My Knights In Shining Armor

Colin has been really into reading the Magic Treehouse series of books lately. Liam prefers a few less words and a few more pictures so he's really into Henry and Mudge. At any rate, each book takes the characters, Jack and Annie, to a time in history and teaches them something about it. At home, we've been trying to incorporate games, crafts and outings that correspond to what they've read lately. So, for the Medieval Knight book, it allowed two bigger boys a field trip to Higgins' Armory in Worcester, MA, where Liam was dying to see "Shinin' Ahmah!"

The child has his Boston accent down-pat.

Their favorite fact from the book is that a knight's helmet weighs 40 pounds. So, exactly like having Colin sitting on your head! Here's the tour of our day in "Shinin' Ahmah!"

Brave, brave Sirs Colin and Liam

Video would have been better here as one of the boys mentioned something about an evil knight on Scooby Doo (so much for raising a TV-free family) so they both kept glancing backwards to make sure the Black Knight did not suddenly regain the ability to use his previously severed limbs.

ARTHUR: Look, you stupid bastard. You've got no arms left.
BLACK KNIGHT: Yes, I have.
ARTHUR: Look!
BLACK KNIGHT: Just a flesh wound.

At any rate...

Brave, brave Sir Liam!

I see your Schwartz is as big as mine....
Wait...wrong film. Never mind.

Puppet show that involved a princess, a dragon and Liam's imaginary friend named Blech! (I swear).

Since we came back, Liam is all about sword-play now and lashing out when he senses a dragon or some other undesirable reptile in his general vicinity. Colin liked it just fine but seems to have let it all go and moved onto a new story. Not sure if I can convince them to help Daddy to finally build a trebuchet.

King Daddy's self-portrait with his face pressed under 40 lbs of brass and steel.

The sport of kings. No...wait...that's horse racing. This is a sport with kings....

The sport of kings may be horse racing the haute couture of kings involves GQ-style poses in medieval arches and clip-on neckties. I swear I did not force them to wear these things. I was even dressed-down in shorts and a golf shirt!

What day would be complete without Colin doing something artistic (rubbings of a brass plate with a knight and a dragon) and Liam running around like...Liam!

Liam's head != Daddy's head

All in all, it's great fun to visit and the Higgins Armory staff do a wonderful job. There's some interesting history of Worcester, MA.

Now, bring me a shrubbery!