August 16, 2011

the family that plays together...

A good day in L.A. starts here.


And then, Lewis will usually say.........
'Let's go work out'
and so we go here, The Santa Monica Pier.
My kids have hardly noticed that there's a full blown amusement park less than 100 yards away.
They are so completely happy with the ropes and the balance beams and the rings and the slack line and the people.


This rope is about 25 feet long and the pros do it without their legs. Della is a pro.


The slack line looks simple, but looks are deceiving. We spent a good three hours trying to get across.  We cheer and shout and fall and keep trying. We're probably louder than most folks and we tend to collect a crowd and then they want to try, too, so we cheer for them.




People watching is world class here. I mean WORLD CLASS. It is so fun watching families, the very young, and the very old, the professionals, the gymnasts, the homeless, the touched, all with their unique physical programs. (The big time body builders are down at Venice Beach and that's fun, too.) So many families come here and have their routines.... yoga, calisthenics, tai chi, gymnastics. We stand around together and talk and take turns. It's all the people that make it special.


The rings are my favorite. The first time we visited here I imagined that the people on the rings had just arrived from the nearest circus wagon train. It was exotic and fascinating. The men were so agile and their flight back and forth seemed effortless. Ain't so. This is one heck of a fun work-out and if I ever win the lottery I will install this in my back yard. What you can't see very well in the pictures is that the rings are about ten feet apart. Body mechanics are crucial. We were committed to mastery and all of us got it, but not without some serious blisters. Chalk helps, should you go try it!



 And, of course, when you're all pooped out you just run down and jump in the Pacific Ocean and body surf till dinner time. 

How does your family play together?

2 comments:

  1. I would love to have those rings in my yard too! Looks like ya'll are having a great time!xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love these photos! Also, you are one Fit Mama! How do you stay in such good shape?

    ReplyDelete

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