Picnic Fun

Yesterday we held our 4th annual PAL summer picnic and once again it was a smash hit. When it was time to wrap up and we were taking group photos, I heard several kids say "But we don't want it to end!" Mission accomplished.

When I was a kid I loved a good summer picnic. My dad's work had one each year and all I could think about were the games. They did a running relay race and I would quietly survey the crowd and pick out my competition, then take off like a maniac when the race began, my bare feet gripping the ground and brown arms pumping, intent on the prize.

Our PAL kids were no different, anticipating the sack races, relays, tug-of-war. When it came to the running relay several of their teams were short a person, so I volunteered myself. Nobody wanted me! Those kids just assumed that a 40-year-old woman would slow them down. Big mistake. Huge.

Last night N. and I attended my friends' parents' 50th anniversary party. My favorite part? Receiving my place card:

I'm used to people making mistakes on both my first and last names, but this is a first. I told my friends' kids they had to call me Mr. and Sir all night. They dug that.

In other news, I just found out that my trip to Ireland will likely be postponed, maybe to May. It's really okay, though. I hold these things loosely, ya know? And truth be told, I want to go there when it's green and not too, too cold. So I'm thinking about doing something else this year that's been on my list for a gazillion years: New England in the fall.