Field Day

"It's hotter than a pig sickle in a pug whillet."
"What?"
"I don't know, I just made that up. But doesn't that sound dreadfully hot & humid?"
"Works for me."

This morning was our annual elementary school's "Field Day" where the kids all compete in a variety of outside activities. They started with shooting baskets, then throwing a baseball, then 50-yard dash, 100-yard dash and a 4-person relay. They finished with a long jump. All stats kept carefully and ribbons to be awarded tomorrow, on the last day of school. The kids love Field Day, including my 4th Grader.

This morning was absolutely beautiful, which is down right lucky considering we had thunderstorms through the night and more predicted for this afternoon. We caught a real nice window. The hitch (and there's always a hitch) was that it was extremely hot and humid this morning. I could feel myself getting sweaty and sticky just standing still in the semi-shade. Ugh. My son, and a lot of other kids, were red-faced and dripping.

After the field events, we have a mass potluck. The school staff grills about a kazillion hotdogs, and each grade is assigned a type of food item to bring. Fourth grade had desserts, so we bought cookies. After several years of experience in Field Day potlucks, I've learned to take a purchased packaged item. I've also learned to eat only what is obviously a purchased packaged item, and when it's my turn in the food line, I always open a new bag of chips or whatever (whatever isn't yet opened). Too many grubby hands digging into bags of Doritos, etc... I need a fresh bag. Then my husband follows me, and our friends follow him, or vice versa, all of us sharing the info on which bag is "safe" to take from. We always find out what each other has brought, too. Just makes for a more enjoyable lunch.

We bring blankets or lawn chairs and everyone spreads out in the shade. We're fortunate in that our school has a beautiful, huge playground with many mature trees that provide ample shade. It's a lovely setting.

Today, by the time we all sat down to eat lunch, a nice breeze had started up and cooled us all. It was so nice sitting there in the shade with a nice breeze, eating Oreos and talking with our friends. I think that today was the most pleasant Field Day we've ever had.

This morning I was thinking, gleefully, that after this one, I'll have just one more to get through and then won't have to worry about it again. This afternoon I'm thinking, sadly, I have only one more Field Day ever.