Undokai 2010

Aogu can still sprint

Good news, here I am again after an extended absence from this space. Bad news, I may not be able to summon the energy to describe Izumi's school Sports Day. It's been so long since I tried to post here that I can't figure out how to upload my photos into a certain order. So the below is a true random sample of the day. Not nearly as pleasing as the chronological flow I had in mind, but perhaps you can get some sense of what went on.

Izumi and her friend Ayaka wait for their turn with...

...the gigantic green ball, which they rolled down to a cone and back.  I'm not sure they understood that it was a race; they were careful and precise and nice with their ball-rolling, at the expense of speed.

In which I try to explain to Misaki that she needs to walk out to the middle of the field and pull a toy windmill out of the ground.  She was excited about it. 

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A temporary addition to the family: Koji's friend Yuma

In the past, the kids all got medals that were made of discarded CDs and plenty fancy for me.  This year there was a medal upgrade to the wooden, hand-stamped, dwarf-embellished prize you see here. 

This year these moms (in yellow) formed a coalition with the teachers (in blue) and did most of the work. 
Thanks, ladies!

Family picture.  But let's hope we can do better between now and Christmas.

At long last, Koji is old enough to participate in the grade school kids' event, which is a mini obstacle course.  This isn't the best picture of him or his finish, but I love it anyway because his friend Nobu, at the right side of the photo, is so delighted with the proceedings. 

I never would have predicted it, but Izumi claimed later that tug of war was her favorite event. 

This is the utterly triumphant and undefeated Red Mamas Team, showing the White Team how tug of war is done. 



Izumi's classmates in the first event, a 50ish meter foot race. 
The little guy in the front is called Gaku, and I love his expression!

You'll note an unfair division of labor here, with Aogu doing all of the ball holding and Izumi doing all of the clinging.  This event was a bit later in the day, and she was done!



Izumi and her friend Aya, on the right, could have perhaps run a bit faster if they weren't so intent on figuring out where we were cheering from...

Yes, the White Mamas Team was utterly cowed by my Red Bathrobe and our matching Red-Palmed Gloves.  They may look a bit murderous, but they were just the thing for tug of warring!

Misaki successfully grabbed her windmill.  Too bad it broke moments later!

Please try to imagine that this photo is at the very top of this page, where I long for it to be, if only I could figure out how to get it there.  It's the kids and teachers giving themselves a bit of a pep talk at the beginning of the Sports Day. 

This hat may seem a bit over the top for the beginning of October, but it really was very cold and windy, and Misaki is just getting over an ear infection.  Plus, it's RED, gotta go with the Team Color.

Koji's first year at Sports Day in the role of cheerleader, rather than main participant.