The Olympics...Already?

Nothing on the schedule. Not a thing. Nothing for morning, nothing for afternoon, nothing for evening, nothing for nighttime. No children's activities, no lessons, no appointments, no NUTHIN'!   I made a full out run for the porch first thing with a stack of books and a journal and for one solid hour I soaked up all of the wonderfulness that empty time had to offer.

I stopped reading after a bit because there were so many things I wanted to accomplish with the rest of the day. Laundry, as always, awaited. Dishes too. I wanted to make pickles, clean off my desk, plan the week's menu, clean a nagging basement corner, and deliver some hand-me-down clothes to their next wearer, and maybe I'd have the time to listen to a sermon series that I think is worth my time.

"I've got more planned in my mind than I'll ever be able to get to." I told Meg early in the morning as we were celebrating our empty day. She too was inspired by all that the day could be and eventually gathered a meeting of her siblings to discuss the possibilities.

The meeting adjourned with all parties in agreement: "Today, we are having The Olympics," they announced with a certain gravity. "The events will be a running race, baseball, soccer, scooter races, and kickball."

Wow, I thought, they too have more plans than they'll ever be able to accomplish! I didn't say it aloud though. Kids need to dream a bit and to have big plans. The day itself would prove to them that their endeavors were a bit too ambitious. I figured that they'd maybe get two good events in before injury, arguments, and rain deterred The Olympic Games.

I headed inside to begin my list of aspirations and the kids began theirs...

Kickball...

The 500 meter dash...

Soccer...

 Baseball...

Scooter race...

...Cherries...

CHERRIES?! In the Olympics??

Yes...for the Cherry-pit Spitting event...

(the Judge)

I may have been a bit pessimistic about what the kids could accomplish in a day, or about the weather, or about their ability to get along for the entire series of events. They certainly accomplished what they had set out to and them some. They even wrapped up the day with a sort of...closing ceremonies...

As for my day? 

Did I get piles of laundry folded? No.

Pickles pickled? Zero.

 A couple of dinners whipped up and tucked away in the freezer? No.

Sheets changed on the beds? Nadda.

Any chapters read? Nope.

Clothes delivered? No.

What did I do with the valuable day laid out before me?

Mostly, I followed the Olympians around and took their pictures!

In short, we all counted the day a great success!