VBS

I'm really not trying to ignore you guys.  We have been super busy which then leaves us crazy tired.  Last week our church has VBS.  Oh my goodness it was fun and for being only three hours it seemed REALLY long.  I had to remind myself later that we only had the kids for three hours, but it really felt more like five.  We spent a lot of time outside playing different sports.  Thankfully the two directors had the foresight to supply each age group with color coordinating shirts.  The adults wore black shirts and the kids wore either red (Kj's color), green, orange, or blue; all with the VBS logo.  Originally I thought it was a bit much, but once all the kids were there I saw the need for the shirts.  When they let ALL the kids out for 20 minutes of free play I was about to panic.  Thankfully the 100+ kids all stayed in the same general location without a problem.  The three hours wore Kj out so much that on Wednesday when I put her in her room for quiet time she slept for five hours.  When she woke up she said she accidentally slept in her clothes.  She then asked if we were going to church.  Hehehe... I realized she thought it was the next day.  I told her she had only taken a nap and she corrected me saying, "No, I slept!"

 

At the end of the week we had a 5k family fun run/walk.  I did a lot of debating about doing the 5k.  I wasn't sure if Kj could or would do the whole thing.  I was picturing myself having to carry her.  I thought about taking her bike, but knew she would even get tired riding that.  I considered bringing her stroller, but knew she would ride more then walk simply because it was there.  In the end I threw a small bag on full of granola bars and brought along two water bottles.  In the end I don't think we really needed any of this, but it was nice having the extra water with us.  I finished all of mine and grabbed water at the last water station.  Kj was a trooper.  She did the whole 5k under her own power other then holding my hand.  I do think I was dragging her up the last hill, but it was worth it to finally cross the finish line.  I was surprised how many people, including one of our pastors, who couldn't do the whole 5k.  Because the course had us back tracking people would just cross to the other side and head back early.  Well a four year old showed them up!

At the end of the race they gave all the kids 4 years old through 5th grade a medal for finishing.  Most of those kids did the one mile run/walk, some did part of the 5k and a few did the whole thing.  Kj is really proud of her metal.  She carried it around for a couple days.

* For privacy reasons the name of the church and the VBS logo has been removed from her shirt in all the photos via Photoshop.

This week she started out going to the VBS, the church her school is in put on.  They had about 25 kids in a park with five adults and one teenager.  Kj was bored and kept wandering off or sitting down and not participating.  After an hour three of the adults left.  Just before the three left two boys started roughhousing.  I looked around and noticed all five adults had their backs to the kids while they talked in two different groups.  Suddenly one boy fell and took the other one down with him.  The smaller boy hit his head on the cement a split second before the bigger boy fell on top of him.  The bigger boy was fine; he quickly jumped up and sat to the side while the smaller guy laid there quietly for a moment.  The teenager spotting the hurt child right as he started crying.  An adult FINALLY looked and picked the kid up.  This lack of attention seemed to be a big problem with the VBS.  My plan had been to leave as soon as I felt Kj was safe.  I assumed they would make me feel secure right away, but planned to stay the whole time if need be.  I stayed off in a corner with a grandmother.  Both of us watched the kids, but never stepped in unless the need be.  Like the boy who was hurt, if no one had noticed him I would have gone to him.  So fast forward to when the three adults left.  One lady started reading a story to all the kids.  She was very animated, but unfortunately the story was REALLY long.  As it drug on Kj grew bored.  The grandma and I watched as some of the kids put their snack trash beside or behind them so the wind would carry it off.  Once the trash blew away they would run for it and thereby get a break.  Kj never caught onto the letting your trash fly game, but she did understand they were picking up trash so she ran off to help them do it.  The teenager was there to take all the trash from her then try to get Kj back with the group.  The trash wasn't enough of a distraction so Kj left TWICE to go play on the play equipment.  It took a couple minutes for ANYONE to notice she had walked away.  The first time the teenager saw she was over there and he want and got her.  The second time she was finally spotted by a kid who looked to be in about the 5th grade.  Each time she walked away I kept an eye on her then watched to see when they would notice her gone. By the second time she went to the playground unnoticed I had enough.  We had been there less then 1.5 hours and she had walked away to many times.  If there were 40+ kids and they were moving around, I could see losing one, but there were less then 30 and they were all sitting down.  For whatever reason no one took it upon themselves to step back and keep an eye on the whole group.  As I walked over to get Kj and take her home one of the leader finally spotted her and the boy.  Just before getting in the lady's sight she started yelling.  Honestly it sounded like she was going to chew them up and spit them out.  Just as I stepped into her sight she was giving the "get your rear back over here" speech.  See looked a bit shocked to see me and quickly threw the boy's name at the end of her long spill.  I called Kj's name, took her by the hand and walked her away.  I passed the lady who did registration then thought better of just leaving and went back to talk to her.  I kept it simple.  I just told her Kj is bored and not staying with the group so I'm going to take her home.  She momentarily tried to get me to leave her, but dropped it quickly when she knew the issue was settled.  After leaving I had to explain to Kj that she didn't do anything wrong, I know she would love to play at the park so perhaps we will go back when they aren't doing VBS and that we were leaving because she was bored and the leaders weren't watching her well.  I'll be honest I was a bit surprised when the next day we were going somewhere and when I told her to get her shoes she started whining saying she didn't want to go to VBS.  She was all for going the day before.  I really expected she would beg to go.  If she had asked I would have taken her back, but to one being held by the same church at a different park.