More FOLK Than Festival!

After my first full week of work we decided it was time to get out and do something as a family, my mom and stepdad included. This weekend was the beginning of the Kutztown Folk Festival (actually called the Kutztown Pennsylvania German Festival, but you get the drift) and I had been only once in my life, the rest of the family had NEVER been before. So we decided we would have family fun at the folk festival. (try saying THAT five times fast!) It also allowed me to show my children the very college where my husband and I had first met. All in all it SOUNDED like a great day! The reality was a bit different.
The ad in the paper and online states that there are things for the kids to enjoy. Sure, there were puppet shows, if you were at the stage at the appointed time, or were willing to sit there forever waiting to see when the show is going to start and trying to keep your child entertained until the show starts. There may have even been a craft or two. But all in all, if your child is between the ages of 4 and 7 (WiseGuy is 5) they will have a hard time staying entertained and/or happy. Don't get me wrong, all of the craftsman and artisans had the most BEAUTIFUL wares to behold and it was great fun to watch them create their masterpieces right before your very eyes. SmartyPants would immediately go over to the person who ran each stand to watch what they were doing and every time said person was MORE than happy to explain how they were doing what they were doing, much to SmartyPants' delight. WiseGuy, on the other hand, was most interested in eating and drinking and going home. We grownups wanted to take in all the sights and crafts and such but WiseGuy wanted nothing to do with it. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for Wayne, Wayne hoisted WiseGuy up on his shoulders and tried to keep him busy while the rest of us looked around. This tactic only worked for so long. WiseGuy was MORE than over all of this hullabaloo and quite ready to go home. Along the way we ran into another young man who felt the exact same way.
I heard SOMEONE calling my name and began to look around. To my surprise there stood Aimee and her crew! I had yet to go see them since my return to PA and was ecstatic to run into them! Older Girl was just where I would want to be, relaxing on the stroller. Baby Girl was perched on Aimee's hip, not wanting to sit in the stroller like her big sister. The Boy was also sitting in the stroller but loudly voicing his opinion that he was ready to go home! Ah another soul that WiseGuy could commiserate with. The boys were quite ready to go home. Aimee and I chatted for a few minutes. Her family stood staunchly behind her as we did a quick catch up with the fams, but mine slowly trickled away. First my mom and stepdad went to watch the glassblowing. Wayne wanted to take WiseGuy but WiseGuy was SURE that glass blowing meant the glass was actually BLOWING UP and he HATES loud noises of any kind and immediately started crying. Eventually, after Wayne talked to him for a few minutes, the two disappeared in the glassblowing demonstration, as well. SmartyPants, however, being the consummate busybody, was more than happy to stay and listen to each and every word we spoke. She is, and always will be, attached to my hip. Quite soon, The Boy was very ready to go, as was my family, so Aimee and I said our goodbyes with promises of an actual get together sometime after they return from their well deserved vacation.
We all decided that we had almost had enough. There were wall to wall people making it a little difficult to make it all the way up to each table to see what was being displayed, WiseGuy was being more vocal about going home and it was getting pretty hot out in the midday sun. So we decided to make our way back to the front gate and head home. There were a few purchases we wanted to make prior to leaving, so we dispersed to our separate areas to make those purchases and converged at the front gate and made our way back to our cars.

It was a nice day...it really was...no...really!