Things You Might Think Would Be Fun but Actually You Would Be Wrong

With high hopes and the best of intentions, we set out for the downtown farmer's market at about 9. We'd been up, in turns, since 5:45, thanks to Meredith's returned norm of waking with bakers and newspaper boys. But it was a gorgeous fall day, and there were copious amounts of fun to be had, so we slurped down the coffee and hit the road.

And the farmer's market was fun. We were quick about it, picking up some stew meat, Japanese turnips, purple okra and muscadine grapes--and of course tomatoes--before heading to our next stop, the Cooper Young Festival. Who doesn't love a festival? Toddlers. They really don't. It's too much for them, too much for us, and at times, too much for the innocent folks who encounter our party (Meredith's screams of protest when being made to leave behind a desired activity are reaching an epic, horror movie volume lately.) We started at the drums, 'cause our neighbors (see the twins) were performing. Despite the fact that Walt and Mer are both pretty into drums, this was "Too loud."


We proceeded to the moonbounces, cause kids love moon bounces. Sure they do, unless there's a six year old in there doing flips and kicking you in the face.


Next stop, corn dogs. Here, Walt defends his against a persistently begging Meredith. In addition to the spoken word, she used the sign for please (a sure sign that she's DESPERATE) more times in this encounter, than perhaps in her entire life up to this moment. Chris quickly got her one of her own.


Then we took a left on Young to visit Goner Records and the Midtown soccer club tent. There was slightly less congestion on this street, so Meredith took the opportunity to sprint headlong into the crowd.


And these, my friends, are honestly only a fraction of the travails encountered during today's "fun" at the festival. Grandparents take note: You're all invited to Memphis next year for the Cooper Young festival. We'll attend in shifts and LEAVE THE ANGELS AT HOME.