Archery Recap

Today was the last lesson in our 6-week beginner archery course! Sadly we didn't all get to go; Jessi has a cold so she and Emily stayed home while Steve and I went on a little archery date. On the plus side, we had already learned all 10 steps in our previous lessons and today was just a 'fun tournament'.

So close, but didn't pop my balloon

Steve wins!

Overall, taking archery lessons was a great family activity. We enjoyed seeing our progress as the weeks went by and each managed to hit the yellow centre at least once. 

The most satisfying part was probably hearing the thwack of the arrow hitting the target! 

Episode 32: The Archery Lessons

The least satisfying part? Hitting my arm with the string after releasing it (during our first lesson), leaving a huge bruise and sore spot. Ouch!!

Week 1 injury -- never again!!

I wish I had more pictures of the girls, but there weren't many opportunities to take some (we were usually all shooting at the same time) and my plans to take a few pictures of them today were foiled by the sickness. Oh well!

Finally, in case we ever want to head back to a shooting range, here are the 10 steps for shooting with a bow and arrow:

1) Take Your Stance. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to the shooting line (perpendicular to the target line).

2) Nock an Arrow. Grab an arrow from the quiver, place it on the rest, and clip it onto the string directly below the nocking point. The odd-coloured feather should be the one closest to you.

3) Grip the Bow. Hold the bow against the soft part between your thumb and index finger. Wrap your other fingers around the bow so that your knuckles are at an angle (your pinky might not even touch the bow).

4) Grip the String. Grip the string with three fingers: your index finger above the arrow/nocking point, your middle and ring fingers below the arrow. The string should be resting in the crease of the first knuckle.

5) Raise the Bow and Draw Back the String. Raise the bow at shoulder height, then inhale as you slowly draw the string back. Focus on using your shoulder blades and elbow mobility to pull it back.

6) Anchor. Anchor your drawing hand under the jawline. The string should touch the tip of your nose.

7) Aim. Look down the arrow to the tip. Point the tip at your aiming spot (which might not actually be the target). Hold in this position for 5 seconds.

8) Release the String. Gently release the string from your fingers, keeping your hand anchored to your jawline.

9) Follow Through. Do not move from your shooting position (e.g. to look at where your arrow went) for 5 seconds. This prevents the bow from shifting too much after the release.

10) Relax. Drop your arms, roll your shoulders and head, move around to release any tension. Admire your shot!

Thank you, Kingston Archery Club!

March Break Highlights

We managed a perfect balance of activities and relaxation this March Break. The girls tried indoor skating for the first time (that's some nice ice!), we went on a couple of nature hikes, did some rock climbing, and had two archery lessons. The rest of the week was spent chilling at home. We started watching another season of Survivor (37: David vs. Goliath) and enjoyed the couple sunny, warm days.

Ready for Archery Lesson #1

Already improving in Lesson #2!

The kids are back to school today with a bonus: the mask mandate has been lifted! Everyone is excited to see their classmates' smiles after nearly two years of masking. A few other COVID restrictions have changed too, like bigger recess groups and closer seating arrangements. Is it the beginning of the end? Or just a temporary break? We shall see. 

Nathalieland Update - School/Archery/House/Hair

It's been a quiet start to the month of March! Just a few tidbits to share:

Character Dress Up. It's Spirit Week at school with a different dress-up theme every day. The only one the girls were interested in was today: dress up as your favourite book/movie character. So they were Clove and Katniss from Hunger Games!

Kingston Archery Club. Given the girls' interest in the Hunger Games, we thought it would be fun to sign up for archery lessons with the Kingston Archery Club. All four of us will be taking beginner lessons together on Saturday afternoons for 6 weeks (first lesson is this weekend!). We'll see how that goes.

Construction Next Door. Remember the empty lot/hole next door? It's finally turning into a home! A concrete retaining wall was put in place a few weeks ago and now they are filling and compacting the hole, getting it ready to put a foundation. About time!

A Healthy Trim. I'm having fun growing out my hair to see if I can rock long locks with gray streaks. But after six months of no cuts, the ends were looking scraggly! It was time for a healthy trim.

Other than that we are gearing up for the main events of the month: my birthday and March Break!