Get Outisde

In homeschool, we take this motto seriously.  It's one of the main reasons we love getting to spend each day together.  Today was no different.  

Our homeschool group is lucky enough to team up with the non-profit organization, Get Outside which provides free gear and instructors for kids to get outside and learn new sports and skills.  This time it was rock climbing. 

Never mind that it's "a-hunn-na-nees" outside already.  No shade in sight and after a long climb up the canyon, we were running dangerously low on water already. These kids didn't mind at all and quickly geared up.  I was proud of Kurt for going first. 

They first practiced climbing up the beginner's wall.  It took some of them a few times to get the hang of it (mostly coming down) and more than once they climbed up to help one another and encouraged each other when things got scary.  

I was floored at Sis.  After quickly conquering the beginner's wall, going back up to help Isla on her way back down and then up again (just for fun), she decided on her own to go and try her hand at the intermediate wall. 

She has always loved the climbing walls at the indoor places we've gone to, but as she put it, "this was much more harder because it's hot and you have to guess at where to put your hands". True to her nature, that didn't stop her one bit and more than once she reached all the way to the top. 

That's our Ava-Brava! 

Cash climbed the beginner's wall, got up to the top and then came down.  He preferred spending most of his time roaming the rocks near us and hounding for rocks and curious curiosities.  True to form, he came running over after an hour or so, sweating profusely and carrying the remains of a snake's skin.  Whatt'a guy!

This one.  He turned 4 yesterday.  As they were putting him in the harnes, the guy turned to me and said (in a reasurring tone), "I don't have a harness small enough for him so we're just going to make this work." Yikes!

What he didn't expect (and I knew would happen) was that Grant would barely wait for the harness and then shimmy his way up that rock without a second thought.  I'm sure the poor instructor thought he'd go a mere two feet, not all the way to the top!

As he climbed (over and over, and over) the instructor often turned to me and asked, "He's how old again?" and "Are you sure he's only 4?" 

Yup. 

Welcome to my world, man.  

At least he's got a harness on this time! 

That helps calm my nerves.

A little.

We climbed all day in the hot, hot sun.  I was so proud of these kids.  I thought for sure they'd be too hot and complaining about how hard it was and needing shade.

Fortunately, it was quite the opposite.  As the instructors packed up (we'd been there since 8am), the kids all gave a collective sigh of dismay.

We decided to end the day together at Zeppe's Italian Ice place.  One of our rock climbing instructors told us about it and we knew we just HAD to try it.  After all morning climbing in the hot, hot sun- it was a perfect treat.  

I'm proud of my little rock climbers and their desire to Get Outside, 

even if it is "a-hunn-na-nees" ouside!