Winter Olympics

For as long as I can remember, Nora's school has hosted a winter picnic every February. Even when I was babysitting my neighbor kids, who have now graduated from college, the winter picnic was going on.

This year, the two moms chairing the event decided on a winter Olympics theme. It was perfect, considering the picnic fell on the day of opening ceremonies.

The day started with opening ceremonies. The kids all lined up in the gym with the flags they had made earlier in the week. Each country participating in the games this year was represented.

They paraded through the school, out the playground doors, and around to the front of the school.

There they are! There was much cheering and applauding.

Here, the principal is announcing the opening of the games. This was followed by a torch run, with a kindergartener "lighting" the Olympic torch (that brown podium-looking thing).

Dana was not nearly as impressed with the activities as the rest of us were. She made snow angels and ate ice chunks while we cheered.

The rest of the day, kids participated in "luge" (an awesome sledding hill, complete with lanes, built by volunteer dads), knee hockey, hay rides, an Olympic obstacle course, ice skating for the upper grades, and Olympic trivia. Dana and I were there helping out from 8am until about 1pm.

It was a pretty awesome day.