JUMP

When I was a kid and did gymnastics there was something called a ski run. This was a long strip of mats that were bouncy enough to make it easier to practice and perfect flips and other tumbling tricks. If you lifted up the mat part you would see that the name was perfectly chosen as it was literally dozens of skis balanced on two long planks of wood. Yes, you could make this in your backyard and should! And then at some point the gym bought a trampoline run. This too was exactly as it sounds - a long trampoline used to practice tumbling and flips and also all sorts of other childhood shenanigans. It was so great that it was highly regulated and guarded by the more sensible safety conscious adults. I always thought it a shame that they didn't just keep building on a good thing and line up a few of the trampoline runs side by side so we could truly have a good time.

It turns out I was way ahead of my time and I was happy when my long overdue idea finally happened in the form of the now popular recreational trampolining places. 

As they are so popular they are also generally overpriced and crowded. And this is the big advantage of homeschooling. We get to do all these activities when they are empty. Since not many people are available on Monday daytime to jump up and down they also allow you to stay as long as you want for a minimal fee. I was very curious to see how long the kids would want to stay. Jumping is very liberating and joyous but it is also exhausting. And now I sort of have my answer. Kids are really incredible, they can just jump and jump and never stop. Or to the best of my knowledge - after four hours of jumping they are just as eager to keep going and have to be dragged away. Even pangs of hunger don't seem to deter them from jumping.

Not only did I get to jump on a trampoline this week and impress my children with flips, I also got to do way more exercise than usual. Canberra has a great group where moms get together to exercise. It is really genius as it addresses all the big issues with being an active parent: 1. you have kids with you  2. kids don't run very fast or far  3. kids don't really like doing any activities that don't revolve around them  4. childcare is costly  5. cost of childcare and exercise class is a lot  6. kids actually are exhausting and the few moments you get without them are often squandered enjoying rest and silence. I feel pretty good about myself that I manage to run once or twice a week. This week I got to go rock climbing, go to a boot camp, do running interval training, and jump on a trampoline all with the three kids in tow. I know now that while my child carrying muscles (biceps) and running muscles are well developed, the rest are nonexistent. I also know that jumping on a trampoline never gets old.

Exercising with kids (thank you photo taker!)

Prizes from book competition