The Waldorks

As a parent, one finds themselves constantly trying to find new and exciting opportunities for their family, so naturally when I heard about Pasadena Waldorf School's famous Elves Faire, I couldn't wait to take the family. It was a very surreal experience.

We arrived and were instantly greeted by a male minstrel wearing make-up, who excitedly gushed that this event was a "no waste event" and then skipped away playing his flute. Ok. Fine so far.

The grounds are so beautiful. Very woodsy. You feel like you're at Westmont College. . . definately not still plunk in the middle of LA. . .well, Altadena. And just to make it extra magical, the Elves Fair team has hung crystals from just about every bough of every tree. Instantly, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I reach for Lucy's hand.



There are many games for the kids to play, although sadly most of them were a little advanced for Lucy. Our favorite game was the jousting game that combined a zip line with a hobby horse made from a tire and the kids had to get the pole in a metal ring while zipping along. . . surreal part about the game/ride?

Look carefully at the picture:
Yes you guessed it- it's being operated by actor John C. Reilly.
Being fans of Mr. Reilly, we decided to give the Faire one more shot and took a seat at the drum circle for kids. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I think drum circles are "dumb circles" and fear those that participate in them. But it all seems more innocent when the kids are the ones who are drumming. Lucy was into it, Mama wasn't so sure. . .

Lucy liked the drumming, but when the chanting started, we were outta there.
All in all, it was an interesting morning. We didn't buy anything, although I did see Simon looking longingly at the gluten-free, cruelty-free samosas booth. We were home before you could say, "free thinking."