Field Day 2014

Field day came at the end of May, and Baylor was way more excited about it than I thought he would be.  Sometimes when he gets really excited about a big event like this, though, he ends up getting upset over it for one reason or another and doesn't end up participating.  So, needless to say, I was guarded in my excitement for him about the day's events.  Mollie and I were planning on staying with him the whole day, so I knew I'd be there in case any meltdowns occurred.

There were tons of activities that the kids were going to cycle through and I wondered how in the world we'd manage to get everything done, but we did without much trouble.  Most of the stations were physical activities like those you'd find in gym class, but the first station we went to was in the art room.  The art teacher was having each student (and Mollie ... she snuck in there somehow) color a water bottle that would eventually go in a giant sculpture.

Baylor participated, though I had no doubt he would; he's been all about coloring these days.

Next his group went outside to do a hula hoop relay race.  Baylor ended up being at the start of his line and did an amazing job getting things going.  His line came in a close second behind the other line from his class, and I think they were all pretty excited about it.

The fifty meter dash was next, and though it isn't Baylor's event, I am proud of him for sticking with it and participating anyway.

Mollie got to race as well, in part because they didn't have enough people for the last race.  Unfortunately for her, the race was pretty stacked; the older kids in charge of this station ran the race as well to help fill out the group.  She didn't care, though, and just kept plugging along.

On the way to the next event, the kids held hands.  Instant mom heart happiness right there.

The next event was anything and everything with jump ropes, and imagine my surprise when Baylor, literally, hopped right in.  It was so weirdly wonderful to see him participating without hesitation that soon I barely gave it a second thought, something I never thought I'd say.

After the jump rope area, the kids got to play on the playground a bit before lunch, and Baylor and one of his buddies had a great time climbing all over the dome jungle gym.

We met up with the same little buddy for lunch, and I learned that next year I should bring a blanket for us to sit on.  Our spot in the shade was actually pretty comfortable, though, and we had a good time eating and chatting about all the events.

A lot of our group's afternoon events, thankfully, involved water, the first of which involved trying to fill up a bucket with water by transporting said water from another bucket using a cup with a hole drilled in it.  And they had to hold the cup over their heads.  Mollie wanted to sit that one out, but Baylor jumped right in and had a blast!

Next they had to fill up a bucket using a backpack with a sponge, or some other sort of absorbent object, in it and running it from one side of the area to another.

Mollie again sat out, but she suddenly realized she was without the little buddy she had made earlier in the day and promptly went over to sit by her and chat.

Baylor did really well with the event and smiled so much while he was running with the backpack.  I was so proud of him!

Yet another water event followed the backpack one, and this time they essentially had to play blindfolded tag in teams of two with squirt bottles.  Baylor and his buddy were paired up, but both of them abandoned the other when it was their turn to lead the blindfolded one around.  Still, they had so much fun.  Eventually, the whole group turned on their teachers and ran around trying to squirt them!

Mollie joined in with a couple girls and ran to the next event with them.  I loved seeing her join in, even if it wasn't for the actual events.

The next event had the kids playing pizza delivery people, carrying empty pizza boxes relay race-style in the soccer field.  Unless they walked very slowly, almost all the kids dropped the box at least once.

But, like a lot of the other kids, Baylor eventually found his stride and was able to move a little quicker with it.

Baylor then got to participate in his first tug-of-war!  He was a little blase about it at first.

But he soon got into it pulled with the rest of his class.

He did sit part of it out, though, and only rejoined when he could see that the boys needed a little help beating the girls in the battle-of-the-sexes type round of the game.

Then my two walked, hand-in-hand, to the next event.  I trailed behind them, smiling like I'd won the lottery.  (Because, in the parenting aspect, I really have.)

I'm not sure I have seen kids so excited to have their next event be "popsicle station".  Eat a popsicle, drink some much-needed water ... win-win!

The next event was a water version of duck-duck-goose, and I watched with bated breath as the boys, one by one, got to be "it".  Baylor was the very last to be chosen, and my heart hurt for him but it shouldn't have; he was happy as a clam, maybe wisely knowing, even more than me, that someone has to go last.

He didn't catch the kiddo who tagged him, but he smiled the whole time anyway.

Then the kids got more play time on the playground, though I'm not sure if they really had any more energy to expend.

Mollie finally, after a long day of exercising her patience, got to ride on the swings!  Hallelujah!

On their way to watch the fourth graders have an epic tug-of-war, an apparent rite of passage at our school, Mollie held hands with Baylor's little buddy!  It was quite adorable and very effortless.

After the tug-of-war, the kids all went back to their respective classrooms to collect their things.  Those riding with parents could go home right away, but my kiddos really wanted to hang out with their buddy a little longer and watch the video the teacher put on for the kids riding buses.

It was a fun, albeit hot, day and I was so glad that Baylor participated so much!