Family Bonding

Katie, Christopher and Jeff came down last weekend to meet Joey and I for my 26th birthday picnic. We met at my house and then drove over to McCambridge park--a park with lots of grassy areas, picnic tables and three playgrounds. I made a fruit salad (with melon balls!), a vegetable salad and then picked up some sandwiches at a Cuban bakery nearby. Katie brought dessert.

The whole time we were eating Christopher wanted to go and play on the playgrounds. Then when we all went to play with him on the playground, all he wanted to do was look at the city truck parked nearby. So finally we decided it was hot and we should leave. We went over to my house for dessert.

On our way home, Christopher noticed some spring-animals and insisted that we play on those for a while. I played on the horse and we tried to race each other--but actually I don't think Christopher understood what it meant to race exactly, so I won.

When we got to my house Katie and Jeff served me birthday Strawberry Shortcake. Then Katie challenged Joey to a game of Wii Tennis. If you are not video gamers and you don't know any and have therefore never tried the Wii, you may not understand the draw to Wii Tennis. But if Katie is interested in video games then you know that this is not really a video game. The Wii is an interactive move around virtual style game. You don't wear any weird glasses, but you do have motion sensors and can interact with the TV. Sure you don't feel the wind in your face, but it does have a nice athletic-feeling when you are done. So Katie and Joey played tennis. I must note here that Joey was dressed in his athletic clothes because we both were getting ready for our softball game which was just two hours in advance.

I think Joey won, so Katie tired of tennis and moved on to Wii Fit. Wii Fit is an exercise program with a balance board made up of a couple of scales. It measures balance and weight shift and you can play lots of different games from yoga to strength training to balance games and aerobics. One of the aerobic games is the hula hoop. If you haven't done the hula hoop since you were 10, you should try it again, it is a surprising workout because you don't usually spin your hips like that. It was fun to watch. Katie was intent on breaking the record set by our friend Nate.

Katie forced Jeff to try it--and he looked--how do you say it? Hilarious doing the Wii hula hoop. Christopher, however was not amused. He wanted to go outside and play.

Because I want to show you exactly what it was like to be in my apartment on the Sunday before my 26th birthday, I am providing you with videos. It is too bad Katie and Jeff aren't the ones getting married because these videos could be used for something embarrassing, I'm sure of it. You and the rest of the world can watch the videos here AND here.

Next time you are in CA, you can try out Wii Fit too if you want--but I probably won't be able to video tape it--because I'll probably be wrapped up in last minute planning. But good luck to you with the next hula hoop record!