End-of-the-year picnic

Early in June in the past two years our church youth group and youth team members and families have had a picnic and swimming at the Jewish Community Center to cap off the year, a week or so after school has ended. But it's been somewhat cold both times, and so this year we had a picnic (Friday) - albeit on a high allergy day - in lovely Cherokee Park just a mile or so from church. Youth team members and kids were then slated to go bowling and for a lock-in (overnight sleepover - though people don't sleep very much) at the church. But a number of kids there - including Vincent - couldn't stay overnight, so we stuck with picnic and games with family members too, then bowling. Vincent and I got there late, and then Stephanie got lost on the way - after celebrating the end of the school year with some of her colleagues at a New Albany Mexican restaurant (they've still got to go in one day this coming week and then Stephanie also goes in Friday for a planning day for summer school, which starts a week from this Monday) - but found us eventually. On hand were many of the youth group kids, some of their parents (including Sisters of Sarah Ada and Claudia), youth team members, and some of their younger kids (some from Children's Fellowships) (plus two visitors from England). After dinner we played some wacky games (organized by youth group leaders Ian (the photographer) and Kate (who is very pregant), including a game in which you hold an egg or two on a spoon or two and race - and then a rather painful couple of three-legged races. Beforehand we split into teams and my team - complete with a flag - was the Playful Platypi. Vincent's team - which Stephanie joined belatedly - was the Rump Kickers. The two teams were tied going into the final three-legged race - but our team - with me too tightly tied to Andrea and Luis - crumbled, and the Kickers won. Vincent had taken a nap and was grumpy about going bowling - mainly with middle schoolers - but he ended up bowling a 105 - his second-best ever - on his second game, and was in a good mood, and got home at midnight - in time to get a decent sleep before his 2-5 library volunteering gig.