A Renaissance, of sorts

Ain't to party like a Renaissance party...

Actually, that's true. I'm being serious. There really is no thing like the Renaissance Faire. And the world can probably only handle one, so this is a good thing.

Our first foray into this little world last summer caught us by surprise. It's nothing we ever dreamed we'd enjoy, but the kids were over the moon to enjoy the costumes, the accents, the jousts, every single bit of it. And rather than re-hashing my summary from last year, I'll link to it here.

We knew we wanted to visit again this year, and as I looked at the calendar last week, I realized that we only had this weekend to accomplish it. Every other day is filled and school is so closely caving in on us. We needed to make it happen - fast. 

So we made the trek to Bristol, WI, on Sunday. 

Anna was excited to don her flowers and ribbons from last year. Plus, she wanted to dress in her Arrietty costume again. There's a fairy element to all of the faire's activities and Arrietty seems to be a part of that magical world.

She immediately blew our minds by asking if she could ride the ponies. This child does not typically ask to participate in things involving animals. In fact, she feels much better when animals are on the pages of books, rather than standing on the ground before her.

It was an act that stunned me. And, for all those people out there who are thinking what's the big deal??? just know that it was a big deal.

I'm hopeful that this newfound bravery will carry her through an upcoming birthday party where there will be pony rides. But, as always, you don't know which way the wind will blow until the day comes.

After the pony ride, Anna visited with a woodland fairy in a clearing nearby. The fairy was so enchanted by Anna's gold shoes that she stopped to admire them. It was charming.

We took in a joust, which was less enjoyable this year due to the heat and our decision to sit in the sun. We left a bit early and headed out for a traditional lunch of one giant turkey leg, and some pizza and a brat. When in Wisconsin...

And then, of course, we headed to the pirate ship. Abe has been wanting to swab the deck again since last summer. It didn't disappoint. In fact, we decided the kids were old enough to go by themselves (and the parents were old enough to stop paying the $5/person entry fee) so Mike and I sat outside the ship and enjoyed a soda and the music coming from a nearby tent.

It was hot and we were ready to head home by early afternoon. We'd all had fun, but air conditioning sounded wonderful and the turkey leg wasn't sitting so well in my stomach.

Everyone agreed that we'd like to make it a summer tradition. It's such fun. If you have one nearby, I'd recommend giving it a try.