WisCon 34 Recap

Well, another WisCon has come and gone. As you can tell, I was so busy I didn't get any blogging done at the con. I'll try to recap the high points quickly.

We left Friday afternoon after picking Alex up directly from daycare. The drive wasn't too bad, though we stopped a couple of times for potty breaks. Alex refused to go in the bathroom at the reststop, so we took him to my parents' house, which was on the way. I'm pleased to report Alex is now using regular toilets as long as he has something to stand on. (If you're not a parent, trust me, this is a big deal. He's not completely toilet trained yet, but he's definitely ready for preschool.) We arrived at our hotel in the early evening. After dinner, I picked up my badge from the registration desk. Unfortunately, they had no record of Alex being registered for daycare, but they let him in anyway. That was a big relief.

We didn't bother bringing a separate bed or crib for Alex, as we knew from past experience he wouldn't use it in a strange place. We had a very rough night trying to get him to sleep in the same bed as us; I bounced from one bed to the other. I still got up to swim, though.

Saturday morning, we visited the Farmer's Market on Capitol Square. I saw only one stand with lilacs and no lily of the valley for sale; I wonder if that's because it was so warm or because Memorial Day weekend was so late. But I did snatch up some locally grown strawberries. Then I brought Alex to daycare. He was timid and very clingy at first, making me late for the morning panel. But he ate well at lunch and did better in the afternoon. I attended three panels on varying topics: infectious diseases, raising feminist boys, and witches. Eugene went around on his own to take pictures. He also stopped in one of my favorite Madison stores, the Soap Opera, and treated me to some scented shower gel. In the evening, we visited some college friends. They hosted a get-together dinner so we could see more friends too. That was very nice. I did go to some of the parties briefly when we got back, but I was too tired to stay long.

Sunday was Alex's third birthday. We'd brought along some presents, so he finally got to open them. After a quick breakfast in our room, I attended a panel on urban fantasy in Madison. (We did bring Alex to daycare, but he wouldn't let Eugene leave. But he didn't fuss when I brought him back for his nap.) I attended two more panels that afternoon, skipping the middle one to have gelato with Eugene, attend a tea, and chat with a friend. After panels, we took Alex to Ella's Deli for dinner. It boasts a carousel outside and lots of animated puppets/toys inside. Alex didn't know where to look! We treated him to a banana split, but he wasn't too interested in it. He did get to ride the carousel before we left.

Today as the con wound down, we took Alex to Vilas Zoo. He was more interested in the zoo train I bought than the animals. Then we drove down to visit my parents, where he got more presents and a cake. I also got to see my niece and her baby. We finally came home in the early evening.

I didn't network as much as I wanted to this time between being so tired and Alex's struggles with bedtime. Hopefully when he's a little older it'll be easier. (We're already registered for next year's WisCon.) I didn't buy too much this year, only two books and a blouse from Wintersilks. However, one of the books I bought entered me into a drawing for a sword. I had a good feeling about my chances, and sure enough, I won it! It's a black sword with a wickedly shaped blade. (The edge is dull, however; I couldn't risk bringing a real sword into the same house as a toddler!) I will post a picture of me wielding the sword at some point; I just have to decide what to wear. I don't have the body for a metal bikini, so don't even suggest it!