Bauer is doing great things these days. He seems to be our busiest kid. He is somehow able to balance his love of playing Star Wars Angry Birds II (which came out September 19 aka Bauer’s Christmas and was downloaded at 6:59am by a very nice mommy), playing on a soccer team, a demanding pre-K curriculum at daycare, staying potty trained and karate lessons several times a week. This AMAZING kid definitely doesn’t get enough press time here on the blog. So this blog gets two segments highlighting his soccer and karate aspirations!
Soccer Star – Take 2
We are either eternal optimists or gluttons for punishment! We (well I) signed Bauer up for soccer again this Fall with the Plano Rovers.
There are so many reasons I thought this was a good idea. Well maybe there are only two: Bauer’s two years older (and hopefully wiser) this time and we actually live in the town he is going to play in (last time we are in the midst of moving from Arlington to Plano).
If you don’t remember how well it went last time, please take some time to refresh your memory. http://www.3littlebs.com/?p=5013 or http://www.3littlebs.com/?p=5006
So far this season has been a vast improvement! Bauer has attended and participated in all but one practice. He has played hard in both games (even in one when it was like 1000 degrees outside).
He keeps wanting to go back for more. There is a hope for a mythical (or maybe not so mythical) championship trophy and/or medal at the end of each game that keeps him engaged, but I support whatever motivates him.
Here he is in action:
Are you sufficiently amazed by this guy? You should be! We are definitely surprised and just darn excited that he is doing so well. I mean we still have to remind him what way to run and that the game is still going intermittently throughout the game. There are still those distracting dragon flies that call his name repeatedly. But overall this guy is doing great. And even though the allure of the mythical championship trophy/medal could end tomorrow, he gave it another shot and that is huge progress for Bauer.
Belt Test Worthy
Bauer continues to be a leader in his class at Tot-Wando. He knows his stuff and never gets nervous about showing off in front of parents and classmates alike. We had the pleasure of watching his next level belt test this past weekend. He had the highest belt of the group and got to be the leader throughout the whole belt test. Being the second Murphy child with a very competitive older sister, this was music to his ears. He didn’t even have to compete for it. Mr. Scott just called his name every time they started a new skill and he got to go first. It may very well have been the best hour of his life to date.
What was even more impressive was that he left the test briefly because he had to go to the bathroom. Yep, that’s what you call potty trained. It may have taken us until 5 and some change, but we think (everytime I blog about this, he regresses) we have finally gotten to the promised land of “no more accidents”. Can I get a hallelujah??!!!
Watching Bauer among his peers in karate reminds me what a good kid he is. I am famous for not giving him nearly enough credit because he has proven to not go with the “status quo” on a lot of these parenting adventures. I am trying my best to really just see things through his eyes as he gets older. He may need that extra hug or that extra pat on the back and I’m going to do my best to give it to him.
It is so great that even though he takes karate while at pre-school, we can have him tested on the weekends so the whole family can come watch. I think it is so good for his self-esteem to show off for us!
Front of the line…
All those adorable tots…
I love this picture because this is how Bauer sits throughout most of karate. They tell the kids to keep a bubble in their mouth so they don’t talk. He is the only kid who takes this literally. It does keep him focused and ready so again, I support it!
And just like that Bauer went from a camo belt to a yellow belt! 
Thank you Bauer for always reminding us how to laugh, have a good time, be passionate and do things when we are ready! Couldn’t imagine my life without this redhead in it!
