Happy Holi

One of the things we love most about living in Austin is that there is always something fun and family-friendly going on. This past Saturday we several choices, but decided to try Holi celebrations at a nearby Hindu temple.

It was advertised as a cultural event with food, dancing, and tons of games and fun for the kiddos - face painting, inflatables, and a petting zoo. But we got there... and it totally wasn't what we were expecting. There was food that smelled amazing and the dance performances were really neat. But we were disappointed with the kid selection left something to be desired. Sure, there was face painting, but most of the activities seemed aimed at older kids - ring toss, bean bag throw, archery, and other carnival-type games. There was one little bouncy house that was packed to the brim, mostly with older kids. I can only assume that the petting zoo we saw advertised was misinformation.

There was a little train, which Em (and her buddy, O, who went with us) got really excited about. "Dada... train! Dada, TRAIN!"

So we rode that and then felt like there wasn't much else to do. We were pretty bummed and started to head for the car.

But then we heard an announcement they would be handing out "powder" in ten minutes. So we decided to hang around a few more minutes to check it out.

Oh. my. gosh. Best decision ever. We had so much fun! Em was in heaven. Such bright colors! Such fun music! So many nice people! Allowed to get messy!

I was so amazed by the people there. I expected craziness where my child would get trampled or she would get powder thrown too hard or in her eyes. But everyone was so great to her. So many people kneeled down to her level and gently rubbed powder on her face or shoulders and then patiently waited for her to pick some up to smear on their faces. Everyone was so considerate and gentle.

She only looks angry because we made her stop dancing to take the photo

Guys, this was a winner. It was the most we've smiled in days. Mark your calendars to go next year, it's a blast!