The Wace is on
Picture this....one messy Subaru, one cup of strong coffee, 2 lunchables (WITH cookies), a little Adele, a whole lotta cars, 1 mama, 2 boys, 15 woolly worms. Yes, this happened. Every year since Charlie has been with us, we have taken the boys to Banner Elk's Woolly Worm Fest. I don't have many talents, but handling over crowded and over excited festivals with grace might possibly be one of them. For weeks the boys gathered worms in their cage Paw Jimmy built for them. Of course Hootie just yelled for Charlie when he found one. He has serious phobias of hairy or squishy things. We sat in traffic for years. I ultimately ended up calling in a favor from an anonymous business owner in Banner Elk :) and got a rocking parking spot. We piled out, picked the most spunky worms, and headed to the race. It was wild and crazy, thus, I didn't have my camera, but we registered the Ward 2014 Worms: YODA and GEORGE. While we waited on my Aunt Susan and our cousins Emily and Jeff to arrive with their sweet Savanah, we snuggled on a hay bale right up front. After I accepted the fact that I really needed a belt and boogies were undoubtedly smeared all over my scarf, we settled in for the wait for our race. The boys soaked in the noise and excitement, and I just loved the fact that I had brought Nutella on a stick and was listening to the "Funky Cold Medina" blaring on speakers without guilt. The boys got grouchy and hateful, but in no way was I going to let this damper their day.
Anyway. Yoda ran a fine race, but of course wimped out at the end. A sweetly dressed Savannah and Hootie raced George, and despite a while lotta cheering we think he feel asleep. As I always end up saying. This may seem so minor in the worlds of everyone else, however, these are the moments that I know have etched their way into the minds of two very special boys. I love the rush, I love the mess, I even kinda like the cold. What I loved the most about the day was spending it with family that is separated by distance and a Charlie and a Hootie who lost, didn't cry, and are already talking about next year's training tactics :) If you haven't been to the festival....brave it and go! Thanks to Susan, Emily, and Jeff for the pictures.
