Faeryland
Today I took my girls to the Maryland Faerie Festival, an offshoot of the larger, more established one in Pennsylvania. I had heard about it a year or two ago and thought the girls might enjoy it, so when we actually had the weekend free, I thought we’d give it a chance.
If you’ve ever been to a Renaissance Festival, you have some sense of the vibe at these kinds of events. There are vendors selling wizard paperweights with marble-sized crystal balls, small children running around in translucent wings, and adults who have chosen to step outside the mainstream in favor of the Maypole (or chain mail). The Faerie Festival is a little short on the mead and jousting but long on the flower crowns, corsets and pointed ears. My girls really enjoyed making faerie houses and tying wishes on the trees in the glade, but sadly, I think we probably should have gone a year or two ago to get the full magical atmosphere. They had a little trouble suspending their disbelief, a disbelief that wouldn’t have existed in kindergarten or even first grade, when they believed wholeheartedly in Santa Clause and called all their classmates friends.
But we still ran through a labyrinth, made felt puppets and got their faces painted with tiger stripes and glittery flowers. I bought them lemonade and funnel cake and paper parasols printed with peacocks. It all felt a little bittersweet when I thought of the smaller girls they had been who would have been dazzled by the faerie magic.
But then we came home, and they twirled their parasols and showed off their face paint for their father, and then they thanked me for our “girls’ day out.” They’re making all kinds of fun summer plans, and I’m excited for each and every one. We’re going to tie-dye and read books and make new recipes; they want to go to the beach and Mount Vernon and so much more. We have had some really rich and sweet adventures lately, and I’m thrilled they still automatically include me when they venture out into the world.
These days, I’m trying to remember that if I dwell too much on the past, I’ll miss out on the present, which is actually pretty wonderful too.
- Posted in: all about me ♦ family life
Sweet.
I’m familiar with those bittersweet feelings. I envy you your children’s interest in Mount Vernon. My kids have decided to dislike historical sites on principal.
Jody, I went through a similar principled-dislike phase, probably because my mother taught US history
.