Run Calvin! Run!

Calvin's förskola sent out a reminder to all parents that the kids would be running around the soccer field on Tuesday morning and that all parents were welcome to come and cheer them on/help out.  In my mind, this meant that the kids would head down to the field and run around like kids do.  In a haphazard manner. When Calvin and I got down to the field, we found not only his fellow classmates ready to run, but they all had race numbers pinned to their jackets.  Orange cones outlined the perimeter of two soccer fields and the teacher, Oliver, ran the entire course to show the kids where to go.  The course was a proper course and even featured a water table at the halfway mark.
Kids would then have to run the perimeter of the second soccer field to make it to the finish line.  If you put it in perspective to their size, you could consider the distance equivalent to a marathon.

Ready to run?

Calvin isn't a real fan of me dropping him off at school (read crying with crocodile tears) but he is generally good once I turn the corner and am out of sight.  I don't know if he was confused as to why he was surrounded by his school friends and teachers AND his mother, but he turned into a limpet and wouldn't let me go.  I convinced him to let me put him down by promising him a puddle for splashing.

We are going to splash in puddles? Cool

The teachers counted down and we were off!  I tried letting Calvin run by himself while holding my hand, but that approach broke down quickly because this is what happened whenever I tried to put him down:

Why would you put me down??

I scooped him up and we began to run it together.  He seemed ok with this approach and we stopped at the water table to rehydrate (Calvin was thirsty from so much exertion).

We took off again and Calvin had some admirers cheering him/me on.  "Heya, heya!" They shouted at us as we rounded the final stretch.  Is this race over already? My gosh!  We crossed the finish line and Calvin got a finisher's medal!  He was so happy that everyone was clapping for him!

After the race, the kids sat on the porch and had a post-race fika of apple juice and a banana.  So SWEDISH!

Post race fika

All of the runners relaxing

My goal was not for Calvin to run any part of the race on his own, but for him to have fun. I think we had marginal success.  He finally relaxed and ran around after the race was over and the kids had fun on the astroturf field.  It was so nice to see how realistic the teachers had made the race and it was a lot of fun!

Now he wants to run around!

We did it!