When The Kid's Away, The Parents Will Play!!!

Only two more days, and I'll be having the time of my life at Gen Con Indy! For those of you who don't know, Gen Con is a huge annual gaming convention in Indianapolis featuring all forms of game play: board games, role-playing games (RPGs), live-action role-playing games (LARPs), collectible card games (like Pokemon or Magic: The Gathering), traditional card games, video games, miniature games, and so on. Not only can you learn how to play the strangest and wildest games in the world (usually imported from Europe), but you can also do things like learn how to make chain mail, compete against your friends in a foam weapons battle, fight your way through a life-size dungeon full of puzzles and monsters, watch tons of Anime or sci-fi/fantasy films, dress up in wacky costumes (and win a costume contest, if you'd like), or learn how to write sci-fi/fantasy novels or your own game. If there's a particular thing you want to do while there, you can probably do it 24 hours a day for the full four days of the convention. I'm serious. I can't wait for Thursday morning, and this year, it's going to be even more awesome because B and I will actually be able to attend the convention sans baby! A while back, I asked my parents if they would be willing to watch our son on the Saturday of the convention, since that's usually the busiest day, and it will be the first day B will be able to attend. He's too new at his job to be able to get time off for fun stuff like this. Even if they decided to watch V on Saturday, that still meant I would have to take care of V AND try to attend the convention on Thursday and Friday all by myself. Granted, it would be tough, but I was willing to do it. Well, we got a call from my parents soon after saying that if we were okay with it, they wouldn't mind watching V during the entire convention (Thursday through Sunday) and having him stay at their house. Overnight. Without either of us there to be with him. Now, this won't be the first time we've left V for an extended period of time. My in-laws watched him for us back in December when we went on a medical conference trip to Vegas. It was a nice little honeymoon for us, and V got quality time with Papaw C. and Grandma. When my parents suggested a sleep-over for V at their house while we attend Gen Con, we jumped at the opportunity, though I had some reservations, mostly because I felt a little guilty--like we were pawning him off on somebody else so we could go be big kids and play. However, they're actually thrilled with the idea. Now that we're back in Indiana, they've been able to see him more often, and they couldn't pass up the chance to spend more time with him. Not only will my parents be there, but V will be able to play with his two older cousins (my nephews) and his aunt and uncles. I'm so happy for him, but I'm also thrilled that B and I will be able to have fun and not have to worry about V's safety or routine while at the con. It really isn't the place for babies, though we did take him last year with us. I think he had a good time, but it's hard to maneuver a stroller around the Indianapolis Convention Center when you're surrounded by about 40,000 other attendees. Plus, V was a lot less mobile and curious last year. We learned first hand at the Origins Game Expo a couple of months ago that 2-year-olds and games with dice do not mix. He wanted to get into everything he saw in the exhibit hall, and he wanted to help us play every game we demoed, which meant a lot of "No!", "Put that down!", and "Don't put that in your mouth!" from B and I. Origins is a much smaller game convention, so I didn't mind letting him walk ahead of us in the exhibit hall when we were there. There would be no way I'd let him down to run around at Gen Con! It's just way too big and way too crowded. So, this Thursday morning at the very early hour of 6:00 am, V and I will leave our house for Papaw D. and Nana's house north of Indianapolis. After I leave him with my mom, I'll head on down to Indy by myself to register for the next "Best Four Days of Gaming" and enjoy the extensive exhibit hall without having to worry about diapers, sippy cups, whining, and grabby hands. Do I still feel a little guilty about it? Maybe. But in all fairness to my son, he'll have a much better time with his Nana, Papaw, and cousins than he would if he were stuck in a stroller all day watching Mommy try to roll natural 20s to survive a nasty dungeon crawling with kobolds or orcs. I'm getting into the spirit so much this year that I'm actually going to "try" to wear a costume on Friday. I have most of it together, but I'm still trying to get one element for it. If it doesn't work, that's fine. Most of the outfit is perfectly cute without that one piece. However, it'll be even more special if I can make it complete! I won't have a computer with me to blog from the convention, but I'll try to post pictures when I can at the end of each day, depending on what time I get home. B will be attending on Saturday and Sunday with me, and then, after we're done on Sunday, we'll go up to my parents' house to have a late birthday party for V before bringing him home. I just spoke to my mom earlier this afternoon, and she wants me to pack his swimming trunks, so he and she can go swimming at her neighbor's, whose grandson will also be there visiting. It already sounds like V's going to have a blast without us, too!
Best to you all, and I'll see ya when I see ya (which will most likely be Thursday night!),
Amanda