The End of an (Acrobatic) Era

Twelve years ago the girls got a big gift on Christmas morning: an indoor climber in the basement. It's been a big part of their childhood, providing entertainment, exercise, adventure, and exploration for them and their friends/family. Even to this day, when the girls' 14- and 16-year-old friends come over, they gravitate towards the fun of swinging, climbing, and hanging.

With all those years of use, the climber was showing its age with loose rungs and broken plastic parts. Its weight capacity was also definitely being exceeded, adding to the risk of injury. Yesterday we decided it was finally time for the climber to come down. It felt like the end of an era!

We converted the acrobatic space into a media room with couches, TV, Nintendo Switch and karaoke machine. I'm sure the teens will make lots of fun (albeit less active) memories here. Granted they can always hop on the bike and elliptical instead. Ha!

Nathalieland Update - Frisbee/Shopping/Cousins/Swim

Summer Frisbee. Steve is back to playing Ultimate Frisbee after taking a year off due to Achilles pain. Sadly I'm not back on the field because my "sprained ACL" turned out to be high-grade chondromalacia and early signs of osteoarthritis, diagnosed through an MRI and x-ray. Nevertheless I attend every game as a cheerleader and scorekeeper. A couple of weeks ago the girls joined me -- a nice treat!

Summer Shopping. Speaking of the girls joining me, I haven't had to grocery shop alone since the start of the summer break! I enjoy the company as well as the help with checkout and carrying. I bet it'll feel lonely come Fall.

Summer Cousins. With all their time off, the girls have been spending lots of time with their cousins. Whether it's escape rooms, games, crafts, swimming, or shopping, they always seem to have fun. We even enjoyed a visit from their littlest cousins, Maggie and Louise, for some snuggles and playtime. 

Escaped from The Undersea Overthrow!

Summer Hike. Steve just got back from a 3-day trip to the Adirondacks for some major hiking. He and his friend Colin climbed four mountain peaks in two days: Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge on Day 1 (7.5 hours, 12.6 km and 1,3332 m elevation) and Mount Colvin and Blake Peak Trail on Day 2 (10.5 hours, 22.5 km and 1,237 m elevation). What an accomplishment! 

Summer Swim. While Steve was away we spent a full day with Lorelei and Caleb, the highlight being a chilly swim in our neighbour's pool.

Too cold for me and Emily!

Three cheers for summer!