Apple War

We had Thanksgiving this year at my in laws house, even though they were not home.  It was great.  All the Cranes got together and had a fantastic dinner and day.  I only got a picture of the "9 and under" table, not the prettier adult table!  Oh well, the kids had a good dinner, but they didn't appreciate it as much as they should have, but the adults made up for them.

The kids wanted to go back outside and play after dinner, so they did.  I went out on the back deck to find this:

 Judd, Lainee, Ainsley, Paige, Lilly, and Kendal behind a fort of leaves, plastic kids deck chairs, signs, and a rake for good measure, and

 Ashley, Kelsey, Aly, Ayden, and Larry behind a fort of more leaves, more plastic chairs, but with the added protection of a snow shovel and plastic crate.  

They were having an apple fight.

Full sized, picked fresh from the tree, apple fight.

 Their trenches were dug in pretty close, but that is because most of them (excluding the boys) can't hit a thing to save their lives!  I was watching this little cousin apple war with interest.  Nobody was getting hit although lots of full sized, not crab apples, were being launched, so that means they were not hunkered down using their protection.  I was guessing how long it would take for someone to get hit and hurt for them to realize they needed to actually use their amazing forts for cover.  

It didn't take too long.  I mean, look at Larry, he looks like he is pitching for the big leagues!  I watched him hit Paige in the leg, and she gave him a dirty look and just gathered more apples.  Then I went in the house to finish the dishes.  Soon Kendal came in crying.  Of course.  She was not using the protection the fort was trying to provide.  I loved on her a bit and she kept crying.  I asked her where she got hit and she told me her tummy.  I lifted up her shirt and there was a perfect, beautiful, round and raging red welt in the shape of a monster apple dead center on her tummy.  I bet that hurt!  I saw Ashley later and asked her how she got that goose egg on her forehead.  Apple fight.  Emmitt went out for a bit but came back in crying.  He said he got hit in the shoulder.  At least he learned to find safe ground, the rest of them just played and played apple war all afternoon.

  It was a fantastic Thanksgiving.