I have to laugh at the above picture. Our tent is not made for "Inside" use. It requires stakes to help support the poles and that is just not an option when you are putting it up on a gym floor. The funny part of it all - was Chris and I did not want to admit to the other chaperones that it was OUR tent that was creating the horror! We avoided it as long as we could and then had to admit it was ours. (They all found that quite humorous as you can imagine!) And yes, it did take ALL the chaperones - six of us to be exact - to put up the tent. But - it got up and it stayed up all night long!!
For the first few hours of the evening - kids from age 3 to sixth grade joined us for the evening. I had PROMISED the kids we would play marshmallow dodgeball!! They were looking SO forward to it - although most of them had NO idea what I meant! But, when the rains came - there was no way! The parking lot could be too hazardous since rocks could get mixed into the marshmallows and that would mean some injuries - so, my chaperones and husband convinced me that we could do it in the gym. So - we did! After a few rounds, it soon became marshmallow war instead of marshmallow dodgeball - but it was SO much fun! It was fun to watch the adults stand around for a while - but it wasn't long before they were winging those globs of marshmallows at each other. It's just was too much fun to stand back and just watch, you HAVE to get in there!!
So - after we sent the little kids home, my 3-6 graders got to spend the night. While my WONDERFUL chaperones mopped the sticky mess off of the gym floor, we went out to the parking lot and played a few games. Then - we came back inside for the nasty stuff - Baby Food Roulette and the Chocolate Diaper Game. I will let the pics below speak for themselves - but let me just say, I had some AWESOME kids. They were SO much fun. They gagged, but they played!
Chugging those peas!!
This is chocolate - I promise!!After this - we went over to the church and played sardines (a twist on hide and seek) and flashlight tag. We had just as much fun as the kids! They were SO good and we had NO problems. You wouldn't expect that having 21 kids all night long - but we really had a GREAT time!! We got VERY little sleep - but we had a GREAT time!
I have to admit. I was VERY excited about this night, but I didn't expect to get out of Friday night what I got out of it. I expected to have fun with the kids. I expected to be tired. But what I didn't expect was to find out how many of those kids are hurting. Or how many of those kids don't know where their mom or dad is. I have been working with these kids for a year now - and I have come to know their home situation and the child. But that night - I REALLY got to know those kids. In those few short hours, I found out that many of those children will NEVER experience a night like that again. I found out that many of those kids do not know what a "normal" home life is. And, I found out that Chris and I may be the only "stable" adults a few of those kids actually have in their lives each week. And, although this may sound weird - through that experience - I realized that God has put me just where he wanted me. I have always wondered why I am in Pittsfield. I know why Chris is - his job and his office is here. But, I have always wondered what MY purpose was here, in this town. I thought that eventually, when Creed and Kady were both in school it would be to be a teacher at the school. But, I found out that I didn't have to wait that long to find "my place" here. My place is with those kids. I like to call them, my kids - but that's what they are to me - my kids. They, all of them, are the reason that WE are here. It is to give those kids hope and to let them know that we love them and care for them. But most importantly, I am here to let each of those kids know that there is a GOD that cares for them and loves them unconditionally - no matter what!!! I just hope that I can do that like He wants.
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