Providence sports day

This should have been posted a month ago, but I was away when it happened and just hadn't gotten around to catching up yet. Providence has an annual sports day, where all of the kids compete in a variety of sporting activities to win points for their house. At the end of the day one house is awarded the prize, and more importantly, bragging rights for the next year.  Conor and Ryan are both in the yellow "fire balls" house, which is clearly far superior to the "green monkeys" and the "red dragons".

The day had its high and low points.  Conor raced in one sprint and didn't place.  He also participated in the tug-a-war and by all accounts he was a vital team member.  He never gave up, was a vocal cheer leader, and took command of the strategy of the team early on. I hear that he repeated "stay low" and "hold steady" throughout the competition, and his team won the prize. Ryan had a hard start, and really couldn't get his sack to cooperate in the sack race.  He had been telling me for weeks that they would practice the race in P.E. and he didn't like it because the sack was too big.  Unfortunately, he wasn't able to master the sack in time, and was sorely disappointed.  He did, however, excel at the egg in spoon race and he came in first place.  Because big people sometimes lose their perspective on fun games, his race was challenged by the official on the field (the parent of the boy who came in second place!) and they said Ryan was holding his spoon too close to the egg.  The judge decided to give Ryan the third place medal, and awarded the first place medal to the child who came in second.  The controversy didn't seem to diminish Ryan's joy in the least though, and a month later he still proudly wears his medal around the house.

Greg comforting Ryan after his tragic sack race.

Ryan waiting for the egg in spoon race.

GOOOO YELLOW FIREBALLS!

If I haven't ever mentioned Mrs. Betty, the wonderful woman who drives the boys to school every day,I really should have by now. We are so amazingly lucky to have such a wonderful person take care of our kids as they go to and from school each day. She drives Conor, Ryan, and their friend Siena who's parents also work at the US Embassy, and who lives near us.  The kids love her, and it is clear that she truly cares for them. Over the summer break she was missing them so much she asked to take them all out for a fun day at a local fair. They came back hours later, completely exhausted because she had indulged them and they had done absolutely everything at the fun park.  For sports day, Mrs. Betty had a special yellow shirt made with Conor, Siena and Ryan's names on it, and she joined Greg and Siena's parents in cheering the kids on.  The picture above shows Rebecca, Siena's mom in the background and Mrs. Betty between Conor and Greg.

Everyone was tired at the end of the day, but extremely excited because the Yellow Fire Balls had been victorious, and will be known as Sports Day Champions for the next year.  Also, Ryan won the award for the "best positive attitude" for his class and was recognized at the next all school assembly.