Preparing for parade
Sep. 18th, 2014 07:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamajoan(crossposted from Facebook)
The Open Air Circus asked for volunteers to participate in the Cambridge RiverSing parade this weekend, so the kids and I said we would stilt-walk the parade. Then I decided, oh crap, we had better do some practicing. Ruthie and I hadn't stilted since the circus performances back at the beginning of August, and Isaac hadn't done it in more than a year.
So tonight we strapped them on and walked around our house for a bit. It was somewhat comical. At first Isaac was wobbly and almost lost his nerve, but quickly regained confidence. I had a little trouble getting myself up and was a bit shaky at first too. Ruthie was pretty pleased to find herself the most skilled/confident of the three of us. I was okay after a minute, but then Ruthie needed help tightening her straps, so I tried to sit back down on the front stairs and couldn't do it (didn't quite have the nerve to drop my butt that far -- with both kids urging "Just let go and fall on your butt!" and me saying "that's easy for you to say, you don't have as far to fall!"). Finally I got myself down, tightened Ruthie's straps, then Isaac got down and took his stilts off to go change into pants, so I stayed down in order to help him get re-strapped.
Finally we were all good to go, and went around through our driveway to the rear patio. By then it was getting pretty dark so I was like, maybe we look a little insane walking around our patio on stilts in the dark. LOL. Anyway, we walked around a little bit and then the kids were like "can I download an app on the iPad?" etc., so we went inside.
I'm not so sure about the wisdom of us doing a parade together though. It can get a little Three Stooges-ish with the kids poking and slapping at each other, and me trying to use either or both of them for support at any time. But hopefully we'll get a chance to practice a bit more before Sunday evening. I just mostly don't want to fall on my face. Wish me luck.
The Open Air Circus asked for volunteers to participate in the Cambridge RiverSing parade this weekend, so the kids and I said we would stilt-walk the parade. Then I decided, oh crap, we had better do some practicing. Ruthie and I hadn't stilted since the circus performances back at the beginning of August, and Isaac hadn't done it in more than a year.
So tonight we strapped them on and walked around our house for a bit. It was somewhat comical. At first Isaac was wobbly and almost lost his nerve, but quickly regained confidence. I had a little trouble getting myself up and was a bit shaky at first too. Ruthie was pretty pleased to find herself the most skilled/confident of the three of us. I was okay after a minute, but then Ruthie needed help tightening her straps, so I tried to sit back down on the front stairs and couldn't do it (didn't quite have the nerve to drop my butt that far -- with both kids urging "Just let go and fall on your butt!" and me saying "that's easy for you to say, you don't have as far to fall!"). Finally I got myself down, tightened Ruthie's straps, then Isaac got down and took his stilts off to go change into pants, so I stayed down in order to help him get re-strapped.
Finally we were all good to go, and went around through our driveway to the rear patio. By then it was getting pretty dark so I was like, maybe we look a little insane walking around our patio on stilts in the dark. LOL. Anyway, we walked around a little bit and then the kids were like "can I download an app on the iPad?" etc., so we went inside.
I'm not so sure about the wisdom of us doing a parade together though. It can get a little Three Stooges-ish with the kids poking and slapping at each other, and me trying to use either or both of them for support at any time. But hopefully we'll get a chance to practice a bit more before Sunday evening. I just mostly don't want to fall on my face. Wish me luck.
