Special Olympics Part One--The Mad Dash

It's the alarm clocks fault.  The stupid alarm clock.  I know.  The oldest excuse in the book but it is true.  We bought a new alarm clock and it ranks up there with plucking your nose hairs out your ears.  It's stupid.  It doesn't work.  You can't see the time.  It has LED back lights that make it impossible to see and setting the alarm is a trick only a teenager could figure out on your DVD/VCR player.  Too complex.

Do you remember the scene in Home Alone?  When they wake up late and the mad frenzy to get ready begins?  If we had a film crew in our house this morning, that is exactly what it would have looked like!   I groggily ask The SM what time it is.  He finds his watch and tells me the time.  I freak and fly out of bed and yell, WE'RE LATE!  We're supposed to leave in a 1/2 hour!!! 

Much shoving of food down little throats, showers taken in record time, piling into the truck, and as I squeal out of the driveway, I ask one of The Native's to lead us in family prayer. 

We made it.  We made it to the bowling alley and then....... we sat.   And sat.  And sat.  The organizers who were supposed to be there at that moment hadn't even left their headquarters which were a good half hour away. 

Now, if you are not familiar with people with special needs let me fill you in on a tiny secret.  They don't wait.  Sitting idly.  It doesn't go over well.  They need a rigid schedule and DON'T mess with that schedule.  After much waiting and a few getting close to melt downs, the organizers arrived and the bowling began. 

Ten minutes of warm ups and then.......... LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Photos soon to follow in part two.  The Native I put in charge of taking photos took about 700 so please be patient as I go through and try to find the ones that are the least blurry.  I messed up on the ISO thinking I had the camera all set to go after a friend gave me a tutorial on taking the best photos for the situation.  I should have had him just set the camera up for me instead of me trying to do it and flubbing!!!  And we wonder why I am struggling with the alarm clock...........