SX19: Day Two

Day two came early, but they all do this week.  Everyone was tired, but excited for another go - of course, we're also feeding all the animals and plants at Nana and Ye-Ye's house this week, so we were up even earlier to go over and do that first.  But we arrived, and just as it was yesterday, the energy was there with the kids, as was the volume and enthusiasm.

Our service was again fantastic, with every part of the machine working perfectly.  The band, the sound, the videos, the speakers, the actors, the lighting, the logistics of moving large amounts of people here or there... all of it was just fantastic this week.  Frances Meadows Aquatic Center was annoying as they usually are, especially so on Thursday, and there were some parking issues for bus drivers at Zoo Atlanta due to construction.  But otherwise, I can't remember another Summer Xtreme where everything went so perfectly.

One blessing of the week was the amount of time in each service that could be spent with the messages and worship.  Traditionally, we're little tight on time.  We're also a little tight on space too, but with the kindergarteners and first graders in another room, it gave a more comfortable feeling to the those in second through sixth grade.  You can see above, there's still a lot of kids in that main auditorium, but that's because our numbers overall were greater than they've ever been.  In the end, it was something over 600 kids.  And Madison is right there in the front row all week long for worship, the messages, the skits and the games.

Today's games went to the Sharks tribe, the fifth graders, who made it tough on the Raptors all week long.  As of today, the Sharks and Raptors are tied, with the Hawks in third and the Rhinos and Sabretooths trailing.  The game was messy, and a little different, but it was still fun, and it gave those fifth graders something to cheer about.  The intensity of this competition between tribes is so strong - the kids were so loud!

The Raptors didn't even place today, which brought back feelings of dread.  For years, this grade level has not won the final trophy.  Last year was one of the first years where they won something at all, one of the daily games.  Already, they've done that this week.  But that familiar feeling was back, the one reaffirmed by six previous years of losses:  you should be glad enough that you won just the one thing, and that trophy at the end of the week isn't really for you.  Despite the familiar feelings and worries, the great thing about this group this year is that they still fought hard and screamed loud.  It would be a thrilling week no matter the results.  Madison is super competitive, and there are many grown-up volunteers that were wanting sixth grade to win just for her!

The ongoing drama was good as well, with plot twists, humor and the fun stick.  Dawn is carrying a stick that Mommy made up, one we call "The Fun Stick."  Kids are calling it out from the audience as if it were a character too.  And yes, Lucille the Wrench has a part to play too, which is pretty funny to me.  For the last five years, this wrench has been a significant prop in our Summer Xtreme dramas, and those only.  So you have to have a pretty good memory to know about Lucille.  It's sort of a big insider joke, like the Pizza Planet truck (on a much smaller scale, of course!).

The acting team has been perfection this week.  Every line, they've nailed.  They've got such a camaraderie that while out there, they add jokes and add energy, and the audience is riveted.  There's an ongoing story, and everyone is super focused on what will happen next.  Of course, each day, there's a bottom line, and that bottom line is brought back again with our message for the day.  Today's message is was about being mighty, as we talked about David's Mighty Men.  

Our destination was two-fold today.  Younger kids went to Frances Meadows Aquatic Center, and despite the best efforts of management staff there, the kids actually had a great time.  The older kids - which includes Madison - went to Rockin' Jump, which is a great destination!

Madison was back at the obstacle course, a real expert on the first part of it.  It's the rings you see above that give her a little difficulty.  But she kept going back and trying over and over again, getting farther than most, and just loving the attempt.

These balls here give so many others a lot of challenges, but not Madison.  She zooms over these almost at walking speed, just hopping from one to the next without any difficulty whatsoever.

And you can see her smiling the whole way through - it's fun to watch!  The kids love this obstacle course, all of them lining up to give it a try.  The adults were all over it too, and perhaps because of their greater weight, having a hard time with this initial part.  We'll have to go back some time and see if Madison can master the rings again.  She's determined to get through this - and maybe she'll even be a contestant on a game of Wipe Out someday!

The most notable thing here are the trampolines, which are numerous.  Madison was jumping up and down on those for a while with her friends.  She had some adults sneak in and give her an extra super bounce too.

Here below is a sequence that I'll never forget though.  Daddy had two dollar bills and thought it would be fun to put Madison and a couple friends into the hurricane force wind machine.  Only, Pastor Lance was in there too. Along with Madison's group leader, and her fiancé, and Mac, who has been to nearly every Summer Xtreme since the beginning.... and well, you can see here how many people were squeezed into this one tube:

It was hilarious.  We got the machine working, and the wind started to pick up speed in there.

It gets incrementally faster, and louder too.  It's a simple concept, but for some reason everyone wants to go in and do it.  In fact, we did this very thing elsewhere for Summer Xtreme a few years ago.

By this point, a larger group was gathered around to watch the craziness inside.  The wind was picking up.  That's Jesse to the right there, and I'm not entirely sure he has any idea what is going on yet.  He just knows he's squeezed into this tube that everyone made him get into, and there's a slight breeze picking up speed.

I just thought this sequence of photos was hilarious.  It was a little gem of a moment during a wonderful day.  There were so many blessings like this during the week, little moments that made our hearts super happy.

The wind was at maximum force now, and I just love Madison's face there.  They're cracking up, and the two guys in the back are having to keep the door closed with their hands because everyone is laughing and squirming and the wind is blowing... it was hilarious.

Like I said, there was a small audience out there.  There were actually a lot more people out there watching, but these were the ones that wanted to pose for a picture.  It was a fun moment!

Madison was elsewhere today too, also at the jousting area, which was a place where you stand on a balance beam and try to knock your opponent off into the soft cushion area.  Here's Calvin and Madison, ringside, watching the combat take place.  And speaking of combat...

This was Madison's favorite thing of the day - the dodge ball.  There were quite a few kids in the dodgeball area, and quite a bit of chaos.  Next door, the grown-ups were playing it pretty hard, with some fierce throws.

There was a lot of safety in numbers here.  You can see Madison above and below with some of her friends from KidPak, and a few who are also in taekwondo with her.  They hung out in the back here, waiting for those errant balls, and then would lob them over to the opponents' side.  Madison got a few hits, and had a great time avoiding balls, and trying to avoid getting knocked over as everyone shifted this way or that to evade a flying dodgeball.

She's all smiles here, just like she was all day.  They had a great time - it's a great facility, with a lot of space, and great people to work with.  The kids had a fun time!

We got back to the church, and of course there's this massive dismissal process.  The weather was warm outside, and it slightly drizzled on us but that's okay.  The dismissal went a bit faster this time, and everyone was okay, because the kids had a great day.  Madison had a great day.

We went home after meetings and preparations for the next day, getting home later again, and pretty much going to bed right away.  It was so much fun today, and tomorrow is going to be just as unforgettable!