Saturday, September 8, 2007

The Company Picnic

Who knew that companies even HAD picnics anymore? Aren't they too busy downsizing and pillaging from retirement funds and pensions to throw picnics? Apparently not companies that are trying to cure cancer. My (for lack of a better term) sister-in-law Judy works as a research nurse for clinical trials with cancer patients, and the company that she works for held a great bash at Kelly Point Park in Portland, where the Columbia and Willamette Rivers meet. She was kind enough to bring Joe-Henry and I along for the fun, and after our big week, we were ready to cut loose a bit.

It was a breathtaking day, too, blue sky, great breeze and just enough warmth to make a Sno-Cone extra tasty. There were about seven inflateables there:

the ubiquitous bounce house, and the inflatable slide, the sparring ring AND the inflatable cage match, the inflatable jungle gym, and the inflateable back breaker, which looked like fun, but had Judy asking for ibuprofen about an hour afterward.

There was a puppet show put on by this RenFaire Pirate guy with super long hair, who attracted all the kids to the show with this really cool balloon, that was partially filled with helium so it floated just a tiny bit.


There was EXCELLENT barbecue, as well as beans and macaroni salad, potato salad, watermelon, cookies and SNO-KONES!

Mine was rootbeer flavor and it was excellent. Joe-Henry's was bubblegum flavored and it took a while to get the blue off him in the tub tonight.
I'm not sure what flavor this little angel's mama was having, but I don't think it mattered one little bit to her!

Joe-Henry climbed the slide thing about five hundred times (I'm serious. I stopped counting after twenty).

He climbed, and he climbed,

and he climbed,

and when he wasn't climbing he was waiting in line to climb some more.

In four hours, he sat down only long enough for the puppet show.

It was kind of crazy, goofy bad, but the kids loved it, until it went on a bit too long and everyone got a bit more interested in the caterpillars that seemed to be everywhere.


There were egg races and sack races and bingo, and for four hours today, it felt like the good old days, only better. I mean, working to cure cancer AND free Sno-Kones?

C'mon. It doesn't get any better than that.

5 comments:

Claire Thompson said...

What a fab time, love the pics.

suttonhoo said...

he's a rock climber. for sure.

after this? and the REI stunt? oh yeah.

you'd better get the carabiners and crampons ready, dearie.

Anonymous said...

Where were you at my party last night? I really could have used your photographic talents. sigh.

anne said...

Those inflatable climbing things are something else, especially for boys! My husband's company also had a picnic in a park this summer, and the climbing inflatable had a wading pool of water at the bottom of the slide. My 5-year-old son went up and down and up and down and up and down for two hours straight - at least 200 times, I am sure. I am glad you and JH got to have such a fun, relaxing day!

anne said...
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