It's official

The kids aren't little.

Yeah, I already knew that. I mean, Susie is almost my height and she sometimes borrows my clothes and we wear each other's flip flops. And Alex is catching up, fast. I get it. They're bigger. And they read books and can surf the 'net and play video games and even get their own cereal. Yeah. They're big.

But it sometimes takes a smack upside the head for me to comprehend it.

Which takes us to Saturday. After my rehearsal, we piled into the family car and drove to Oxford, Mississippi, a charming college town about 90 minutes away. Because we've gone to Oxford almost every April for their arts festival. Because it's fun, and there are great activities for kids.

You see where this is going, right?

Petting zoo? No thanks.
Moon bounce? No thanks.
Face painting? No thanks.
Free moon pies? (SERIOUSLY!!) No thanks.

But, on the other hand, they're definitely not adults.

Look at the neat art in this booth? No thanks.
In this one? No thanks.
What about pottery? No thanks.
Metal yard art? No thanks.
Photographs? No thanks.
Listen to the band playing? No thanks.

But the bookstores? Sure! And then when we wouldn't buy $50 worth of books for them, we got sulking with a heaping helping of whining on the side.

All I can say is this: Thank God for Mexican food. The little place we found, in a strip mall, filled the bill nicely. And saved the day from being a complete disaster.

The driving, however, was lovely each way. The trip from Memphis to Oxford, if you avoid the big interstate, is pretty. You drive southeast to Holly Springs, then change roads to a two-lane road to Oxford. The roads are in relatively good shape and lined by trees, punctuated by a small house or two. And with a book of Mad Libs, we all stayed entertained and in good spirits both directions.

I think we'll skip the festival next year and just take a trip to Oxford some other weekend, with money budgeted for book buying and Mexican food. Because that works.