capture the flag

last night we had 20 kids over to play capture the flag.  it was the perfect end of summer activity, and i have a strong suspicion it's going to turn into an annual tradition.

b. has been planning this for months.  i'm not sure whether the idea originated from gym class at school, or from his favorite books, but since school let out, he's been asking to have a big group of friends over to play capture the flag.   of course, l. got into the act, and by the end of june they had divided a list of 30 kids into two teams.  we've been putting the date off all summer - the weather, the important friends were out of town (and as it was we had to do it without two essential players), until finally, last night, we played.

d. spray-painted a long (long, long) black line across our lawn from the road to the woods behind our house to divide the territories, the kids and i went to a new-to-us store to pick out bandanas and flag poles.  somebody brought popsicles, i ordered pizza and cut a watermelon.  the rules - which had been discussed (and discussed and discussed) for weeks (the most controversial questions being about free run-backs and faking jail, and if you understand that, you must be a capture the flag aficionado) were written (quite beautifully, i think) on tagboard, and the teams were divided.  

b. was captain of the red team.  l. was captain of the blue.  d. wore all black and i wore all white in an effort to avoid the appearance of impropriety.  

children were dropped off.  a few parents pulled up chairs and opened beers.  the teams stood on the black line and the rules were announced.  and then the games began, and they were intense.  the kids were running - and running hard - all evening long (except for the few moments that they spared for eating and drinking - we refilled four pitchers four times over the course of three hours - it was hot!).  

the sportsmanship exhibited on and off the field was extraordinary - there was no whining, no crying, no cheating, no complaining!  there were only two small injuries, and both were adults!  each team won two games.  and when it was dark, and parents were arriving to collect their children, and we were gathering up bandanas lost in the yard, my boy asked me if we could do it again and i said absolutely.

i'm so glad he had the idea.  i'm so glad they shared in the planning.  i'm so glad we made it happen.  i'm so glad my kids have such nice friends.  i'm so glad nobody got hurt.  i'm so glad the rain held off.  and at the end of the night, when the last pizza box was in the recycling bin and the last pitcher was in the dishwasher, and the satisfied children were kissed goodnight, i was tired, and i was sticky, i was so so glad.  it was the perfect end-of-summer night.