Hello, Adventure-Raisers! 3 days to go!!! At least, for my main Con of the year. Like, I’m so excited to attend GenCon, I’m actually taking half a week off during my first 90 days of a new job and that is really not like me. I’m usually your resident work-acholic. So, I already covered what to pack and what to expect in these sessions (Session 10, Session 16, Session 15), please make sure you check those out… today, in Session 26: GenCon Anticipation, I think I want to talk more about what it feels like to prepare for a Con with a bipedal Little Dragon.
Ok, so GenCon with an infant was hard. I will not deny that. But one distinct advantage was that he couldn’t walk and had no interest in walking. Occasionally he wanted out of the stroller, but all he wanted was to be held and look around. Nowadays, Little Green Dragon wants to RUN. CLIMB. SCREAM. He’s a full 18 months old int he middle of the Con, and it shows. As his mother I can’t help but feel pride every time he says a new word, dances a new step, or summits a new piece of furniture. He’s growing, and that alone is Nat20. Now… now I am scared of him doing this in a crowd. I’m not afraid of embarrassment like I was when I first started playing D&D, but I don’t really want to be “that parent”, either. I don’t expect my son to make a scene every time we go out but it inevitably happens when he’s tired. The long Con days are sure to bring out the worst in him, just like the friendly faces and color art will bring out the best. And I think I’m pretty strong for my build, but I know hauling him and swag around for 10+ hours is beyond me. He’ll have to walk, so I’ll be walking lightly hunched to hold a tiny hand that doesn’t want to be tethered, and using my other hand to fend off oblivious adults from stepping on tiny toes. Technically, I know Little Dragon is below the weight limit for our swaddle strap, so I was thinking of bringing that for a few hours.
In short, my body will be wrecked by the end of this weekend, and he will still be rubber and bounce back in a matter of seconds. Then again, it is on a normal weekend anyway.
But, that is not to say it will be all bad. I have some advantages this year that I lacked the year before. For one thing, we’ve arranged for a babysitter for one of the four days, so that’ll be the swag shopping day. I’ll back light for the other 3. Secondly, I’ll be traveling with a bigger group of friends, all of whom have already volunteered to help. (I do have the best friends, and no one can change my mind on that). These friends are known to Little Dragon as well, and he minds them well enough. He’s also better at communicating, between his grunts, some sign language and pointing. Troubleshooting the root cause of crying is already much easier.
And, to top it all off, I am excited to see his faces. I want to know how he sees the Con, the wider world. I want to feel the wonder in his soul when he sees a dragon scale, or a magic wand. To see him swing a foam sword and giggle, or rub his face against a fur-lined cape and smile. Feel him cuddle close to me when he’s tired and I need to find him a quiet room to sleep. Those are experiences that I can’t afford to miss.
There’s really no way to know exactly how it will go, and that is scary for most parents. They say the first baby is the hardest, just because everything is so new and you want so desperately to get it right. For me, including this in my son’s upbringing is crucial, not because I need him to be a nerd like me but because this is who I am. Children can choose to be someone other than their parents, but it’s important that they understand who their parents are first. “Pay attention, Little Dragon, this is your culture,” I said. And I meant it. So, as nervous as I am (and as much ligament as I am packing), I am determined to do this. I am determined to make it work. At my core I’m pretty stubborn.
So, yeah, that’s my wide range of emotions on this coming week in a nutshell. It can be a lot to process, organize, and explain. And I firmly belive it’s ok if the path I’m taking is for everyone. But it’s mine, and I’m happy to share it with you all. 🙂 I hope I’ll see you at the Con! I’ll be in black with the design above! And probably posting like crazy! Feel free to say hi and remember you’re not on this journey alone.
