You'd think that we'd have brought our boy, Nick, to a renaissance faire by now. For nine weeks last year, he saved his money to buy a 'real' Viking helmet. He and his friend, Adrian, have been dressing up like Assassin's Creed, like ninjas, and like the elves and dwarfs that they battle on video games for years. They have a box of dedicated costumes. The costumes are getting better. Even with the video games themselves, Nick takes his time outfitting his character. Then for the past five months, he's been asking for chain mail. Mike and I knew how much it would cost, but despite our discussion of allowances and saving up money, Nick really doesn't understand what $400 feels like. He just knows he wants chain mail.
Finally, yesterday, we took him and our friends from out of town to the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire down by Bonney Lake. I'm sorry to say that yesterday was the last day of the faire for this year. It was wonderful. The artisans alone were worth the trip. There were spinners selling sweaters and chain mail, forgers selling tankards and daggers, leather craftsman selling gauntlets, belts, and helmets that would make Genghis Khan proud. Right now, Nick is trying to figure out how to make his own shield made out of leather, steel, and wood. I know it's beautiful in his head. I wish we had a bit more time in the summer to make it. We still can, but school will interfere with our time.
We did some amazing shopping at the faire. Here's a hint: never, ever, tell a ten-year-old at a renaissance faire that you'll buy him some things for his birthday without specifying the limit. It was all lots of fun, at first, but then ground down into a chunky visceral disappointment as Nick reached the empty corners of our wallets. We bought him a hand-stamped coin at Ye Olde Quicksilversmiths where I felt the ground shake as the weight was dropped on the blank. That was cool! Then we walked into a hut that had some beautiful leather clothing. Nick had trouble leaving that place. We bought him a pair of bracers to lace onto his forearms and for a while he was very happy. I think the place was called Fire Fox Leather and Furs, but I can't be sure. It might also have been Leather Mystics garb. The prices were amazing and the quality was wonderful.
I snuck off and bought Nick a chain mail belt from Horse 'n' Round Studio. I liked talking to them about spinning and the realities of making chain mail, but I bought a couple of make-it-yourself packets anyway. We could give it a shot, making it ourselves. Right?
Then I snuck back to where the girls, our friends from out of town, were getting henna tattoos. Mike and Nick wandered off and came back with a morning star and an arrow with a real metal blade. Does my son need more sharp instruments to fiddle around with. He really is a sensible boy, but at some point, isn't he going to hurt himself? I heard Mike ask him where the arrow was going to go and my first thought was, 'into my butt.'
After that, we told Nick that he was done shopping for his birthday. Yet, we weren't done checking out the vendors. Oh no! When Nick showed me the wonderful shields, helmets, and weapons at the Age of Chivalry booth, I began to understand that Mike and I were in trouble. It was hot, nearly 90 degrees. We were all thirsty and I was hungry. Nick just couldn't get it through his head that we weren't going into hock to buy him chain mail. Plus, I don't think any of us knew just how heavy that chain mail really was. I couldn't even pick up a vest that someone handed me. Still, it wasn't about the weight of it. I talked to Nick about the cost. I asked him to figure out how many weeks he'd have to save his allowance to be able to buy the chain mail and the helmet. Just sixteen short weeks. But Nick wouldn't let it go. There were also shields and beautiful daggers. I was getting hungrier and he was getting hotter. We both needed a break.
It didn't work to go watch a fencing demo offered by the Salle Saint-George School for Classical Fencing Arts. They were instructional and very funny. I wondered if the classes were as good and figured we could try it out sometime. After that, we saw the Cavallo Equestrians doing acrobatics off of moving horses. It wowed me, but Nick was still thinking about that weapons booth and I was still hungry. Then I made the mistake of letting Nick bring me back to look at the helmet and chain mail combo that had him drooling. It just wasn't working. He got himself worked up, nearly to tears, saying that we never bought him anything decent. It was rude and Nick knew it. Our good friends from out of town were thankfully quiet, but I did see and eye roll out of the corner of my own eye roll.
"What about the great things we've bought you so far," I asked quietly. "Didn't you want them for your birthday?" Nick just had his thoughts clamped onto what he didn't have, those beautifully handcrafted tools and garb. He went on, out loud, about how we never bought him what he wants. I had had it.
We met back at the gate to go and Nick only looked back twice as we passed the booth with his precious weapons and chain mail still on display. Life is still pretty good, even when you don't get everything you want.
Thank you for listening, jb
Finally, yesterday, we took him and our friends from out of town to the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire down by Bonney Lake. I'm sorry to say that yesterday was the last day of the faire for this year. It was wonderful. The artisans alone were worth the trip. There were spinners selling sweaters and chain mail, forgers selling tankards and daggers, leather craftsman selling gauntlets, belts, and helmets that would make Genghis Khan proud. Right now, Nick is trying to figure out how to make his own shield made out of leather, steel, and wood. I know it's beautiful in his head. I wish we had a bit more time in the summer to make it. We still can, but school will interfere with our time.
We did some amazing shopping at the faire. Here's a hint: never, ever, tell a ten-year-old at a renaissance faire that you'll buy him some things for his birthday without specifying the limit. It was all lots of fun, at first, but then ground down into a chunky visceral disappointment as Nick reached the empty corners of our wallets. We bought him a hand-stamped coin at Ye Olde Quicksilversmiths where I felt the ground shake as the weight was dropped on the blank. That was cool! Then we walked into a hut that had some beautiful leather clothing. Nick had trouble leaving that place. We bought him a pair of bracers to lace onto his forearms and for a while he was very happy. I think the place was called Fire Fox Leather and Furs, but I can't be sure. It might also have been Leather Mystics garb. The prices were amazing and the quality was wonderful.
I snuck off and bought Nick a chain mail belt from Horse 'n' Round Studio. I liked talking to them about spinning and the realities of making chain mail, but I bought a couple of make-it-yourself packets anyway. We could give it a shot, making it ourselves. Right?
Then I snuck back to where the girls, our friends from out of town, were getting henna tattoos. Mike and Nick wandered off and came back with a morning star and an arrow with a real metal blade. Does my son need more sharp instruments to fiddle around with. He really is a sensible boy, but at some point, isn't he going to hurt himself? I heard Mike ask him where the arrow was going to go and my first thought was, 'into my butt.'
After that, we told Nick that he was done shopping for his birthday. Yet, we weren't done checking out the vendors. Oh no! When Nick showed me the wonderful shields, helmets, and weapons at the Age of Chivalry booth, I began to understand that Mike and I were in trouble. It was hot, nearly 90 degrees. We were all thirsty and I was hungry. Nick just couldn't get it through his head that we weren't going into hock to buy him chain mail. Plus, I don't think any of us knew just how heavy that chain mail really was. I couldn't even pick up a vest that someone handed me. Still, it wasn't about the weight of it. I talked to Nick about the cost. I asked him to figure out how many weeks he'd have to save his allowance to be able to buy the chain mail and the helmet. Just sixteen short weeks. But Nick wouldn't let it go. There were also shields and beautiful daggers. I was getting hungrier and he was getting hotter. We both needed a break.
It didn't work to go watch a fencing demo offered by the Salle Saint-George School for Classical Fencing Arts. They were instructional and very funny. I wondered if the classes were as good and figured we could try it out sometime. After that, we saw the Cavallo Equestrians doing acrobatics off of moving horses. It wowed me, but Nick was still thinking about that weapons booth and I was still hungry. Then I made the mistake of letting Nick bring me back to look at the helmet and chain mail combo that had him drooling. It just wasn't working. He got himself worked up, nearly to tears, saying that we never bought him anything decent. It was rude and Nick knew it. Our good friends from out of town were thankfully quiet, but I did see and eye roll out of the corner of my own eye roll.
"What about the great things we've bought you so far," I asked quietly. "Didn't you want them for your birthday?" Nick just had his thoughts clamped onto what he didn't have, those beautifully handcrafted tools and garb. He went on, out loud, about how we never bought him what he wants. I had had it.
We met back at the gate to go and Nick only looked back twice as we passed the booth with his precious weapons and chain mail still on display. Life is still pretty good, even when you don't get everything you want.
Thank you for listening, jb
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