Field Day

    Don't we all remember field day as kids? When I was in elementary school, it was the greatest day of competition of the year! We were split into teams, made t-shirts, had chants and slogans, and competed fiercely. Most events were similar to track and field, except for some of the team events and, of course my favorite, jumping rope. I rocked out the jump rope competition each year. I had these spindly legs that could jump for hours without tiring.
    As a teacher, I still love field day. We held our annual event this past Friday. Worried about storms, we hesitated to include water events. However, the rains held until after school released. It was a hot and beautiful day, and the water events were a huge hit. The favorites for this group were the water balloon toss and the sponge relay.
    Allow me to explain this sponge relay. We form two teams into lines, each with a bucket full of water in front and an empty bucket behind the line. The object is to race to fill the bucket in the back by soaking the sponge and passing it over your head then under your body until the last person in line has the sponge. They squeeze the few drops of water left into the empty bucket. Most of the water drips onto the kids as they pass the sponge. It is good fun for everyone.
    The event that I am paying for today, three days later, is the tug-of-war. I have a young man this year who is at least 5'5". He weighs almost as much as I do, and he is strong! The only way the other side had a chance to win was for me to play for them. I pulled and tugged and dragged and pulled some more. For fifteen minutes we played tug-of-war! I am SO SORE today! My arms feel like I carried my entire class around all day. It is a good thing field day only happens one day a year!