Carnival Weekend

Sarah has declared this past weekend : THE BEST WEEKEND EVER.  So, apparently, it's all downhill from here.  It was busy and super-fun, but I am tired.  And I didn't even host anything.

We kicked it off with a PTO-sponsored carnival at Sarah's new school.  I whined the whole way there (around the corner), but I perked up after a few slices of Papa John's.  

Sarah had an agenda:

 games prizes, cotton candy, and face painting. 

Mission accomplished.

 This weekend I learned some things:

1. The pointy things on top of an owl's head are not ears.
2. TOM's don't go with shorts (on me, anyway).
3. I love winter. 

Saturday, Mike decided to host his own kind of carnival with games and activities including Take the Kids to Home Depot, Force Your Wife to Work Out at the Gym, 

Let's All Clean Out the Basement, 

and the real crowd-pleaser: Draft a Neighbor to Move Furniture. 

Here's how we felt on Sunday when the drill sergeant wasn't around to make us do chores:

"Walk the plank, you scurvy knave!"

Huzzah!

Actually, Sunday was a day filled with learning about history, engaging young minds, 

and experiencing new things at the Renaissance Festival.

Aw, who am I kidding?! We were there for the food, toys, and costumes.

Sarah wore her wings and crown, even though it was Pirate Weekend at the Fest, but, apparently fairies are a thing with the Renaissance Fair-regulars.  

So are corsets, but I'd rather not think about that.

Camel-riding was first up on the to-do list. 

Will was a trooper, even though I could tell he was scared to get on at first. 

 He was smiling by the time the camel got moving.

A big thanks to the dad who volunteered to ride with the kiddos.  I know my offspring wouldn't have been as brave if he hadn't taken one for the team.

This camel-wrangler had to remind me to get a picture of the camel's head or else a picture of kids on the back of some hairy beast wouldn't make sense.  But... I still didn't get the whole camel + kids in one shot.  
Oh, well.

I know this knight was hearkening back to the good ol' days of the Little Ice Age in his full suit of armor. 

My guys were scared of him and his cronies until he pulled a giant purple "gem" from his pack. Then it was all good in the 'hood.  

Take a picture with two scary knights and a Friar Tuck with devil horns? Sure!

(These gentlemen were so nice, though, despite their intimidating appearances.)

No Faire experience would be complete without the obligatory "head-through-a-picture-with-a-strategically-placed-hole" photo op...

...And unicorn petting.

As for the food: we regret not having a giant turkey leg, but that 1/16th of a millimeter of pretzel that I begged my kids to eat was apparently really filling.  At least, that's what they told me.  

The toy situation got a little complicated when Will became dead-set on a rocket. 

I'll just let that thought marinate for a little bit.

But, everybody perked up when we noticed the wide variety of weapons made just for kids!  My little archers chose some very cool bows and arrows.  Will did experience a twinge of buyer's remorse when he noticed the awesome swords on display.  I, however, did not.

Highlight of the trip home:

That's a horse on a barn roof.

This is how they spent the ride home:

Passed out, clutching their very own starter weapons.  How sweet.