SILENT CHALLENGE

Field Day!  The day when sometimes I have fun!

A couple of years ago was the Field Day of the Living Dead: Temperature in the high 90's with high humidity and a heat index of about 115 degrees; Full sun with no shade at the venue; One toilet open for 600 people (adults, students, other people at the park); My uterine fibroid decided that it was the best day ever to bleed out.

Since then, my Field Day experience has improved.  Take today, for example.  With the exception of having a hot flash or two, the day goes along swimmingly.

Well, until the Bucket Challenge Game.

For the Bucket Challenge Game, the team sends a runner to retrieve a card with a random challenge that has to be accomplished, and they have to get through as many challenges as possible before the whistle blows.  I have to say that my group is doing a terrific job.  Everything they're given, they do.

Spell out one of the school's core value words using every member of your group for the letters.  (They choose RESPECT, and they spell it out in people very nicely.)  With one person going at a time, have your group do 200 push-ups while the class counts.  (I drop down and do push-ups #160-175.)  Coordinate in complete unison the number of sit-ups as are letters in the vice principal's last name.  (Takes them two tries, but they figure out the job of counting 1-2-3 DOWN and UP, 1-2-3- DOWN and UP...)

About halfway through the bucket full of challenges, someone grabs a card with instructions.  Suddenly, the group turns completely silent and starts advancing on me, pointing and smiling.

I'm not going to lie.  They are scaring the crap out of me.  They all look like zombies, so I take a step back, then another, and then one more.  One of the kids shows me the card when they get face-to-face with me.

Silently determine whose birthday is the closest to today.

They all know that my birthday is next Saturday (now you know it, too).  And just like that, without any other work on their part, that challenge is done is ten seconds.

In the end, we don't win this activity (but we're close, thanks to the random birthday challenge).  At the end of the day, my nose is a little sunburned, despite the sunscreen (I probably sweated it right off), and I have a slight burn on the left temple where I missed with the sunscreen.

Oh, and I have a birthday coming up, apparently.  ;)