Have you seen the Youtube video “September Parenting vs May Parenting” by the Holderness family? The short is a comedic look at how parental enthusiasm takes a nose dive at the end of the school year. Sure, it’s funny, but more than a few of us find it closer to the truth than we’d like. The year goes something like this–in September it’s organic lunches with sandwiches cutout to look like dolphins; school clothes that not only fit, but are color-coded and hung neatly in the closet; and punctuality the Marines would envy. By May it’s leftover Chinese for lunch; school clothes so worn you pray they don’t disintegrate before June 3; and punctuality has been replaced by the tardy bell.

Cheer up! Not only is summer vacation just around the corner, but there’s a three-day weekend at hand. Regroup and relax at some of these fun, family-friendly activities.

Enjoy a concert and a fireworks show this Saturday. Photo: City of Farmers Branch

What could be more relaxing than a concert under the stars? You can listen to the sounds of the Dallas Winds and enjoy a free fireworks show this Saturday at the annual Liberty Fest Stars & Strings Memorial Day Event at Farmers Branch Historical Park. Other activities include, a tour of the historical buildings at the park, bounce houses, face paintings, a KidsZone, and a tribute to the men and women who serve our country. And don’t worry about packing a picnic basket. Click here to order dinner from Central Market.

Photo: Klyde Warren Park

If the kids would rather make music of their own, check out School of Rock’s Instrument Petting Zoo Saturday afternoon at, Klyde Warren Park.  A variety of instruments will be available for your budding musician to try. Bonus–you get to hear exactly how that drum set is going to sound in your living room. Get to the park early and catch The Secret Life of Pigeons program presented by the Trinity River Audubon Center. There will be live pigeons, pigeon origami, and at the end of the event kids will be able to release homing pigeons with messages to return home to the center. Kids will be able to see the messages posted at the center and on the Klyde Warren Park website.

Make a new friend at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. Photo: Therese Powell

This weekend is your last chance to catch the annual Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie. The festival features music, artisans, humongous turkey legs and fun man-powered “Renaissance era” rides.  There are also strolling costumed entertainers (Queen Margaret of Scotland and the Isles is our favorite), mermaids perched in shells, and handsome knights that the tiny tykes will thoroughly enjoy meeting. As a Memorial Day bonus, all active and retired military members are invited to march in the Grande Parade at 1 p.m.

Photo: The Shops at Willow Bend

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day without a chance of rain. A great plan B backup is the Greater Plano Kiwanis Butterfly Festival at the Shops of Willow Bend. You can stroll through a conservatory filled with flowering plants and butterflies in a natural setting. While on the tour you can see butterflies hatch from the chrysalis and also get a chance to feed them. For the littlest flutter-flies there will be an interactive reading of Eric Carle’s children’s book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” followed by a caterpillar craft.