Is it too early to consider entering a tournament?

Since I had a cancellation for a GNO on 11/19, there's a tournament in Lincroft that the Grandmaster is supposedly attending. Not that I know this guy from anyone else, and he's not SOO revered to me (although respected for his position, nonetheless), I'm wondering if I should be thinking of going anyway, just for my first tournament experience. Of course, there's probably a cost involved, so I'd have to see about that. Heck, I'm only an orange belt at this point. I'm pretty sure the I can get most of the form figured out by then, and my one-step spars figured out. Maybe if I buy the mouthguard, Ma'am will let me borrow the sparring pads (or I can get them cheap online like at eBay), and I can learn to spar PDQ. Then again, who would take an orange belt working on Songham #3 seriously at this stage? Hmm...it's something to ask about. I'm sure Ma'am would be thinking that I must be out of my mind, but I'll ask nonetheless. The worst she would say is no, but I'm invited to come watch.

Class was a little tough today, but nothing I couldn't handle. Mr. Anderson was instructing again since Ma'am is in Florida at Fall Nationals. He's helpful, but I think he feels a little out of sorts since I can't do the sparring or weapons to be able to help out, so he gives me kinda pendantic drills to do instead. But part of the drills he had everyone do was 10 push ups (regular or modified) and then run and do 10 punches. Well, of course I can jog and do the punches, but 10 push ups? I can't do one, and can only go halfway with the modified ones, if that. I assured him that I've been trying to do *1* pushup for 20 years, and I can't, especially because I'm so topheavy. Stick boy didn't seem to care, but was friendly about it, encouraging me anyway. Can't say this place doesn't reek of positivity, that's for sure. Otherwise, I was happy to get another small chunck of the form today, and I definitely have my first one-step down pretty well.

The other challenge for the day was Drew. Today he and I took his first Tiny Tigers class. He was the youngest one there. While he did pretty well with the last tw0 Bear Club classes, one of which I took with him, so it was a little disappointing when he acted up a little for even me. The best thing to do was threaten him with sending him back to the "baby" class again if he didn't comply, and that usually whipped him into shape. Man, if he only paid attention and focused, he'd get so much more out of the class. I can say that he did enjoy learning the new jump kick that we have to do. He's learning the beginning of Songham 3 too. Except even he got more in his first day of the form than I did! Maybe because he's little and not expected to have perfect form like I am. I think he was being a little trying because he was getting a little overloaded with this being a new class and a new way of doing stuff. Hopefully he'll start to comply a little more again, as long as he's reminded that in order to stay with the "big kids", he has to do this.

I have class at least 3 times this week. Man, between days the place is closed and times I can't make it, I can't seem to get a regular schedule going in class. Oh bother. But at least I'm getting it all in!