Going with the flow...

My youngest's judo outfit looks like it belongs to someone who's taken part in a mass murder. In fact, it is merely stained with the life-sustaining blood from his nose after a ferocious competition with a world champion. Well, not quite.

He was taking part in a Taekwendo competition and as his brother did judo, he's been training in a judo kimono. I thought it was basically the same, but those wily Taekwendons are not to be fobbed off with any old hand-me-down, no sirree. They have created a special Taekwendo outfit the trousers of which look similar, but the top is completely different. Instead of being a jacket, it's a tunic, and has the word 'Taekwendo' in huge letters sewn or printed onto the back. Just in case you thought they might be judo kits...

I had not really bothered about getting an official kit, but seeing as my youngest was the Only One in the competition today wearing the Wrong Kit, I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and succumb.

We were there for 10am. It started 45 mins later although the kids were warming up for some of that time. Little did us newbie parents realise that we could be there all day! If our little heros won their fight, they would go on further into the competition. Only if they lost and were eliminated could we be home in time for lunch...

My hero won his fight so I was delighted for him, but sighed inwardly heavily at the prospect of hours and hours of hanging about, food-less. At 12.15 us newbie parents were starting to fidget until our Taekwendo trainer came over and told us we could go and get lunch to be back at 2pm. Huge relief all round. My youngest's best buddy and his parents suggested we all go to MacDo, so we did, and it was playing on the tubes and climbing equipment there that my hero sustained his kick in the nose.

Very dramatic it looked too, with blood everywhere including on his kimono, but it was quickly under control, and he just needed a major clean-up in the loos.

My eldest was starting to rebel at the idea of hours more sitting on a hard concrete block, his Nintendo batteries dead, and the prospect of major boredom looming, so our kind new friends offered to stay and bring back our hero at the end so we could escape. I checked that this would not represent a major problem for my youngest (years later on the shrink's couch...), and off we went, not knowing, of course at what time he'd reappear.

This meant I was blocked at home for the afternoon, so instead of going to see the expo of my potter friend, I did (much-needed) housework. Do you ever get the feeling that greater forces are mucking around with your control over your time? I've spent most of the weekend being obliged to go with the flow whether I wanted to or not which is an irritating way to live. I am now annoyed at not having been able to do half the things I wanted to and feel guilty that I couldn't get to support my pal. However, as the mother of two littl'uns I'm sure she'll understand!

There's parenting for you!

Taekwendo Final Result: He came third in his class and arrived home sporting a medal!