I went to a Renaissance Festival without the kids!

Why can’t I remember that Renaissance only has 1 N at the beginning without spell check telling me this?

Warning picture overload about to happen:

What made this especially fun was having most of my best friends with me.  The two girls in the picture with me have been my friends since high school.  On the left is Tara, who I’ve mentioned several times before, and on the right is Tami.  Back in high school we were the Three Terrible T’s.  We were incredibly obnoxious, loud, and silly.  Or maybe that was just me.

The other fun thing, since someone else had a camera, I got to be in pictures.  YEAH!

 

There was much fun to be had.  I got a new hat, and had some yummy tea, ate amazing fudge.  YUM.  And watched people play silly games.

Who’s not up for a rousing round of throw the ax or swinging over a lake?

 

This is another of my friends from high school.  Her kids and mine get together every week for our history coop.  And then that night we all get together and play games together.  She’s been trying for weeks to convince Jeff her character in the game would be able to do something, so she was on a mission while we were there to get information and prove it was true.

 

That was rather hilarious!

 

I leave you with my two favorite pictures from the day.

 

Ren Fest 2011

It’s time for my annual Renaissance Festival post.  This year was probably our best year because there were no melt downs and the kids were so excited about it!  And we got to see the joust 3 times!

 

My last minute cloaks I slaved over for hours because it was going to be cold, and hten it was too warm for them.  Also this is the only time that the boys tabards even resemble being on right.  I didn’t have time to line them, and it really needed a belt to keep them in place.

 

Here’s my other major sewing project for this year’s festival.  Jeff’s pants and vest.  The vest didn’t come out the way Jeff envisioned, so I’m going to be switching out the lining.  That and for some reason the trim made the fashion fabric pucker.  Okay, I have theories on that one, but not going to go into it for your sanity’s sake……

 

Okay, end of sewing related comments.

 

 

 

Princess was happy as a clam because she got to spend a lot of one on one time with me or with Tara and I.  Lots of girl time!  And she got to pick out an early birthday present, she picked a crown.

 

And a necklace.  The girl was quite the bargain shopper.

We actually saw the Grand Parade, which meant I got to take lots and lots of pictures of costumes, and then I sit there and think about what I could change on my costume.

Highlight for the boys day: Getting to meet the German knight and have him sign their pennants.

Princess and Superman both stuffed dolls there, Princess a pink unicorn, named Unicorny, and Superman a troll, named Trolly.  It goes with his blue dragon, Dragony.

 

Of course there are the required messy eating shots:

Also known as “meat as big as your face” pictures.

I’m actually even in a few pictures.  Okay, I included that one of Princess because I really like it.

 

That was our festival for the year.

Scarborough Faire

But, this is from our trip a few weeks moths ago  (I give up on getting the pictures from Aunt Tara, total slacker trying to get ready for grad school and working full time, it’s like she can’t drop everything for me and do what I want).  On the way up, the boys slept, and Princess pouted.  I’m not sure why she was pouting, but she was.

The boys continue to love going on the pirate ship swing, and Princess continues to not want to do it.  But, this year the boys wanted to go with Daddy, not Mommy.  So, I stayed on the ground with Princess.

This year we went with one of our friends from church, and I was quite amused as the boys would veer wildly from “This is so cool,” to “I’m too cool for this.”  Ahhhhh, 5th grade boys, they can’t decide if they’re boys or men.  I guess I could also say, ahhhhh, 40 year old men, they can’t decide if they’re boys or men.  I know I can say that about my almost 30 year old brother.








The kids continued their obsession with all things meat, there’s just something about a picture of my little girl eating a piece of meat bigger than her face that amuses me.

I love this picture of the boys with Aunt Tara.  She looks so pretty and the boys, well Superman looks so surly.  Batman looks quite content to hug her.  He’s my hugger. 

As you can see, the kids were so in period….  Superman was Captain Trooper Rex, Batman was a knight.  Princess was Rapunzel.

And now the pretty dancing dresses slideshow

Dancing Dresses VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

But, the biggest hit of the day (aside from buying wooden swords) was the petting zoo.  I think we spent an hour in there, easily…..  And we would have spent longer if the other adults weren’t ready to leave after about 15 minutes.  I think they might have at one point.

I’d show the pleased grins of the 5th graders but as soon as the camera appeared they got sullen looks.  I don’t look forward to the teen years.

I leave you with two fun group shots

Ahhhhh, to think of days when it was only in the 80s…….