fantasy-novel land

We were lucky enough to spend the day with Granny at the Renaissance Festival, also known as "Land of a Thousand Crappy Accents." It was one of their "School Days," so children from schools were bussed in and homeschoolers invited. Now, I've never been to a Renaissance Festival before, but I think this is the way to attend with small children -- because many vendors were closed (those that sell alcohol, tobacco products and metal weaponry, for instance), people were fully clothed (for the most part), the crowds weren't that bad, and the place really seemed to clear out after 2pm. We were thrilled to meet up with our good friends almost immediately, and spent the whole day playing together. Highlights included the "rides" (Gwennie on a "human catapult," Linus and Mama in the boat swing), the Birds of Prey show, Elephant and Camel rides, and of course, playing with friends. Perhaps not the most educational thing we've done, but we had a fun day.