The whole Medlestead household hadn't really been playing in the SCA this summer/ year and Dan and Lara thought it would be great if we could all get together for July Coronation. We said we would go but because of Sophia's age would rather day trip it then camp; and thank goodness. It ended up being a sunny day but the field that the event was being held at was super wet, cars were getting stuck, it was mucky, muggy, and sprinkling off and on, and the site fee was expensive.
Padon had been apprehensive, as usual, about wearing his garb (it seems every time we go he needs new garb) and I was able to ploy him with how this came with the opportunity to wear his very own cup! When he was born my Aunt Janet had given him a pewter cup with his name engraved on the side and explicitly stated that this cup was to be used and not stashed away in a curio cabinet. Well it got stashed with the idea he could start using it at 3 and was remember at 4.
Dressed like Daddy with a belt, belt pouch, and belt favors he was feeling a little more confident, and even more so outfitted with his turtle back pack. Which people thought was the definition of cuteness.
Sophia also needed new clothes, not having gone to an SCA event since she was 7 months old, and I impressed myself in making her a Norse style under dress from a toddler t-shirt pattern, and a pair of pantaloons from a pattern I drafted from a pair of her well fitting pants. Edged with an embroidery stitch on my sewing machine she looked so cute, seemed comfortable enough, that she didn't fight me in putting on her garb or ask to have it taken off.
Walter and I wore our standard garb and fit in with the rest of the crowd of devoted SCAers.
A special aspect to this day was that Padon had money to burn. Tragically his "crabby bank" had broken in an attempt to show me how heavy his bank had gotten while opening the bathroom door at the same time, but this opportunity had allowed us to count out how much money Padon had saved since he had been 9 months old and he had a grand total of $15! We gave him $5 and told him he could spend it on what ever he would like at the "fair" and that he could carry his money in his belt pouch. When we got a chance to paroose down merchants row the only tent that peaked Padon's interest was a vendor that often is at events and runs her tent like a garage sale. I found myself pushing Padon to choose something and realized that wasn't the lesson I was trying to teach and backed off telling him if he didn't see anything he would like, that, that was OK; he didn't have to buy anything today. That was when he found a tiger flashlight that growled when you squeezed the handle to open the mouth and shine the light.
Typically $12-$15 brand new at the store the gal was selling it for $5. Rock on! I asked Padon if he was sure that was what he wanted to buy and he said yes, I said "OK, give her your money." He struggled to get out his Ziploc bag of $3 in change and his two dollar bills from his belt pouch and at seeing what was really going on the gal said "there is $3 in here?" wiggling the Ziploc bag. I said "yes", and she said "Ok" and handed Padon back his two dollar bills and said to me "I never make children pay full price." Wowed and tickled that Padon got to pick out something special and still walk away with some money I thanked her profusely and we made our way back to the wagon I had been pulling the kids around in.
Outside this particular tent is always a basket of free things for "good children" and Padon was given a tiny puppy beanie baby(which we sadly lost on our way back to find Walter) and Sophia got an empty, yet clean, bear shaped honey bottle.
Because this vendor was always so cool about this basket, we had made a point to bring her some handmade bracelets, that we had put together, to add to this basket of goodies. It seemed we were the only ones to have ever done this before and she seemed touched at the gesture. Both kids were super pleased with their new found treasures and the soggy day was looking good.
We spent a lot of time hanging out under the awning of our friend Octavia's tent and
after a comforting walk around the site in my arms Sophia finally fell asleep for a nap and I found a new awesome use for the wagon.
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