Good Knights, Fair Maidens

I had a really enjoyable day today and it was due in large part to this outstanding group of young people.  We had our kids' book club and we read King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table.  I agree with Clark's assessment of the book, "I didn't really like the book, but I'm glad to have read it.  It was very long with lots of damsels in distress and knights cutting off each others' heads." 
There is always  A LOT of energy when this group gets together, but they are so much fun.  

It looks like the knights are attacking the fair maidens, but in fact they are focused on the Holy Grail (the pink cup) that Bethany is holding.  One of our activities was someone hiding it and then everyone going on a quest to find it. 

I think the favorite activity was pillow jousting.  The contenders had to keep at least one foot on the duct tape at all times.  The first one to step off lost.  It was hysterical!  I had to get in on the action-- I couldn't help myself.  I won my rounds, but I did have quite the weight advantage.

Clark was our grand champion. 
I am so proud.

The ladies had their own tournament.  Much to the disappointment of the boys, I could not allow the knights to joust with the ladies.  Bethany did not win for the ladies. 
I am ashamed.

The snack was beef stew on a trencher.  As I understand it, in medieval times they didn't use plates, but rather ate their food off of a hard piece of bread called a trencher.  Most would then eat their trencher, but the rich would throw them out for the poor to eat.  How generous.

It was FREEZING, but it's hard to stop 10-12 year old boys from heading out for a quick sword fight.

 Our final game was "Perilous Seige Musical Chairs".  In the book the Perilous Seige is the final chair of the Round Table that no one can sit in until Sir Galahad comes.  If they do sit there, they will die. 
There were always enough chairs for everyone, but one was the Perilous Seige and whoever was left with it had to give their best death scene and then move out of the way. 

Elinor is enjoying her younger kids' book club that my neighbor is doing with the younger siblings of these kids.  Now Faith is begging to get to have a little kid's book club.  I guess I have some planning to do-- I'm thinking of a glorified story time.