The nieces are so athletic!
Jul. 24th, 2008 01:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
Yesterday, when we went to gardening, we decided to walk up Battery Park City instead of taking the shuttlebus. We didn't have time for the playground (no matter how fast they walk, 1.6 miles takes some time!), but they did have plenty of time to climb on the artistically placed boulders, to go on the stairs up and down and up again, to throw coins in the fountain, to look at the fish - oh, and to climb the barely-slanted walls.
The barely-slanted walls, you say?
Why yes! The barely-slanted walls!
They're made of red stone, somewhat rusticated, and they slant *barely*. They're maybe 5 feet, little less? Ana climbed up them easily, I made no move to stop her or anything, I've known for a while now that as long as she can get a hand up she can climb straight vertical surfaces much higher than her head.
But Evangeline wanted to copy her, and asked me to help. Well... I didn't really want her up there, it was 5 feet above the ground, so I said "No. If you can't get up there yourself, you have no business being there in the first place." (Which I really do think.) So she goes "Okay" and starts up!
I thought she'd get half a foot up and jump back down, so I let her.
No... half a foot, a foot up, I realized I had to spot the girl. I had essentially said she *could*, so I didn't feel right telling her no at that point, but it's not what I meant! I told her so at halfway up, but she just giggled.
And she made it.
No help from me!
We went to Union Square today. Had to get some sheep yogurt, and wanted to stop by the farmer's market. Got stuff. We stopped by the "playground".
It's not really a playground. It's a small lot with sand, and with the two wimpiest climbing structures ever, a geodesic dome and a curved ladder, and those have literally been there since I was a kid.
When we got there, the little kids (honestly that area is *so* strapped for playgrounds) were climbing all on the outside of the dome. Ana did that too, and when she got to the top I told her that instead of climbing down like everybody else, she should slip her feet in, swing, and drop. So she did, and that was fun, and it inspired her.
Next time, she went up on the *underside* of the dome, got to the top and kept her feet walking.
FLIP!
She immediately attracted a host of copycats, though none of them managed (or wanted) to flip.
Also, Ana can now get on a swing and move it by pumping her legs. No initial push, no help at all.
This is a happy, happy event!
The barely-slanted walls, you say?
Why yes! The barely-slanted walls!
They're made of red stone, somewhat rusticated, and they slant *barely*. They're maybe 5 feet, little less? Ana climbed up them easily, I made no move to stop her or anything, I've known for a while now that as long as she can get a hand up she can climb straight vertical surfaces much higher than her head.
But Evangeline wanted to copy her, and asked me to help. Well... I didn't really want her up there, it was 5 feet above the ground, so I said "No. If you can't get up there yourself, you have no business being there in the first place." (Which I really do think.) So she goes "Okay" and starts up!
I thought she'd get half a foot up and jump back down, so I let her.
No... half a foot, a foot up, I realized I had to spot the girl. I had essentially said she *could*, so I didn't feel right telling her no at that point, but it's not what I meant! I told her so at halfway up, but she just giggled.
And she made it.
No help from me!
We went to Union Square today. Had to get some sheep yogurt, and wanted to stop by the farmer's market. Got stuff. We stopped by the "playground".
It's not really a playground. It's a small lot with sand, and with the two wimpiest climbing structures ever, a geodesic dome and a curved ladder, and those have literally been there since I was a kid.
When we got there, the little kids (honestly that area is *so* strapped for playgrounds) were climbing all on the outside of the dome. Ana did that too, and when she got to the top I told her that instead of climbing down like everybody else, she should slip her feet in, swing, and drop. So she did, and that was fun, and it inspired her.
Next time, she went up on the *underside* of the dome, got to the top and kept her feet walking.
FLIP!
She immediately attracted a host of copycats, though none of them managed (or wanted) to flip.
Also, Ana can now get on a swing and move it by pumping her legs. No initial push, no help at all.
This is a happy, happy event!
