Sports day

Last Saturday was Yiu Yiu's kindy sports day, held at SJK (C) Yuk Chai in Taman Megah. I was initially in two minds whether I should attend, coz that would mean bringing Yan Yan along, and I was hesitant due to the increasing incidence of H1N1. But then again, how could I miss Yiu Yiu's first sports day, rite? So off we went with baby in tow. Luckily she was mostly sleeping in the sling throughout the whole event after I nursed her in the car on our way to Yuk Chai. She only woke up towards the end during the prize giving ceremony and I found a quiet corner to nurse her.

The event started with march past by the students and singing of the national anthem.

Yiu Yiu making monkey faces at the children tent before the start of the Sports Day

Preparing for the march past

Jasmine class march past

All attention while singing the national anthem

This was followed by speeches by the Principal, the Director of Community Excel Services (which runs the kindy), and Senior Pastor of DUMC. The 6-year olds then performed a simple cheerleading act before the sporting events began.

Under the hot sun during the speeches

Cheerleading act

Each age group (3 – 6 years old) were divided into four teams (red, yellow, green and blue) to compete in a total of seven events with names such as Hippity Hippity Hop, Fun Acrobatics, Racing Bunnies, Clig Clog Farmer, Bring Rollie Home, Fish Tale and Fill Me Up. Yiu Yiu's event, Fish Tale was the second last event. Yiu Yiu was in the red team, and she was lined up as the first one from her team to start. She wasn't in a good mood prior to her event as she was enjoying her snack in the children tent but had to quickly abandon it when they were called by their teachers to go out to the field. While waiting for volunteers to set up the necessary props for the event, we asked her if she knew what she had to do but she just kept quiet. That got us worried for a bit coz she was the first in line!!!

(L) See her sour face after having had to abandon her snack (R) Being led to the field for her event, Fish Tale

Luckily when the they were flagged off, she just ran off and did her stuff - fishing out a plastic fish from a huge basin with a chopstick, then running on a wooden beam before dropping the fish into a waiting shark :-) She was all excited when she completed her turn and was grinning to ear-to-ear. Her team eventually emerged as champion for the event and boy, was she excited!

(Top) Ready, get set, go! (Bottom) Lets go fishing

Running back to her teammates. Both her feet were off the ground in this shot, perfect timing!

There were also games for parents - three-legged race, tug of war for mummies and daddies, and Wet Wet World. Siblings were not forgotten too. It started to rain during the last parents' game of Wet Wet World, where parents were lined up and had to pass water balloons from one end to the other. The MC cajoled the parents who were already in the field when the rain started, asking them to stay on since they were bound to get wet anyway, and the parents sportingly completed the game amidst the rain.

They waited for the rain to stop before starting the prize giving ceremony for the children but just as the prizes were given out to winners of the first event, it started to pour again. The prize giving ceremony had to be stopped but the sky was just not cooperative so it was eventually held inside the crowded children tent.

(L) Getting her medal from one of the pastor (R) See mummy, it's a gold medal

Here's my buddy, Faythe

With Faythe and Teacher Esther

Thanks Jazz for some of these lovely photos

Parents were then treated to some refreshments before the sports day came to an end.

Just as an aside, I got a call from Yiu Yiu's class teacher several days before the event to ask if I could prepare some food for her class for them to snack on while waiting. MIL and I prepared these:

Bread roll with chicken floss and longan jelly

When I asked Yiu Yiu if she got to eat the food that we prepared, she said no. I guess amidst the confusion, the food must have gone to a different class. Aiya!