Last Tuesday Jon’s class went on a field trip to O’Connor Bowl, a local 5-pin bowling alley. Wondering how these kids could possibly hit the pins (hey, I can barely find the pins bowling!), Peter and I met the class there and stuck around in the background.

To say the class was excited was an understatement! Michael, in particular, was making all sorts of delighted giggles and wriggling around in his chair. Jon was quieter: slightly apprehensive (as he often is with any new experience), but very game.

The six kids were split up into two lanes to reduce congestion, but it still was tricky maneuvering chairs for each bowler’s turn.

Kathleen has her hands full.

Jon’s lane was consistently slower than the other one, because our “team” insisted on picking their own balls.

It has to be the right one!

The kids used an interesting contraption to help them bowl: a sloping metal guide that they could point in whichever direction they wanted and roll the ball down. Jon actually got so enthusiastic about rolling the ball that several times he pushed the ball right off the guide, making it thud onto the floor and roll crazily down the lane. Luckily the side bumpers were up, so it was rare to get a gutterball.

Ready, aim…

The kids did very well, playing two games before going back to school. Several of the kids got spares, and a fantastic time was had by all!

C’mon! Spare! Spare! Spare!

Jon’s two game scores: 108 and 97.

Hey! Good shot!