Seven-year-old Ally Batal was upset at the boys on Friday afternoon. They were playing capture the flag, and she thought the boys weren't following the rules.
"They're guarding it, and we can't get through," she complained.
Her mother, Yvonne Batal, was the mediator at their weekly Friday Afternoon Club, where the children of the neighborhood abandon all lessons, practices and school-based commitments and gather for some old-fashioned fun. She was glad to address problems of this magnitude.
"We usually play the classic games — capture the flag, kick the can, or sometimes with the parachute. We were finding they were scheduled in everything they do. We're trying to keep them away from being 'vidiots,'" she said.
Gina Park had three children playing in the field.
"It's a long time coming. The neighborhood is spread out. It gets the old-time flavor back in the neighborhood," she said.
"They're getting physical activity. That's kind of the goal here," Batal said.
Anne Marie Stevenson was helping out at Griffith Pond, a neighborhood play area in Fairfax Station, where the Friday Afternoon Club has been gathering since the weather started getting warm.
"This is better than going home and watching TV," she said.
Rita Scott came out with her child. It's a chance for the mothers to socialize as well.
"She wanted to last time, but she had an activity," she said of her daughter.
IT STARTED OUT as a brainstorm of Batal's with just a few children from their neighborhood off Clara Barton Parkway in Fairfax Station. Batal remembered what she did as a child for fun and wanted to simplify her children's lives. She put a sign out on the street that goes right by the pond, and other parents saw it, some while on their way home from some of the activities she was targeting.
"Our kids were so busy, we cut back on it," she said.
Another mother, Cheryl Anderson, noted that it wasn't limited to the children on their street though.
"This is open to anybody to participate," she said.
Allison Siegel, 9, usually does homework at that time during the afternoon.
"I like playing tag and stuff," she said.
Ally remembered what she was doing the day before at that time.
"At my sister's ballet class," she said.
Patrick Stevenson and Thomas Anderson, both 5, were some of the guilty culprits guarding the flag. Thomas admitted that playing with girls wasn't on the top of his list.
"Naaah, not that much," he said.
Eric admitted being at tee-ball practice was fun too.
"I like tee-ball practice better," he said.
Barbara Duchene brought one child but had to leave early for soccer practice.
STEVENSON ADMITTED that usually, her children's schedule is pretty full.
"My kids go to tee-ball, swimming lessons at George Mason and tae kwon do. Kids have a great life, I didn't have all this. We don't even have a playground in this neighborhood, and that's OK," she said, looking at the pond as their playground. It is maintained by the homeowners association, but the Friday Afternoon Club has yet to announce its unofficial gatherings. Batal doesn't think it will be a problem.
"They are all responsible, and they clean up after themselves. We are fortunate we have this place," she said.
Robert Beck, director of psychology at Fairfax County Public Schools, looked at the children's full schedule as a geographical situation, but not a bad thing.
"We're spending a lot of time transporting ourselves and children," he said.
Personal advantages of having a full schedule include character development and acquiring the ability to bounce back.
"From these activities, kids get a sense of self. I think parents recognize that this is building resilience and building character," he said.
SOME OF THE CHILDREN go to different schools and would probably not meet if it weren't for the club.
"This is a chance for us to meet. It kind of became word of mouth. Kids at the bus stop were talking," Stevenson said.