The Greatest Show on Earth
The circus has been in town now for over a week. The kids and I saw the elephants on the University campus last week, which was fun, but we had no plans to go to the circus. In fact, we had specifically stated that we would not be going to the circus this year. Until this morning when a neighborhood friend asked Ryan and Connor if they wanted to go to the circus with her. The boys, of course, said yes… and Patrick and I, instead of saying, “not tonight,” or “not this year,” or even just plain old “no,” began a day-long, city-wide quest for discount vouchers and tickets, which although ending in the successful acquisition of good tickets for a reasonable price, left me feeling disorganized, frustrated, and out of sorts, and the kids tired and wound-up. By the time we left for the circus, I was ready to call it a day! In all honesty, actually, I was ready to sign the boys up for the circus!
A walk to the arena, a close-up view of Asa the elephant painting an artistic masterpiece, and some extremely overpriced popcorn and lemonade, however, helped to calm and prepare us for “the Greatest Show on Earth!” In the end, the boys enjoyed the show, and I enjoyed watching their faces reflect the awe and excitement they felt as they watched the acrobats, clowns, and animals. Connor especially, seemed to lose himself in the show, and his comments and antics proved even more entertaining than the show itself!
At the end of the night, once we were home and the boys were
finally in bed, I reflected on the rush of the day and the fun of the evening… and although our adventure ended with smiles, I am still a planner, and the next time I am going to “just say no!” when it comes to making last minute plans, or at least that is what I plan to do!