Recovering...

So, this last weekend was filled with up's and down's - literally - at the event.

The event itself (The Gathering) is one that was originally created to thumb their noses at the pointy-hats and drama-llama's in the SCA who held a long-standing event called Egil's. Over the past 7 years, I migrated over from Egil's to The Gathering mostly because others whom I camped with were heading over to it. Over the years, it's moved around to different sites, some good and some not-so-good.

This year's site (and last year's, as well) was held at Horning's Hideout. It reminds me a lot of Pennsic with the rolling hills and muddy roads that you walk along to get from camp area to camp area.

The 40-some-odd peacocks and pea-hens wander throughout the site yelling practically all hours, and wend through your campsite in the early morning looking for leftovers from the night before.

Friday it was slightly damp when we set up camp, but the evening turned fairly nice. The pooper was having someone decide that black powder would be a GREAT thing to bring to the event - and set off - in a cannon... Mind you, I know of at least 3 servicemen who had just (and I mean, within the last 3 weeks) returned from yet another tour in Afghanistan... While the event copy apparently warned that black powder would be at the event, I don't feel that it was appropriate to have it there. We are not black powder enthusiasts. Granted, we stray a bit past what the SCA feels is a period time limit, but we don't do the black powder events... Elizabeth had just gone down for a nap the first time they shot off the cannon... She slept through the first blow, but the 2nd and 3rd blasts had her screaming her little head off. Did I mention they were all of 100 yards away from our tent when they blew it? And we didn't hear a "fire in the hole" warning? Oh, did I also mention that all the servicemen immediately hit the deck and freaked out? Yeah - not pleased. We asked them to move it to another location on the site, which they agreed to.

The fire show apparently went well, and Fred came back and had a good time saying hi to everyone afterwards across the camp. Elizabeth finally calmed down around 8-ish, after she refused to sleep all day (other than the hour ride to the campsite), and slept until 2:30 or 3am when Fred came back to camp.

The next morning she was up around 7am, and had a 20 minute nap in the morning, and about a 30 minute nap in the afternoon... It was the only day it was nice out, and so we slathered her with sun-screen and stripped her down to her diaper since it was too warm for her otherwise. Sat under the trees and enjoyed the breeze coming through. Unfortunately, with so little sleep, she just was not a happy camper, and proceeded to constantly cry and fuss through most of the day. Fred came to the rescue several times, as did others in the camp that we were in, to allow me a few minutes of relaxation and recouperation...

That afternoon, the cannon was again set off, and apparently had been moved BACK down to where they'd originally shot the cannon off the night before... AGAIN, right after I'd put Elizabeth down for a nap. I went down and started yelling, politely. I was told that I should have gotten her ear plugs (a 4-month-old!?!?! in ear plugs!?!?!?!?!?!) and that I should just suck it up and deal with it since the event copy warned that black powder would be here - the final straw was having the woman who obviously had no clue (she was the one who suggested ear plugs) ask loudly as I was leaving why I was bringing a newborn to an event at all, anyway... Hmmm - having a life, since life doesn't stop just because you have a baby, you fiddly little twat. Fred found out, and he went down to yell at them, too... They then were told to go ahead and move it again, or not shoot it off at all, since we weren't the only ones complaining.

That night the fire show was rained out, and Elizabeth was in bed and swaddled by 8:30 or 9. Fred went wandering and I stayed in the encampment and played Tablero, checking on the baby ever 20 minutes or so. I tucked into bed around midnight and Fred came back around 3 again... Baby woke up at 6am - never woke up for her 2am feeding, she was so tired, poor thing.

Fred took her and put her back to bed, where she slept for another 2 hours or so and woke up happy. It rained on and off all day Sunday, and at one point, during a break, I popped her into the snuggli and we went walking through the forest, up through merchant's row, and back down to camp. Got our pictures taken 4 times, her in a cute little viking outfit in light brown fleece. She fell asleep for a bit, then woke up on the way back.

We were early heading to bed with her Sunday - she was just very tired and decided to conk out early, around 7-ish. Fred headed off to the fire show, and I again hung out at camp. I went to bed around 1, and Fred showed up around 2:30-ish. Elizabeth again decided that she wasn't going to wake up for her 2am feeding, and ended up waking up around 6 am or so. We played for a bit, fed and changed her, then I headed up for the car before the rain hit hard again.

Packing out was an adventure as well, since there wasn't a really safe place to put her while both of us were packing up, other than in the carseat in the car. So, that's where she was most of the time. On our way out, she coo'ed happily at the trees, then fell asleep until we got upstairs at the apartment where I fed her again and put her down for a nap.

She woke back up around 7pm, and we had a nice bath, then she pretty much went right back to sleep again, and didn't wake up until 2:30 this morning for her munchies. She woke up happy and quiet this morning at 6, chatting happily at the dragon print in her crib...

So, all in all, not a bad weekend. My back is killing me, but that's due to a mattress not being pumped up again after sleeping on it... I left this morning to a very giggly, happy, but quiet baby. I think she likes the forest.

~M