My Amazing Race-

The Lengths to Which I'll Go to Get Something Free!

Rules of the Race:
Contestants must travel with four children approximately 3/4 of a mile, downhill, through the 100 Acre Wood, to reach their creek destination. Youngest child will be carried in a backpack. The rest are on their own.

En route to the destination, adult team member must stop to point out interesting and educational plants and animals to the children. Upon arriving at the destination, children must be allowed ample time to play in the creek. Wild daffodils must be located, dug with a garden trowel, and loaded in a paper bag.

When the bag is filled, contestants must proceed to the pit stop (starting point) with all four children, and the bag of daffodils. The first one to return, will win the daffodils.

My Story:
We started off well, making good time down the hill. We stopped to look at tadpoles, wildflowers, wild rose, and blackberry brambles. Upon arriving at the destination, the three oldest children quickly changed into water shoes and commenced playing in the creek. Third child enjoyed himself thoroughly, and soon was soaking wet. Meanwhile, I scoped out the daffodils and chose my prize spot.

We incurred penalty time when third child' s shirt sunk to the bottom of the creek. Although we could see no competition, we quickly realized, as the sky darkened, that the real race was not against any other competitors, but against the rain.

I began to dig the daffodils. These bulbs were the deepest, mostly densely packed bulbs I have ever encountered. How I wished I had a real shovel, instead of a measly garden trowel! Plants filling the paper bag, I proceed to gather children and remove third child's remaining clothing. He walked back in his underwear. A quick shoe change, and we were headed for the pit stop, just as the rain began to fall.

First and second child went ahead. I carried the prize in one hand, the baby on my back, and held the hand of underwear boy with my other hand, in the rain, uphill for about 3/4 of mile. Luckily, it was a warm gentle rain. Eldest child came back with a raincoat for underwear boy, and we reached the pit stop first. The prize was ours!


Note: Fall really is the better time to move daffodils. I'm taking my chances moving them now. I don't really expect them to bloom this season. Only remove wildflowers if there is an abundance of the species, and I recommend only doing it on your own property!