be Fang, Sr.