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The kids and I went to Maker Faire in San Mateo with my mother today. I never know how to describe Maker Faire to anyone not already in the know. It's a sort of craft/tech/science/DIY fair, but much cooler than it sounds. I hadn't been planning on going this year initially because finances are tight but then a few days beforehand I realized I had no choice in the matter; this fair was practically created with Z in mind. Or at least, kids very very similar to Z. He waits for this event all year and talks about it frequently. I knew I was going to have to figure out how to make it work.

This was Az's second time to Maker Fair, not counting the year she was in my belly and caused me to need to be pushed around the grounds in  a rented wheelchair. It was neat because this is the first year Az has truly been aware at the fair. She understood when things were unusual looking and was enertained by all of the bizarre things going on around her but I was discouraged to find that many of the things geared towards toddlers, or at least the things that were at least friendly for toddlers, were not at the fair this year.

It really wasn't the most Az-friendly event, but she actually did very well. I pushed her around in the stroller, which was enough of a novelty to keep her from trying to break out of it. We use the stroller so infrequently that when we do pull it out if feels like a special event. Az seems to view it like a special ride. I let her run free a little bit throughout the day but for the most part she was strapped into the stroller. She passed out for a nap just as Z was beginning a soldering lesson, which was absolutely perfect. Z was given enough time to work on the project in the slow deliberate way he prefers and Az was able to nap in the shade of the awning while my mother and I rested in the grass. 

It was too bad that the event wasn't as little kid friendly as it has been in the past but Az seemed to have fun just getting out and seeing Grandmama and all of the sights. I bought her an ice cream cone of her (almost) very own so that she would at least come away from it with one good memory. Hopefully next year Miguel will be able to come and the event will be more Az-friendly.