M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D, Maryland Day was a WIN!

The last Saturday in April is big around these parts each year, for the big old party that takes place on campus at the University of Maryland. Maryland Day has been on our calendar of events for years and years, but 2011 will go down in our family history book as the most packed and busiest, yet somehow the happiest and calmest, too. How that happened, I'm not sure, but it was simply fabulous.

Beautiful weather met our arrival on campus right at the time that the day officially started. I had gone through the schedule of events all over campus earlier and had put together a list of the events that I thought would be most interesting to attend, trying to find a balance of things that would appeal to all the kids. The result? Total success. Here are some of the highlights:

• First stop, a pic with the Testudo in front of the CYC that includes only 2/3 of our children, since 1/3 was being insanely stubborn. We'd head back there later in the morning for a puppet show and to say some big hellos to the beloved teachers and administrators!

Yup, I "encouraged" all the kids to wear UMD shirts and hats.

• While waiting for the CYC to open their doors, we walked over to the Outdoor Recreation Center and the biggest guys in our group got up the nerve to try the climbing wall! The younger two tried their own hands (and feet) on the mini-climbing area.

The guys getting on their harness equipment. Cool!

Red just hanging out.

Pudge taking a turn.

      

     

The various heights that made my stomach flip and flutter.

Well deserved high fives!

JAM taking on a pole.

• We headed over to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center for a little Instrument Petting Zoo action, too, where 2/3 of the kids (again) were willing participants.

Red giving it a go on a drum (w/pad for the sake of our ears) and a saxophone!

JAM puts his baritone playing skills to the test on a trumpet and trombone.

Pudge looks on at JAM on the piano, and Red looks vaguely artistic.

• At this point in the day, JAM and I left Red and Pudge in the very capable hands of Daddy so we could go off and do our own thing... That crew stuck around at the performing arts center where they saw Jim Henson's daughter, Heather Henson, perform what sounded like an amazing puppet and kite performance. JAM and I, on the other hand, went to listen to Jeff Kinney give a talk under the big tent. You know Jeff Kinney, right? Author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and 1993 graduate of the University of Maryland, of course! JAM's a big fan, and I had recently taken part in a conference call interview with him in March, so we were both looking forward to listening to his talk. We (meaning *I* of course) had forgotten to pack the books that we wanted signed, and I was thinking that it was probably better that he and I not spend the rest of that afternoon waiting in line anyway, when the most amazing thing happened.

One famous author and one starstruck fan.

We were walking down to the tent where the talk was going to take place, and we had about fifteen minutes until it was going to start. JAM and I don't get to spend much time at all one-on-one, so it was nice to be chatting and not having to worry about splitting my attention with the other two. Then suddenly, I realize that Jeff Kinney is walking along, all by his lonesome, toward the tent ahead of us, and I point him out to JAM. So, what do I do? Um, call out "Hey Jeff!" of course, like we've been pals for years! He stopped, didn't run away at the site of two strangers with gigantic smiles plastered on their faces. After a good twenty second long stumble, I manage to introduce myself, mention that I chatted with him on the conference call, and introduce a very wide-eyed JAM, who continues to be starstruck. We chatted for a couple of minutes and I asked if I could take a picture of him with my unusually silent son. He was quite gracious, then headed off for the tent. We followed a few steps behind and happily found seats a few rows back on the right side of the stage. When he came on, he gave a hilarious presentation that touched upon his time at UMD, his early ventures and of course the Wimpy Kid books and movies.

Well placed balloon.

Telling a story about performing with Gymkana and jumping over Testudo. 

(Those words only make sense to folks who are familiar with UMD, me thinks.)

 

A feature article in the WaPo that he thought would kick off his immediate success... 

One of the many rejection letters he received. My favorite part of the whole presentation.

An early appearance of the Wimpy Kid concept in his Diamondback comic strip Igdoof.

The best illustration EVER.

Screenshot of Poptropica, created by none other than Jeff Kinney himself.

• After lunches were consumed, we met back up with the other part of our crew and headed over to the Engineering plaza, where lots of fun games are always set up outdoors. We weren't disappointed as there were lots of options: catapults were made and put to use, a canoe was stood in, a Lego structure was built to be tested on a "shake" table, mini-golf was played, temporary tattoos were applied, and lots of general merriment was had.

• Our final planned stop was the one that I was the most excited for, and I was thrilled to learn that Red was really geared up for it, too. Off to the Plant Sciences Building for the Insect Petting Zoo!! Yippee.  The room was CRAZY busy, so the pics aren't the greatest, and I couldn't take all that I wanted, but it was an incredible place for a wacky person like me who's interested in bugs.

Walking sticks are incredible!

Pudge so into the tarantulas.

About as close as you can get to a bunch of honeybees. Comfortably.

They were both interested, but no one wanted to hold the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.

That's my girl holding a big old millipede. And smiling!

We tried to hit the Campus Farm at the end of the day, but there was a big line of folks waiting to get a picture with a horse, and every single one of us was exhausted. After a short wait that made us realize just how much we could not continue to wait any longer, we headed back to the van for our return trip home.

Four words: Best Maryland Day ever.


Go Terps,