Renaissance Fair '12

I've pretty behind on blogging about things.  We went to the Renaissance Fair a few weeks ago.  We always dress up in costume; Dan wore the same costume he wore last year, and Emily wore her Cinderella dress, and her cape (which I made for her back when she was a baby; and mostly, she insisted that princesses didn't need capes, despite the cold). 

I wore the same costume as last year, except I altered a white shirt at the last minute and wore that (I removed the collar and finished the raw edge with bias tape), and I wore the hat I made a few years ago to match the green dress, since it was cold out.  William's costume took the most work, since this was his first year.  He wore one of his dress shirts and sweater vest, white knee high socks (they were a couple sizes big), and I adapted the kilt-like skirt I made for Emily into a man's kilt, complete with leather pouch.  I put some shorts under his kilt so his legs would be a little warmer.

Emily outside the entrance to the children's area

We saw a puppet show in the kids area, and we watched the jousting match.  Emily and I also attended "princess lessons;" this year is the first year they had princesses as part of the cast characters who wander around and act in events.  The princesses had lessons for any little girls who wanted to attend, and they oversaw the jousting match we attended (usually the queen oversees the matches, with her court).  There was also supposed to be a long bow competition, which took place outside the actual fair grounds, so we missed it.  (We saw the competition site when we were leaving).

Gran B (the gypsy), Pappy, and Dan watch the donkey that kept on following the stroller because of the apples I had in our picnic basket, plus Emily petting a pony

William was a trooper, and spent most of the time sleeping.  We bundled him up in a blanket, and he was still young enough that if he was warm and fed he would sleep just about all the time. 

Emily grooming the donkey

 Emily enjoyed herself too, especially riding on a pony and getting to pet the animals next to the children's area.  Also, she really liked the horses during the jousting, and was very upset that she couldn't also sit on them.

We had lots of fun, and of course plan on going next year.  We'll see if William ever lets me put him in a kilt again.  Maybe next year he can go as a dragon.

Waiting for the jousting to start