You Gotta Swing Those Hips

I'm going to be mercifully brief because we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow (LTC! LTC! LTC!) but I wanted to talk a little about our day in Argyle yesterday (Spring Break Day Four). I was champing at the bit to get on the road at the crack of dawn but I reined myself in and we ended up arriving around 10:30, I think. What a day. If Wednesday was perfect, then Thursday was sublime. We ate, we talked, we got sunburned (at least my lily-white skin did), we played basketball--and that's just the adults! The kids did all that and more--they also jumped on the trampoline, went fishing, Wii-ed for a while, worked puzzles, watched Bee Movie . . . but the big attraction of the day was this:

Have you ever seen one? Anyone? I was clueless. Turns out it's called a Ripstick. It's a skate/surf/snowboard all rolled into one, and Tyler and Darcy are now both desperate for one. I'll have you know even Randy and I were out on the driveway "carving it up." I have to say, though, that through a tragic turn of events I was born without even the slightest innate ability to swagger, a talent that is fairly necessary if you want to ripstick with the best of 'em. The most I could manage is to ride in a straight line downhill with a slightly dorky look on my face.

But talk about fun--and addictive! When we pulled up at Brian and Jamie's house everybody was out on the driveway, and Brian, Christian and Carson were all ripsticking. Of my four kids, whom do you suppose wanted to try one out immediately upon exiting the van? If you guessed Darcy, you would be oh-so-right! My thrill-seeking oldest girl couldn't wait to hop on, and even when the rest of us eventually adjourned to the house she remained outside, determined to get up and get going.

Tyler, on the other hand, took a couple of turns and kept losing his balance (oh yeah, you need some of that, too) and got very frustrated and gave up. KEY difference between Tyler and Darcy. If she wants something badly enough, she grabs on like a bulldog and won't let go until she's got it. Later, when we all went out to shoot baskets and the Ripsticks came back out, Tyler gamely tried again and before we knew it, he was riding like a pro. And that's all that he and Darcy could talk about today. Guess the problem of what to get them for their birthday has been solved. Whoo-hoo--and with 3-6 months to spare! I am good!