Yesterday afternoon Daddy and the kids ran in the inaugural Colleyville Pumpkin Mash Dash. It was a gorgeous day for running.

Daddy set off on the 10K. Then the kids took off on the 1K.

Raine is the one in purple and Carter is just right of her in the back.

The course was a simple out-and-back route. Raine was ahead of Carter on the way out, but there was no sign of Raine when Carter came speed-walking back.

I ran out along the course to find Raine and asked the police officers who were directing traffic at the road if a little girl in purple had crossed the road — rather than turning around like the 1K runners were supposed to do. They had seen her pass so they radioed down to the officers at the next road crossing (quite a way down the road) who said they could see her coming. She told us later that she had figured out she missed the turn-around because she didn’t see any more kids, so she turned around before making it to the second officers.

I ran back to the finish line to find Carter before he freaked out and found him sitting in a ditch quite a way behind the finish line. Then we headed back out along to the course to wait for Raine. Soon enough she made her way to us, but that was the end for her. She didn’t even make it to the finish line. She dissolved into tears and just wanted to sit in the car. (We found out later that evening that she had a raging ear infection. Poor kid.)

Daddy finished the 10K in 50:06 which put him first place in his age group and fourth overall.