End of Spring Break

A couple of tidbits from our drive home Friday - we stopped for cheap(er) gas at the Morongo Indian Casino, and noticed Hadley's was next door. I've heard of Hadley's, one of these giant markets with interesting foodie things, known for their date shakes. 

So, since we needed a bathroom break anyway, we stopped in and got a date shake and some other yummies.

We then stopped in Oak Glen, at Riley's Farm, a favorite place that we wish wasn't a solid two hours from home. But it was on the way, so we had lunch and bought an apple pie to take home. 

We also drove through the beautiful hilly area, and stopped at another shop and got local honey. On our way down the mountain, we spotted a deer. 

On Saturday, Stace and I went to an Arbor Day Tree Festival, where we saw a man caring a bison out of wood with a chainsaw.

Meanwhile, Cora had a big day. She went to the Renaissance Faire, planning to meet friends, but that didn't work out so she had a solo adventure. 

Still, she looked cool!

Later, she went to a slider meetup, and then to In-N-Out with some sliders, so it was a very long, fun day for her.

Someone at the meet filmed this clip of Cora and posted it, so I recorded it off Instagram. Cool to see what she's learning to do. And, the spin she ends with was intriguing to veteran sliders, who wanted to watch her and try to learn how to do it!

Renaissance Faire, with Friends!

We wrapped up Spring Break with a day out at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. This time, Cora was happy to invite her theatre friends, and Violet came along, too. 

Cora's school change was, without a doubt, the right move. She has found people she enjoys hanging out with!

I'm thankful for kids who like dressing up, who end up with extra clothing, so I can choose dressup clothes too.

The chain mail they crafted turned out so cool! We came across a booth selling chain mail jewelry, and I pointed out what Cora made. The lady said they would sell something like it for $250-$300, and complimented her artistry. Perhaps a future Etsy business?

Cora also made the corset from scratch last year, and added the rivets to the pants last year when she was in MacBeth.
 

The queen is here! Long Live The Queen!

We watched a few shows, and this banner was hanging to advertise one of them.

There is so many craft and sellers' booths to look through! Cora, naturally, was drawn to the bladeworks booth.

It was JT's birthday weekend, and she was able to sneak out to meet us for a few hours, as a birthday treat.

My crew is on the right side, watching the Dungeons and Shakespeare guy we always enjoy.

It was a great time! We ended it with watching the final joust of the day.

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

 Cora made our return in what is becoming an annual trip to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday, which happened to be the day the seven-week event opened.

Cora's nerves were a bit rough in the morning, but she pressed through, and we had a lovely day together. 

Cora piled on all these interesting ornaments and borrowed the skirt from a theatre castmate. 

The Dungeons and Dragons shop had many things that interested Cora. 

The proprietor of this shop told Cora, "You need bat wings!" and put them on her. We did not purchase the wings, but the lady encouraged us to take a photo together.

We watched this entertainer's Dungeons and Shakespeare mashup live show twice, and we also ate a turkey leg and people watched and just enjoyed a day together.

Ren Faire, Newhall-style

I heard that the city was giving its monthly "Block Party" on Main Street in Newhall a Renaissance Fair theme, and Cora was well up for going. She was very happy to get all her gear on, and she invited a few friends, who were all game for dressing up Thursday, too.

One of the free activities was ax-throwing. Here, Cora and her friends are getting their instructions.

Look at that! Cora got several in.

Twice the success!

There was also music, food, drink, and entertainment acts, like a juggler and a contortionist (jester). Stace and I had fun and saw quite a few people we knew.

After the event, the kids all came to our house and played cards for a bit. It was really nice having Cora's friends over, as she no longer invites people over very often.