(Cold Wars) The Epic Quest for a Princess Gnome

I have survived Cold Wars, and came home to a series of stomach bugs going through small children at breakneck pace. One of them is still home from daycare recovering from the tail end of it, but I at least have time to post something.

Also, in regards to the to-the-point Friday post, just chalk it up to iPhone/Blogger incompatibility.

As I geared up the week before Cold Wars, I kept reminding my soon-to-be-three-year old daughter Maja that Daddy wouldn't be home for two nights and she was to be a good girl for Mommy. She asked a ton a questions, as little ones should, about where I was going, what I was doing, why I was going, etc.

On Friday, when I dropped the kids off at day care before heading out to Lancaster, I asked Maja what she wanted Daddy to bring back from his trip to play gnomes. I've brought back special dice and pink tape measures for her before, this should be a piece of cake.

"A Princess Gnome"
"A Mommy,Daddy, and Baby Gnomes"
"A Princess Gnome"
"A Dorothy, Tinman, and Wizard of Oz Gnomes"
"A Princess Gnome"


I think I picked up on the subtle emphasis of what she wanted...

With a full slate of Gnome Wars games, I had limited time to go to the vendor hall and try to figure out how to budget $200 off of a $2000 want list, much less systematically hunt down a Princess Gnome. There are few female figures in Gnome Wars, and none who could qualify as royalty. I remember a few fat lady opera-style female dwarves in a Warhammer boxed set years ago, but I dreaded the price they would be at the flea market for a multi-figure piece that was $25-$35 years ago and worth more now. Worse yet, since it's historical miniatures, there would be a limited supply of Reaper fantasy minis, and even fewer female figs.

I found nothing.

On the late-night drive back to Wilkes-Barre, I was exhausted and bummed that I couldn't fulfill a simple request from my daughter.

After a decent night's sleep, and my daughter waking up to another bout of the bug, I showed her the little bag of new Gnome Wars figs that I had picked up.

She picked up the first figure and squealed with glee, "Daddy, my princess, you got it, I love it!"

She was holding the new American medic for the North, a Florence Nightingale-style nurse, which if you miss the spoonful of medicine she's doling out, is a perfect representation of a princess, sans crown. I had snagged up the figures from Brigade's booth in such a rush, I had failed to check them all out.

Daddy is still beyond awesome in his little girl's eyes, and that was before I brought out the other other spoils of Cold Wars, but that's for the official AARs.

The Princess emerging from her balcony

Perhaps finding a magic wand in my bits to replace the spoon, and a requested painted scheme of pink and purple from her highness