Wild Play Penner Style

This afternoon the PennerFive took a little field trip for a bit of an adventure.

Hannah may look like me, but she is nothing like her momma in most ways.  She loves heights, speed, danger, risk, and thrills.  I like being low to the ground with both feet firmly planted.  Hannah had seen brochures for the "Wild Play" Element park in Maple Ridge around the city, and thought a chance to go and try it out would make a great Christmas gift from my mom and dad last year.    Ellie wanted to get in on the fun too, even though she's more like her momma.  Nee Nee and Papa agreed, and gave them gift certificates for the Kid's Course for Christmas last year.  It was sunny and fairly warm today, so  we  decided to finally go and let the girls have their fun.    Since Sasha was tall enough by now, she joined in too.

Before the girls began, we had to sign long waiver forms.   Very long waiver forms.

Then it was time to suit up with the harnesses.

It's fun having a harness pulled tightly between your legs.  

Really, it is.

It looks cool too.

I can say that because I didn't have a harness on.  

I could just stand and laugh at them.

Before you actually get to try the real kid's course, you have to go through a demo course and pass a "test" while the instructor is watching.  This test involves demonstrating your ability to "grip and clip" your harness and attach the pulley to the cable for the zip-lines.  Yes, even little Sasha had to pass the test.  It wasn't that easy for those little hands, but she passed with flying colors.

Once everyone in the group was given the green light, we were off to the kid's course.  

Ellie is usually the most cautious and fearful of all of the girls, and Hannah and I secretly predicted she'd bail in the middle of the course.  But Ellie astounded us all with tenacity and determination and not a whimper was heard from her lips.

I love being proven wrong.

Sasha is our monkey bar queen at home.  Loves roller coasters and skiing too.  But on this course, her level head prevailed and she took it    s   l   o   w .    Very slow.  But she did every single element herself.  You know what they say about slow and steady....

  

 Wheeee.

All too soon, the course was complete and the girls were finished.  Now that she's a seasoned pro, Hannah and Mike made a deal to come back in spring when she's 12 so they can do the adult course together.

We ended the afternoon with high-fives and hot-chocolate and London Fogs at Starbucks.

Thanks, Nee Nee and Papa.

That was fun.