Obligatory MTA Post
So, MTA. It went pretty well. The weather was amazingly good, if a little chilly in the morning, and a little sunny in the afternoon, but that's quibbling. It was perfect wool weather, and sun is better than rain any day. Especially at Mud Through the Ages.
We made it right at five for set up. The boys and I explored the site while Jeff worked. Saturday, we arrived a bit late, but shaving a few hours off of the beginning made the end of the day much easier on us, parenting-wise. By the end up Sunday, we were all a bit crunchy, but what else is new. I think maybe it'd be better to not go to site with the boys ahead of time, so all is new and shiney on Saturday.
Henry is in LOVE with Jamestown. Why not? There are tall ships, the fort, the church, a forge, the powder magazine, big fields, guns, motorcycles, swords, tents, fencers, chickens, everything that a little boy could possibly love. We sat and watched somebody make nails for about a half hour, and it was me who dragged him away, not the other way around. When Robert Beddingfield gave Henry a nail on Sunday, Henry was in seventh heaven, clutching it the rest of the day. We wandered through the church shortly after that, where Henry inspeced all of the forged nails and wood joinery in the lectern for well over 30 minutes.
I had one of those "magic moments" in there. You know, those moments where you're transported back, if only for an instant. We were sitting in the lectern, and although it was an Anglican church, and we'd have been good Catholics in 1471, the wood joined with cut nails, Henry looking all studious in his gown, quietly inspecting everything around him, crouching down with the light falling gently on his face. It was a moment. The fur on his gown, the dark wool, it all combined to make just the right picture and feeling for me.
The boys were simply adorable. By the end of Sunday Henry was weary of having his picture taken. He and Edward stole the hearts of so many little old ladies.
They were good. Intense, but relatively good. Had they not been good it would have been impossible, not just intense. It's getting easier. Every year gets just a little more manageable. We do need to come up with some more toys and activities before MTT.
A couple of non sequiter highlights. We met the man who built the HMS Surprise (think Master and Commander). He coordinated the building of a replica of the Rose, an earlier Revolutionary War era warship. The Rose was pressed into service once again as the Surprise, for the movie. She was renamed after that, and is now in San Diego. It was a bit of a geekgasm highlight. We also met the author of the book Growing up the Middle Ages. It was released after Edward was born, and after I did most of the research for my swaddling articles and such. We talked shop and traded notes, and I've resolved to pick up the book.
Edward pushing his walker toy about. This was his old gown. It was warm enough that he'd taken off the other by this point.
Henry and Edward had a blast with the swords.
Henry "stabbing" Edward
Part deux.
And I'm not sure if Facebook lets me post pics directly elsewhere, but here are a few FB links:
Album
Pics:
Edward and me
Henry
Henry - rawr!
Edward and Jeff
Steve, Flonzy, Kim, and Me. The new supportive dress was hugely different. I like this pic.
Edward. By Sunday, I'd added fur to his cuffs, too. But I doubt there are any pictures of that.
Edit: Those same pics, linked directly, for people not on Facebook. I think this'll work. If I can get a link to an album, I'll post it later.
Edward and me
Henry
Henry - rawr!
Edward and Jeff
Steve, Flonzy, Kim, and Me. The new supportive dress was hugely different. I like this pic.
Edward. By Sunday, I'd added fur to his cuffs, too. But I doubt there are any pictures of that.
We made it right at five for set up. The boys and I explored the site while Jeff worked. Saturday, we arrived a bit late, but shaving a few hours off of the beginning made the end of the day much easier on us, parenting-wise. By the end up Sunday, we were all a bit crunchy, but what else is new. I think maybe it'd be better to not go to site with the boys ahead of time, so all is new and shiney on Saturday.
Henry is in LOVE with Jamestown. Why not? There are tall ships, the fort, the church, a forge, the powder magazine, big fields, guns, motorcycles, swords, tents, fencers, chickens, everything that a little boy could possibly love. We sat and watched somebody make nails for about a half hour, and it was me who dragged him away, not the other way around. When Robert Beddingfield gave Henry a nail on Sunday, Henry was in seventh heaven, clutching it the rest of the day. We wandered through the church shortly after that, where Henry inspeced all of the forged nails and wood joinery in the lectern for well over 30 minutes.
I had one of those "magic moments" in there. You know, those moments where you're transported back, if only for an instant. We were sitting in the lectern, and although it was an Anglican church, and we'd have been good Catholics in 1471, the wood joined with cut nails, Henry looking all studious in his gown, quietly inspecting everything around him, crouching down with the light falling gently on his face. It was a moment. The fur on his gown, the dark wool, it all combined to make just the right picture and feeling for me.
The boys were simply adorable. By the end of Sunday Henry was weary of having his picture taken. He and Edward stole the hearts of so many little old ladies.
They were good. Intense, but relatively good. Had they not been good it would have been impossible, not just intense. It's getting easier. Every year gets just a little more manageable. We do need to come up with some more toys and activities before MTT.
A couple of non sequiter highlights. We met the man who built the HMS Surprise (think Master and Commander). He coordinated the building of a replica of the Rose, an earlier Revolutionary War era warship. The Rose was pressed into service once again as the Surprise, for the movie. She was renamed after that, and is now in San Diego. It was a bit of a geekgasm highlight. We also met the author of the book Growing up the Middle Ages. It was released after Edward was born, and after I did most of the research for my swaddling articles and such. We talked shop and traded notes, and I've resolved to pick up the book.
Edward pushing his walker toy about. This was his old gown. It was warm enough that he'd taken off the other by this point.
Henry and Edward had a blast with the swords.
Henry "stabbing" Edward
Part deux.
And I'm not sure if Facebook lets me post pics directly elsewhere, but here are a few FB links:
Album
Pics:
Edward and me
Henry
Henry - rawr!
Edward and Jeff
Steve, Flonzy, Kim, and Me. The new supportive dress was hugely different. I like this pic.
Edward. By Sunday, I'd added fur to his cuffs, too. But I doubt there are any pictures of that.
Edit: Those same pics, linked directly, for people not on Facebook. I think this'll work. If I can get a link to an album, I'll post it later.
Edward and me
Henry
Henry - rawr!
Edward and Jeff
Steve, Flonzy, Kim, and Me. The new supportive dress was hugely different. I like this pic.
Edward. By Sunday, I'd added fur to his cuffs, too. But I doubt there are any pictures of that.
