First Field Day

I almost didn't make it to Carolina's first Field Day this year. I was this close to sending Nacho and using the time to work on the Memorial Day Fair for the park. There is still a lot to be done and not a lot of time left, but somewhere in the back of my brain I figured I can't do this over again. I wanted to be there and so I decided to make it a priority. What's a few hours out of my busy week when I can see this girl smile and jump, spin and kick? I'm glad I went and even happier I took my camera to capture a few of the highlights. The kids are such hams and so eager to goof off on a day like this. What fun they had. And I have to say that after a few years of attending Field Days for Elisa, this was run with almost military precision. What a change from the first year when they still hadn't divvied up their groups and it was approaching 10am. Ha. Oh yes, every year we all learn a little more. I was actually surprised this one wrapped up by 10:30am and I was heading back home. 

I've written before about my own love of field days from my childhood. And this hasn't changed. It's almost as if just the idea of the free day outside takes me back to elementary school and that end-of-year feeling we all miss. It feels like summer is getting closer and freedom with it. And that's perhaps overstating how Carolina sees it now. But maybe in time she will associate all of those things with her own memories of this day. So yeah, glad I didn't miss it. Some things are worth taking the day off for. 

AOC Field Day 2015

Earlier this month it was time again to head outdoors at Academy of the City and enjoy a morning of field activities. The initial day was postponed due to a threat of rain, but by Thursday morning, the clouds and cool temps had left leaving us plenty of sunshine and warm weather. A bit of a mixed blessing, really since it was much cooler last year with overcast skies. But oh well, the kids really didn't mind except that they were all very thirsty by the end of the two hours. Next year I must remember to bring more water! Otherwise, they ran and played and jumped with great abandon. Elisa acted a little clingy with me (shocker), but finally found her groove flying over the hurdles and racing with bean bags and plastic eggs. The games were pretty much the same as last year, and the teams were all mixed up so kids from different grades played together. I thought it went smoother initially than the chaos of setting up last year. So kudos to all the teachers and Mr. Quinn for giving it their best. I really love seeing the whole school participate in something like this because it reminds me of my own field days at Fleetridge Elementary. Those were some of the best days at that school and the ones that stand out after all these years. I hope Elisa will feel the same way some day. Til then, I just enjoy watching the kids frolic and play which is as much about learning as studying your multiplication tables. Everyone needs some fresh air and running around to grow. Hard to remember sometimes as an adult, but it's true. 

Field Day

When I heard that Elisa's school was hosting a Field Day this month, I was so happy. It brought back some fantastic memories of my own field days back at Fleetridge Elementary School and how the end of the year was always full of fun like that. We would go out early in the morning as the dew was still melting off the field and run and play games til we couldn't stand. There were packed brown bag lunches and more games after that rest. It was one of my favorite days of the year because it felt so different from normal school. It was fun. It was like a little preview of summer just showing us that the end was near. I tried not to get my hopes up too much that Elisa's school would have the same kind of field day aura.  I mean, it's hard to live up to 30 year old memories...but still I was eager to be part of the day and take some photos. And I'm so glad Nacho was off work that morning so I could attend without Carolina. No doubt, she would have been happy to chase the big kids but it wasn't her day. No, this was for the school kids who needed a little shaking up of the routine. And they definitely got that and more.

I have to admit that arriving a little after the 9 a.m. start time, I was surprised to see the chaos of lining the kids up and moving them around still carrying on. By 9:40 a.m. eyes were beginning to roll (theirs and mine) and audible whispers of "come ON!" were evident. But the kids held on and just a few minutes later, the games began.  Since the kids from all grades were mixed into different teams together, they each moved to 4 or 5 stations with races like hurdles, sack races, over and under, basketball hopping, and carrying a ball in a ladle. They were running and jumping, shouting and encouraging one another. And most impressively, there were no kids pouting or feeling defeated or left out. Everyone seemed engaged and attentive to the tasks at hand. I have to say, I was also very pleased to hear the teachers and administrators using so many of the kids' names to call out and cheer them on. Only at a school this size with the kinds of people who are truly invested in these futures could you have this kind of atmosphere. It really was something special and I'm so glad I was able to witness it firsthand. It might not resemble the leisurely day in the sun and tall grass that we had as kids, but this field day was something even better. It was a chance for these city kids to let loose and forget their classrooms for one day in a culture that often values testing and scores more than teamwork and building confidence. Elisa was only mopey when it was time for me to leave. She played the usual game where she wants to come home with me or feigns illness to get out of school. But no, that wasn't going to happen. I gave her a big squeeze and told her how proud I was of her and that we would look at some photos when she got home. And then she ran back towards her friends and continued to play. And that's just how it should be.