School Carnival Day: Big Thoughts from Little Guys

My company recently sponsored a carnival day for a local school. It’s the second year we’ve done it, and the great folks who planned it initially were inspired by Oprah and her charge to make a difference in this world. Our company got lots of donations for prizes (tote bags, snacks, some toys) and we also had a bake sale and fundraisers for a popcorn machine for the day and other supplies to share with the kids. It’s a cool offsite idea because the whole company rallied to make it happen. And getting to see the kids’ excitement over a day out of class is always fun, too.

My station this year was Kickball. Antonio and I formed our own team after we felt the need to buck the system and invent a new carnival game (read: we didn’t like the other options and didn’t feel like ‘playing nicely with others.’). I’m super glad we did, because we met some real interesting characters. Here’s what they taught me:

The Passing of Time is Relative:This young man was quite charming. At one point, he told me “A long time ago, when I was four and a half, I fell down a lot.” When asked his current age, he replied that he is now five.

When I asked this gent if I could take his picture, he inquired, “Are you only taking pictures of the really good kickball players?” to which I answered, “Well, yes, of course.” Only then did he agree to let me snap a shot.

I also asked if he’d run the obstacle course because my boss was over there and he’s a nice guy. My friend looked at me wide eyed and stammered, “Wait, is kickball your JOB?!”

Mario Brothers Continues to Delight the Young and the Young at Heart:This chap stepped up to the face painting station and asked to have a mustache and M drawn, because he wanted to look just like Mario. Well done, sir, well done! This look definitely suits you!

As you can see, we had a great day. I’ve got a ton of posts lined up for this week, from babies in the park, to a couple of how tos. Have a great Sunday night and Monday 🙂