Weekends

Last weekend we went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival.  It was awesome.  The last time we went I was very pregnant with Liz so it's been nine years and we missed it.  Yes, you see some weirdos--adults in Renaissance costumes that they actually own--and way too much cleavage, but still it's lots of fun.  Some highlights: watching glass blowers, free pony rides for the kiddos (Liz was a little scared when her pony "shivered," Ellie smiled the whole time), countless stage shows, and yummy festival food.  The shot below is of us heading into the festival.  I wish I got one on the way out.  Ellie was on Drew's back and Liz was on his shoulders--he's quite a dad.

Barely Balanced was the kid's favorite act (comedy and acrobatics), and Drew and I enjoyed it so much that we bought their DVD after the show.

The show I most wanted to see was Shakespeare's Skum because I remembered enjoying their performance during our last visit.  This time we saw them do Macbeth which I'm pretty sure is what we saw 9 years ago.

Top on Andrew's list was the joust.  It was really interesting, but really hot because the stands were completely unshaded.  Only Andrew lasted through the whole thing.  I got shade breaks by taking various kids to cool off or use the bathroom.  I really felt for those poor knights though.

Lizzie wanted to wear a costume so, so badly and they were available to rent for $10, so we indulged her.  I think if we go again next year I'll try to make my own beforehand, or at least make my own flower garland (they were going for about $20 each--crazy!).

We got to the festival about 11:30 a.m. and we left earlier than we intended at 5:30 p.m., but only because of a massive rainstorm.  The festival didn't shut down, but we were pretty sure the acrobats wouldn't be performing again on a slick stage so we bailed.  Of course, because we were not together when the storm started, and because it was so intense, we spent a chunk of time waiting it out in various shelters.  The little girls and I raced to the costume shop when the wind started up and thank goodness because the rain came quickly and it was torrential. Elle loved it (kept running to the edge of the porch and sticking her hands or head in the rain before she ran back laughing).  Lainey, on the other hand, kept asking to go home.

We were in the shop for at least half an hour before the winds and rained died down and became just a regular rain storm.  Andrew, Lizzie, and the car keys were still hunkered down in a game shop on the other side of the festival so I let the little ones play in the rain a bit.  It was pretty tame compared to the spectacle of grown men pawing the ground like bulls and impromptu mud wrestling during the height of the storm, but it was pretty cute nonetheless.  And the storm was such a blessing to us because the temperature dropped like 20 degrees.  Our AC is out of commission so we were loving that dip.

On the way home I told Andrew that I thought the day was pretty fun, that we all seemed to enjoyed ourselves, and that I'd do it again next year and he said, Next year?!  I'd do it again this year!  Okay, so he is up for a day trip.  It just has to be the right day trip.

This weekend was a bit more sedate.  Lainey had her first soccer class on Saturday (the kids visited "soccer island" and had adventures/played silly soccer games).  It was adorable--best thing ever.  We only arrived five minutes early so all the extra small t-shirts were taken and Lainey had to wear size small which went almost to her knees.  She looked like she had on a soccer dress.  Later in the day Liz had her first soccer game.  I stayed home with the wee-ones, but Assistant Coach Drew said he was quite pleased with her efforts in the game. 

At church today I got roped into singing with the choir because not many people showed up (last time I go early with choir-boy Andrew), Ellie spent most of Sacrament meeting begging to go to her class (as usual), and we took an evening stroll around Huntley Meadows and saw muskrats and a beaver (and heard another one chomping away within their den).  In all, a good weekend.