balloon figures for smaller children

I am working on offerings for the smaller kids. Too often the smaller children drop their balloons and we have a crying child. This is because the balloons we typically build use balloons that are a bit too large for the hands of the smaller child. I am building figures using smaller balloons and they seem to be working. here are a set of figures using what are called "160" balloons.

Want to entertain people? Treat them like they are interesting! Turns out that they are!

I am not in the habit of daily posts. My web designer says that I should do so.

I do post when something really catches my attention AND I am on line.
In this case I wanted to mention a delightful encounter at South County Commons last night.
I do balloon twisting while the band is playing from 6 to 8 on Thursday evenings.
After the band ended and I was packing up a gentleman came up to me and told me how much he enjoyed what I was doing.
I thought he meant the balloon figures themselves. He did not.
He started to talk about how the audience interacted with me and vice versa.
He found it fascinating that children he had seen bouncing around the site would stand around me as I worked,
I told him that they paid attention because I spoke with them. Not TO them; WITH them.
I sometimes tell them a story about what I am building.
I sometimes tease a bit (if they seem to have a good sense of humor).
Last night I was asking the kids about what was the best book they had read this summer.
If they had one, I asked them why it was so good and they would tell me.
Low and behold, people like it when you listen to them.

Santa in July at a Balloon Event

Had a delightful event twisting balloons in Groton, CT.
I was doing what I do and one little boy loudly commented: "You look like Santa!"
It was  not the first time I have heard that comment.*
I went into ,my standard reply:
       "I am not the Santa this year! I am the younger brother of the Santa."
This typically gets a slightly confused look from the child.
This little boy was no exception so I clarify:
       "OK, If you swear to keep a secret, I can tell you a little.
        You must know that there is more than one Santa. We are a big family.
         At Christmas time, we each take a bunch of families to take care of.
         Each of us reports to THE Santa on what you guys are up to."
This generates various questions which I ignore and answer my own way.
For example:
        "You are wondering who gets to be THE Santa, I bet.
          Every 73 years, we all get together for the Santa Games.
          The winner is THE Santa for the next several decades.
          I came in second last time. I was two points behind in the Chimney event.
          I still think they judged wrong."
I then end; swearing them to secrecy.

I did this at the event at Carwild and the little boy spent the next hour dragging
parents, grandparents and anyone else over.
He would point to me and get them to lean over so he could whisper the secret.
A number of grandparents informed me that they were sworn to keep my secret.

It is good to be me!


*For any who do not know the roles and Santa and Mrs Claus are filled by Sally and me typically starting right after Thanksgiving

Grand opening of Verizon store

Here are two pictures of an arch we built in Cranston, RI
My pump had failed just before starting this project.
All 280 balloons were blown up by hand pump. My shoulders were aching at the end!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kYDcwZRhKmsvX3vf9 
This is a second attempt to connect to Blueberry the dancing bear.
Daryl (who shall remain nameless) would prefer that I just say Check out the above

Good morning to one and all: I will be at CT College this Saturday doing balloons for the children of the Alumni. This may be my second posting of this. Still fighting with technology.

Dancing Bear with our Librarian

x Here is my giant balloon bear dancing with Ulla, the head librarian at Cross Mills Public Library in Charlestown RI. https://photos.app.goo.gl/kYDcwZRhKmsvX3vf9