I've been a rotten blogger lately. But the end of Eli's school year is approaching and there are lots of things I need to get done before my office hours are over for a while. In particular, the manuscript reviews came back on my current book project and I'm working with those comments and suggestions.
Today is perfect... Rainy. Nothing like a rainy day to be at my desk and get lots done. The birds are singing and the world is vibrant green. I'm itching to get to my writing, gazing out the window now and again to process thoughts.
I'll be a better blogger soon! In the meantime, here is some Eli sunshine to share...
Continued from the previous blog post about the Medieval Times afternoon show we attended (click HERE)...
The show ended. The lights came up. The arena stood empty. The last spectators shuffled out except for the group from Brian's work. We got a behind-the-scenes tour!
All afternoon the horses exiting the arena would to thundering out through a darkened chute. Where did they go? Here! The dark space on the right side of the photo leads to the arena. When those horses left the arena at full tilt, they must have put on the "brakes" and turned very quickly.
Although the show had just ended, the Medieval Times team was already in high gear preparing for the dinner show. The knights and squires turned from acting and worked to get the props reorganized and ready. The guy pictured on the right is grinding a sword edge back into shape. We also saw guys spray-painting shields and rebundling thin, easy-to-shatter balsa wood ribs onto jousting lances.
Gear for the horses is spread out to air on special poles.
We got to visit the horses in their stables too. Everything was super tidy and organized. The horses work for several days and then they are cycled out for a break on a nearby ranch while other horses come in to take their place.
The horses obviously work hard, but get lots of pampering. They were eager for nose pats.
Our last stop was the costume shop. There was a huge, industrial washer and dryer set chugging away to get everything clean plus a sewing machine stood at the ready to repair any garment in need.
One of the actors showed us around and answered our questions. He's been with Medieval Times for over twenty years, starting as a squire and then moving up to be one of the main knight actors. That job is very physical with horsemanship, medieval game skills, heavy weapons, and carefully choreographed fight scenes. When it got too tough to do it multiple times a day, he became stage manager and narrator. Many of the actors start very young -- right out of high school -- and work their way up.
The crowns for the king and princess of the show...
And a little reminder of how all the parts come together. This is a reminder poster for staff near the backstage bathrooms.
I'd seen billboards for the Medieval Times dinner show but didn't give it much thought until Brian came home with tickets through work. Little did I know that Medieval Times is a huge, well-established theater company with shows near Orlando, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Myrtle Beach, and Washington DC. The first one opened overseas in Majorca in 1973 and the show is modeled after life in 11th century Spain.
The Atlanta area Medieval Times is located in Sugarloaf Mills mall north of the 316/I-85 split in Lawrenceville. (Click HERE for the mall website.) Walking up to the building, I suddenly realized this was not a small-scale outfit. Check out how small Brian and Eli look in front of it!
While waiting for the show to begin, there is a huge vestibule complete with gift shop, fireplace, and displays.
This is Kratos, a Eurasian eagle-owl born in 2005. He has a wingspan of six feet and stars in the show. Before the show begins, he is in a small temporary space with windows.
Everybody is given a crown to wear. The color of your crown decides which section you'll be sitting in and which knight you'll cheer for. (Even the lights are colored. Can you tell we were rooting for the Green Knight?) The seats are at narrow tables that overlook a large oval space with sand at the bottom -- the "circus ring" where the action takes place.
The lights dim. Fog begins to swirl. A light show and music begins...
I expected a whole lot of jousting. And there definitely was jousting -- complete with clashes and shattering lances. Yet I was pleasantly surprised how much more there was to the show. There were characters and a storyline to follow but also gorgeous, well-trained horses. The medieval games included all sorts of displays of skill with horses and weapons. All is so well-choreographed that there is constantly something new to see.
The story of the show led to acts of bravery and duels complete with sparks flying from sword-upon-sword. Eli was at the edge of his seat.
For a five year-old boy, it was a particularly wondrous and fantastic experience. We bought Eli a plastic light-up sword and for days afterwards I'd see him on the playground or the front yard with arms wielding a sword either toy, stick, or imagined. It's such fun to do an activity with your kid that rouses their senses and inspires them.
One Mama's Two Cents: Medieval Times is pricey, yet we found it was really worth doing once or twice. It was a fun way to talk about history with Eli, discussing how the show was accurate and inaccurate. I suppose if you've got a kid who is constantly whacking things with sticks or turning everything into a toy gun that this sort of show might be overwhelming, but Eli really loved the Good vs. Evil aspect and seemed to understand that the actors (and knights of old) were all highly trained so they could do things he can't. He loved it, and the show has plenty for the grownups to enjoy too. Surprisingly, the food was good. I expected rubbery, overcooked meat, but everything was tender and tasty. Meals are served without silverware, so wash hands before you go in and/or carry some kid-safe hand sanitizer as well as wet-wipes. Eli isn't a big meat eater, but there was enough variety to make him a decent meal. Everyone gets the same meal -- tomato bisque soup, bread, roasted chicken (light and dark meat), barbecue spare rib, herb roasted potato half (called a "dragon's egg"), and a pastry. Drinks are Pepsi, tea, water, or bar drinks served in a plastic tankard. (The plates were metal, which intrigued Eli to no end.) There is a vegetarian option as well, but I don't know what they serve for it. We will definitely go again sometime. We saw some kids visiting for birthdays and being knighted by the king, so perhaps we'll do that in one of the coming years.
Next Post: A behind-the-scenes tour of Medieval Times! (Click HERE)
I've been wrapped up in historical research for the last week or so. As a history geek, it blissful! Sleuthing along an information trail, not letting the dead ends stop you and brainstorming places to uncover hidden knowledge. The thrill of realizations and putting together a better picture of the past. And it is fun to find unrelated but amusing nuggets along the way. Just in time for Easter baskets, I suppose...
The Atlanta Georgian newspaper, October 27, 1901. (Sorry this is difficult to read! It is tricky to move an image from online newsprint to a webpage.)
A nearby library had a drop-in program for kids where they got to make art with Peeps marshmallows...
The welcome station had paint shirts to borrow, spring-colored paper, brown paper bags cut into a basket shape, tape, and a few Peeps to eat.
The work stations had Peeps to dip, nontoxic paint in flat plates, crayons, markers, kid scissors, and paper towels.
Chick Peeps actually make an egg-shape if you print carefully using their bottoms. (They can be printed on their sides too.) Bunny Peeps make a...well, a bunny shape!
I love that this activity is great for kids of all ages. Tots are happy dipping and smearing with their marshmallows. For older kids, a thin coat of paint applied to the bottom of a Peep with a paint brush would make a more precise and uniform print that you could then embellish with markers, glitter, and such.
We're trying to eat less processed foods in our house. So when we were wandering through the farmer's market on Saturday, an Italian stall caught my eye. A grandmotherly woman with a heavy Italian accent urged us over to try their homemade gelato. They were so friendly us and sweet to Eli that I was completely won over. We bought a carton of her frozen homemade ravioli to take home.
Heavenly.
We were all raking our plates for the last tasty bits of cheese and spinach after we ate that ravioli. I began plotting when I can get back to the farmer's market for more. Then I noticed the ingredients list on the package. Yup.
It was dawn. Eli wiggled up into my side of the bed. All was quiet and then...
Eli: "Mama, we need to get some baking soap."
Me: "What is 'baking soap'?"
Eli: "It is what you use to bake Bubble Cake." There is a pause and then he added in a proud, conspiratorial whisper, "I just invented it."
That was a couple of days ago. Then last night I was on my fourth night of solo parenting while the hubby is on a business trip. Evening brought a small but creeping sense of dread. I just didn't have the energy to coax a spring-grass-and-playground-grubby boy into the bathtub one more night. On a whim, I announced if he got all his clothes into the hamper without delay that I'd set up his very own Eli's Bathtime Bakery and provide ingredients for Bubble Cake.
I'd never seen him shimmy out of his shirt so fast.
While the tub was filling and my boy was hopping on one foot tugging at a sock, I shopped in the kitchen for items that were harmless and unbreakable. There was a small mixing bowl full of baby shampoo to be churned with a whisk along with utensils for stirring and measuring. For ingredients, Eli got crumbles of bar soap, a few bath beads, a couple of teaspoons of salt, and some bath color tablets. I also gave him little cups of baking soda and vinegar, which fizzed alluringly when mixed. The plastic tray floated nicely on top of the water, giving him "counter space."
Of course, then I later had to coax a wrinkled boy out of now-cold bathwater. But at least it was a different argument and in the meantime I had twenty minutes to curl up with a good book! (Now if I could just dream these kind of solutions up more often!)
The College of Veterinary Medicine at UGA holds an annual open house. It was so great last year that this time I picked Eli up early from school to attend. We didn't get a chance for Eli to participate in Teddy Bear Surgery last year, so that's where we went first. (My apologies for crummy photos. Rain threatened, so I relied on my phone rather than my good camera.)
Eli's borrowed raccoon got a thorough check-up in Pre-op. (His pupils were fixed and dialated, but brave Dr. Eli went ahead with surgery, sure of his skills to help his patient pull through.)
Dr. Eli suiting up for surgery...
Eli administered the anesthesia while his assistant wielded the scalpel. It turned out this poor raccoon must have been eating styrofoam pellets because his belly was full of them!
After a partial foamectomy, the racoon's stomach was in better shape and the stitching began. When the patient was ready for the recovery room, Dr. Eli snipped the surgical thread and removed the anesthesia mask. Despite seeming just as listless and unmoving after the surgery as before, the raccoon was in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
We toured the animal hospital, saw live animals, and tried the hands-on exhibits. In particular, Eli loved helping a vet student use an ultrasound machine to detect a Hot Wheels car hidden inside a rubber glove filled with water. There was also a spiffy laparoscopic surgery exhibit where visitors could use the mini camera and long-handled forceps to move gummy bears hidden beneath fabric.
There were some amazing bones too. Below is a rhino skeleton.
I think next year we're just going to make a whole day of it. Eli and I both learned a huge amount while having fun. Kudos to the Vet School for such a wonderful educational event! (And it warmed my heart how patient and kind all the vet students were to the kids.)
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My primary camera is a Canon EOS Digital Rebel T5 with a Sigma DC 18-200mm lens (1:3.5-6.3) or Canon EFS 18-55mm lens. On occasion I also use my iPhone 6. For crisper images (when I'm not in a hurry to grab the shot), I use a Dolica Proline B100 tripod. I often tweak my images using Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.
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