Hunh?

Sports day? already? oh no!!!

Still smarting from the experience of a year ago, this didnt come as a welcome announcement. I felt slightly better when i was told that there were no parent-child races. But when i entered the campus, i saw a victory stand.

A victory stand? For kids this age? I snorted in controlled fury.

The program, after the usual speeches and stuff had a most delightful pom pom dance where all the kids generally did their own thing inspite of the teachers' animated attempts to show them which step was next!

Then it was time for the races.

They started with the pre-schoolers. Simple...they had to run, hug their teacher and get back to the finish line. Simple? Think again. The whistle blew and they all started off merrily enough...till they spotted their teacher looking mighty unnatural with open arms and all. Two kids stopped in their tracks. Literally! Another took one look at the teacher and began to bawl but the winner was certainly the one who ran past the teacher and into the parent's stand where she grabbed her mom's leg and refused to let go. Needless to say everybody except the teacher laughed till they cried...the teacher i think might have just cried.

My little boy was in the third race. The Henny Penny Race.

They had to run, pick up an egg, run some more, pick up another egg and then run again and deposit both the eggs in the baskets kept at the end of the track.

There he was before the whistle blew, wrestling with another kid. I knew just what to expect.

Get, Set, GO!! and they were off. Not bad i thought, atleast he is running this time!! i watched with great fondness as he picked up one egg and then went on to pick the other one up without getting distracted. Before i knew it, the race was over and i was left happy coz i saw him finish the race and yet i had this niggling feeling that just wouldnt go away.

Could it? Naah. But wasnt he.... Well..... hmmm....really?? CANT BE decided moi.

The winners were being gently shoved to the victory stand. And YES!!!!! THERE HE WAS!!! A PODIUM FINISH...WOW!!! My view was suddenly blocked by the teachers and I couldnt make out what was happening till the chief guest was called to give away the medals... and then it happened. That moment when you stop breathing and the whole world goes on mute and slow motion because you are seeing something truly unbelievable...

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Henny Penny CHAMPION '08-09....

JUNJUN!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

ps : my attitude towards victory stands has undergone a remarkable nay a drastic change :p