Running = Fun Times

While some folks dread the thought of running, most kids relish in any kind of horseplay.

My kids are no exception. When we're at the park, they run around all over the place. Even if there aren't any other kids at the park, my kids are happy as clams just playing with each other. They have their own kind of communication together on what they want to do. It's fun to watch. They just need each other.

But today? They didn't play at the park together. The entire school got to play games outside. That's right. It was FIELD DAY today.

Oh my goodness, they both couldn't talk fast enough to tell me the games that they played. Egg (actually a ball) on a spoon. 3-legged race. Obstacle course. Tug of war.

Here are a couple comments from my kids:
"We ate Otter Pops! They were huge. About twice as big as a normal one!"
"Mom, today definitely wasn't the day to forget to put on deodorant."

They were totally cracking me up something fierce.

Listening to them just made me appreciate how fun being a kid can be. How much such simple things in life like playing outside can just make a day better. Not doing anything special really. Being with friends. And just running around.

Here's a bit of "Wow" that pleasantly surprised me.  My son received an award from the Running Club for logging more than 55 miles this school year. Can you believe it? More than fifty-five miles! The kids who were in the club would run laps at recess on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They'd earn "sticks" for every lap (which was the same length as what you'd see at a typical track).

At the start of the year my son would get about 4 sticks each time he ran. After a while he gained more endurance and was able to earn 5 sticks. And by the end here, he was earning between 6 to 7 sticks each running day.

But I have to tell you that there was one exceptional second grader who earned just over 100 miles for the year. Can you believe it? Given the opportunity, it's amazing what these kids can achieve. We just have to give them the time and the chance to do it.

Both kids went to bed late. In our house, the kids are in bed by about 8:30pm. But like every Friday/Saturday, they crawled into bed between 9:30-9:45pm. So with all the activity of today and staying up late, I'm hoping they'll sleep in a bit tomorrow morning. [crossing fingers]

Now does your kids' have Field Day at their school? What kind of games did they get to play?