Track Meet for Declan

Sometimes when you move to a small town it takes a few years to figure out the local traditions. The locals don't think to tell you about them because they just assume everyone knows. In the primary and elementary school, they have a long standing tradition of holding a grade wide track meet. So all the fourth graders compete against each other in track and field events and the parents attend to cheer on their children. Each child gets to participate in three events or races.  After the track meet ALL the parents take the kids out to lunch and if a parent can't attend they make arrangements for someone else to take them out to lunch. Poor Quinton his first few years, I would go and watch his track meet and then leave and he would be the only one left at school in his class; I had no idea I was suppose to take him to lunch.. I would have happily taken him out but no one told me I was supposed to do that.  It's the learning curve I guess. I haven't made that mistake with my other kids. For the kids, part of the fun of the track meet is getting to go to lunch. 

Declan chose to compete in the fifty metre dash, high jump and sack race. He has done the sack race every year, it's his favorite.

Declan in orange sprints to the high jump.

Getting closer.

He jumps over with out hitting the bar.

In between, events there is a lot of time to kill the whole meet takes about two and half to three hours. To keep from getting bored I took some photos of my kids playing.

Teddy and Zany best friends sitting in a truck tire.

My best friend Annie has two kids the same ages as mine but different genders. They are all great friends and play together often since we live just around the corner from each other.

"Hey get out of our photo!" 

Martha, Archy, Teddy & Zany

Declan

Zany was a bit grumpy so she would hardly look at me much less smile. It makes for a nice pensive photo though.

Zaynzley age two.

Zany standing among morning glories.

(I just love these vintage styled dresses)

The sack race ran a few heats. Declan made it to the final race where he lost but had fun doing it.

They were allowed to wear sunglasses and Declan was one of the few who did.

Pretty intense jumping.

Declan, in orange, he got sixth place in the sack race.

Declan the track star with Archy

After the very long track meet, you have to stay until the end because they do a class relay race, we went to lunch at Declan's choice Carl's Jr. I was fine with it because they have a indoor play place for kids. After lunch, I took him back to school and Archy and Zany were so exhausted (due to their simultaneous crying fit  in the car that lasted a good fifteen minutes) they fell asleep on the way home. Happy sigh!