Wren's first rocket party

This Sunday, we braved the rain and icy winds to head to Sammamish River Park for a rocket launching party with some friends from school. By noon there were about 5 families in the tent in the pre-launch phase constructing rockets. Wren was wearing his polarfleece hat, booties and car sweater and being carried in the ERgo which is now working properly in the front position at least.

While we were out there I was thinking that second kids sure have a different experience. In this weather Frost was bundled at home or doing Gymboree or baby music. Here's Wren out in the slicing rain watching (and listening and smelling) us letting off explosives to shoot little cardboard tubes 500ft in the air.

The rockets were really cool. Frost's first attempt misfired due to a wiring problem and his face crumpled and he had a hard time not bursting into tears. I think he thought it was all over. One component change later and he was smashing on the button to send the switch to the battery to turn the solid fuel into a gas really fast and cause a big wooshing smoky explosion. Wren jolted in my arms. Everyone was shouting 10-9-8-7-..... blastoff. As soon as the rocket was sighted as a tiny black dot the kids all set off running across the field (many yellow raincoats) to retrieve the rocket sailing down on its little parachute.

My hands were like ice.

We were refreshed with sun chips and juice (although hot chocolate and soup would have been more restorative with this weather) and managed 3 launches of our rocket before succumbing to the elements and Jack in a Box.

Wren slept well in the car on the way home and we are hoping for better sleep than last night when we were woken by a catfight in the kitchen at 11.30pm. All one needs huh?