7.8.17 - CO July Trip - Field Day

The girls didn't sleep well the first night, and all of us were exhausted by the next day, but that just made me all the more glad we decided to stay at the ranch. Otherwise we would have had to get everyone up and ready to go and then trek to the ranch for field day. Instead we were already there!

Dad et al started arriving around 10 am to get setup and soon the ranch house was bustling. There were a lot of balloons to be filled with helium and tied. Dad used them as markers for the front gate and the road to the house, so people who hadn't been there before would know they were going the right way. Jill and Dad had (wisely) chosen not to cook everything themselves this year. Instead Jill bought a bunch of Costco rotisserie chickens and sandwich trays (both tortilla wraps and croissant sandwiches, **yum**), potato salad, lots of chips, and other fun delicious summery food. And of course there was tons of Diet Coke.

At some point while everyone was getting ready, we transferred Jane to the baby swing Jill bought, and Jane loved it. In fact the entire trip she probably spent hours in that swing every day. So helpful.

Chillaxin'

Miss Kristin also came up to help with the kids. She was very attentive to my concerns and instructions about what specifically Clara can eat, and she even cleaned out a kitchen cabinet to store all of Clara's food, and brought me duct tape to mark the cabinet "Clara's cabinet, please stay out." I really appreciated how seriously Kristin took the celiac issue.

While everyone was enjoying a very delicious lunch, Kristin ran into the nearest town to pick up a few more things (like whole milk and frozen fruit for smoothies). In the time she was gone, almost everyone went down to the corral for the beginning of field day games. Jack took Clara (in her lovely sunhat), and I stayed at the ranch house with Jane. I was pretty happy to sit in a totally quiet, cozy living room while Jane slept in her swing. My only regret was being unable to videotape the games, but Everett happily took on that job (and did great). So I was later able to watch video of sack races, 3 legged race, relay race, and balloon toss.

Franklin's parents help him with balloon toss as Dad oversees his good works.

When Kristin came back, I fed Jane one more time and then walked by myself down to the corral. I got there in time to see the end of little kid hot potato and all of older kid hot potato. Not too long after I arrived, Jack took Clara back up to the house so Kristin could watch her while he took a much needed nap.

Clara was also pretty tired.

I stayed at the corral and got to give a try at balloon stomp (which I was terrible at) and play RPS (which made me laugh pretty hard). Before balloon stomp Dad actually drove up to the house to see if Jack wanted to participate, since Jack now has a history of coming in 2nd place (both SSROs plus 2016 field day). But Dad said Jack looked so exhausted Dad didn't want to wake him. Instead Dad made himself a rum and Diet Coke and then came back down to continue.

The little kids just don't really get RPS.

Matt won adult RPS.

Typical Colorado, in the middle of what had been warm weather it started to rain, so we took a break. A bunch of people piled into the back of the pickup and Dad ferried them up to the ranch house. For a little while Ellen, Bryon, a few others, and I stayed in the barn and chatted and watched the rain. Eventually Matt came back in the pickup to get us. We got back to the ranch and got to enjoy a bit more food during the rain break.

We went back to the corral and watched the kids (and some adults, including Dad) have a water balloon fight and a color fight. The color fight was genius - not too hard to clean up, much less gross and more fun to watch than a food fight, but the same overall principle (try to keep your white tshirt as white as possible). In both fights, Everett got on the bullhorn (at my urging) and told everyone to attack Dad, who every easily outran a pack of children, but it was fun to watch.

Dad demonstrates stylish water balloon throwing.

Franklin doesn't care what happens, he's just glad to be here.

After that the kids were going to do a water gun fight, but by then I was so exhausted I decided to walk back up to the ranch house and take a nap myself. Normally I have a hard time napping when there's so much going on and so much visiting to do, but I made myself so that I would have energy for karaoke later. I was glad I did. Jack was still sleeping in the king bed when I got up there, and rather than disturb him I decided to wind down on Clara's mattress on the floor (which itself was very comfortable too). I passed out and I am pretty sure I was out for over two hours, no problem. Man, it was great to know someone else was taking care of our kids so Jack and I could both catch up on sleep. Now that's a vacation.

By the time I woke up people were getting into dinner (the rotisserie chicken, a whole lot of ribs, and similar food from lunch). Various guys were dirt biking and going trap shooting. Jack was up by then and off happily zooming around on the big dirt bike (forget what it's called). Some kids were playing on the gigantic swing Dad had rigged up, and others were playing giant Jenga (which I later found out was a homemade set) on the patio. Clara was happy to hang out on the (now very baby proofed) balcony. Jane kept baby swinging away.

This is a double reflection shot and shadow photo!

Side note: love the balcony now. Last year the railing was far enough apart Clara could slip through it, so I was always nervously watching her and trying to keep the balcony door shut. This year they had fixed it and there was no way she could get out, so I could let her go in and out of the house without a problem, and she could be outside without anyone having to follow her around. I hope someday we have a house with a balcony like that.

After dinner Eric the DJ got karaoke going. The first hour or two was mostly the kids. In fact the very first song was Julian's, and he chose "Paint it Black"! Unexpected. Then there was the Pokemon theme song and lots of kids' movie songs, especially Moana. At one point 5-6 kids were singing "How Far I'll Go" from Moana, and I actually found it really moving. It's partly because I find that song moving anyway, and it's partly because Sola was singing it pretty passionately and I was thinking about one time over four years ago when Sola and I were driving down the highway with the windows down belting "Let It Go" from Frozen. Something about the connection there, and Sola's sweetness and how fast she's growing up and how much I like the song they're singing made it a Moment for me. I even felt a bit misty eyed. Anyway it was sweet.

Rocket karaoke's in his pajamas.

The kids dominated karaoke for a couple hours and then (at my request, actually), Dad told Eric there would be no more kids' songs, and the adults took over. Everett, Emily, Neil, and I sang "Jumper" with Ellen to start. Then there was some song where I gave my mic to Neil and Emily and tried to share with Everett instead, but he wouldn't, and we started wrestling around for it, and Dad joined in, and all the while all three of us were still singing (through laughter). We were very out of breath by the end.

I had to stop to go feed Jane, but that worked out well for me because despite my nap I was still a bit tired. I sat alone with her in the upstairs kids room and she fed while I finished the last episode of Turn Season 3 (which was epic). Jane took quite a while, but I was so into the episode it was fine.

buh buh BUM

Then I got to hand Jane back off to Kristin (who had miraculously gotten Clara to sleep in her own bed despite the loud karaoke music), and I went back downstairs and enjoyed s'mores and many more karaoke songs before bed. And I didn't need to worry about videotaping any of it because Henry had that covered most of the night.

Ellen is amazed/disgusted by Eric the DJ's incredible singing voice.

AND, when it was all finished, I didn't have to haul back down into town before bed. Instead my kids were already asleep and Jack and I were able to just go upstairs, change, and pass out.

It was an exhausting but wonderful day.