Red Ribbon Week

Last week was Red Ribbon Week at our elementary school. The PTA puts on all kinds of activities to help the students learn about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Often the police department will come and do a demonstration with their canine unit to show how dogs help them in the fight against drugs which is always a big hit with the kids.

A couple of days ago, Grace said to me, "We (she and her best friend, pictured above) were playing a fun thing at recess."

"What was it?" I asked.

She paused a moment and replied, "I don't want to tell you."  (She always worries that people will think something she does is silly or make fun of her for it.  I don't know why because we never have.)

"You can tell me," I reassured her.

"Well, O.K., I'll tell you. We like to pretend that we're dogs sniffing for drugs in the snow.  When we find them we dig them up. It's really fun!"

I'm not sure that's exactly what the PTA had in mind for the kids to learn from Red Ribbon week, but it does sound like fun. It reminds me of the days when my friend Shelley and I would play army at recess, crawling around on our stomachs to avoid enemy fire. Or another favorite--rock people where the evil queen was always ordering the beheading of some unfortunate prisoner. We had a pit full of little rock heads by the end of our fourth grade year.  A bit dark for fourth grade girls, but we turned out perfectly fine, so whether it's drug sniffing dogs or executioners, I suppose there's nothing wrong with a little imagination.  What did you play at recess?