On recent trips to Colonial Williamsburg, guests have amazed us with their various reactions to my kids wearing their costumes.
My kids asked lots of questions by the guests
Mistaking my kids for employees, guests often ask them questions about the historic area, which the kids can usually answer, while explaining they are not employees.
Mostly guests ask my kids for directions, but sometimes they ask history questions.
Either way, my kids know most of the answers which satisfy the kids.
We’ve gotten used to this, even out of costume when we were living in Texas.
Guests take pictures of my kids
Often times between programs, my son plays his tin whistle, which he is learning to play.
Some guests walking by heard the music, stopped, and took pictures of him playing.
Sitting nearby, I surprised, because some of the employees play the tin whistle quite well while in historically accurate clothing.
I didn’t think a picture of a guest in a costume would be exciting.
It certainly made great dinner conversation that evening!
Another day a lady walked right up to my kids, took their picture, then gave them a big smile and a thumbs up!
Once again I was standing nearby, speechless.
I have always enjoyed watching the actor/interpreters pose for pictures, especially when they do a historic pose. But my own kids????
Guests takes picture WITH my son
Oh, but the one that took grand prize was yet to come!
While my son sat on a hitching post on Botetourt Street under the trees, he practiced a new tune on his tin whistle from his colonial book.
As I left for a mere minute or two, I returned to find a guest having her picture taken WITH my son while her friend took their picture.
This time the friend of the picture taker was posing WITH my son to have her picture taken with him!!!!
After that photo was snapped, the lady who had been taking the picture cried out, “It’s my turn now! Take a picture of me posing with him!”
They giggled and switched places and another picture was taken…while I stood there hopelessly speechless.
Had I any presence of mind, I would have taken pictures of them taking pictures of my kids. LOL
Guests took pictures of my son with Lafayette
Well, now that I think about it, we do have one picture that a few other guests have too.
Last summer when we visited CW, my son posed with Lafayette.
After we were done the guests asked them to remain in pose so they could take pictures too!
I was incredulous on that day too!
My daughter is talking more!
Not only that, but my quiet daughter is talking more!
While driving to Colonial Williamsburg for Independence Day weekend, I chatted with my parents on the phone.
My parents were laughing that we were going, again, to Colonial Williamsburg.
How many trips does that make since moving to Virginia? Don’t know. Lost count. 😉
Then I passed the phone to my daughter to talk to them, then she passed the phone to her brother.
After a bit my son passed the phone back to me because they wanted to talk to me.
They exclaimed they couldn’t believe how chatting my daughter was.
Used to be we could never get her to talk, which I think happened over the years as her brother started doing all her talking for her.
She became enormously shy, but now she sounded far more outgoing.
I explained that was Colonial Williamsburg, where all the guests stop to ask questions.
The historical interpreters even talk to her, especially the actors in the street theater.
She has no choice but to talk…and she’s opened up!
My parents’ astonished reply was, keep going to Colonial Williamsburg!
Meanwhile, our journey to period accuracy in historical attire is beginning, as my son gathers proper musical instruments, music books, accessories to wear, begging me to collect historical patterns so I can sew proper attire for him, his sister, and myself, so we can be an 18th century family in Colonial Williamsburg…stay tuned!
For more photos check my Flickr set.
Epilogue 2024
And so it began. Stay tuned for updates as I update this blog, because this became a fun theme in our lives!
