Note From Sophia's Sixth Grade Science Teacher -- September 19, 2025

 

Sophia's Gold Medal -- Jiu-Jitsu -- September 6, 2025

This really was a big, big deal -- for all of us!

Link here. Jiu-jitsu tournament in Dallas, Texas, where they take their sports really, really seriously. 

In the video below, Sophia is in white, to the observer's left -- she outgrew her "black competition robe," and her new robe has not yet come in.

Sophia won all three matches by "submission," after getting her opponent in a "headlock" -- a dangerous position for. her opponent. In a headlock, the opponent will "tap out" -- the opponent will ask to stop the match so she (Sophia's opponent) is not injured. 

Sophia has perfected her technique to bring her opponent down, bring her opponent down on top of her, wrap her long legs around her opponent, control her opponent, and then quickly, move her legs into a headlock -- Sophia's legs wrapped around her opponent's neck in a choke hold. Her opponent has no choice but to "tap out" -- concede, to prevent serious injury.

Matches are scheduled for 3:00 minutes. Sophia ended all three matches today, by submission. She ended the first two matches under 1:53.

In the video below, Sophia's South Korean coach was at the mat, filming. This was such a big deal, the wife of Sophia's coach was also at the mat, watching Sophia. The coach's wife is also a martial arts instructor, excelling in taekwando, rather than jiu-jitsu. 

After the third win, in the video below, look how excited Sophia's coach was. I have never seen her coach so excited.

Link here.

On the awards podium:

 

Sophia's First Day At Cooking School -- Sur La Table, Southlake, TX -- July 28, 2025

 

Sophia Getting Her Newest Belt -- The "Highest" Grey Belt -- July 25, 2025

 

Sophia Getting Her Fourth Stripe, Solid Grey Belt -- July 11, 2025

****************************
Sophia Getting Her Fourth Stripe 

The next stripe will be the "next belt."

July 11, 2025.

Black Sheep -- Summer, 2025

After soccer!

Sophia's Balcony Barbershop -- May 29, 2025

The last time I had a haircut in a barbershop was in February / March, 2020, just before everything closed up due to the Covid pandemic. From that day on, Sophia was my barber.

Earlier this week, a small trim.

By the way, we just bought Sophia an expensive, high-end, authentic electric hair clipper used by professional barbers and also an authentic pair of scissors exclusively for cutting hair.