Clowns, Elephants, and Acrobats -- Oh My!

About 3 p.m. yesterday, I got a call from my good friend Chelsea. She had a bunch of free tickets to the circus that night in Chino and wanted to know if we wanted to go. Are you kidding???!! Of course we're in! So we packed up the kids (who didn't believe where we were going at first) and went with the Monson's and some other friends last night. It was amazing amounts of fun for all of us! We drive up and park in this dusty, dirt field and looming in front of us is an enormous, red circus tent! Outside, they had all the animals for us to see: elephants, camels, even a hippo. Inside the fabulous tent the real fun began. We were only a few rows back from the action. The kids were on the front row and completely fascinated by it all: acrobats, tight rope, trapeze, dogs and horses and elephants doing all kinds of tricks, clowns, the "wheel of destiny": you name it, we saw it. All we were missing was the bearded lady! It was the coolest old-school circus ever! You could feel the dust in your throat, smell the popcorn and the elephants, and tense up when the tight rope guy almost falls. What a great family-fun night! Thanks again Chelsea!

I took a bunch of pictures, but hardly any turned out. It was pretty dark. Here's our little family getting ready for the fun to begin.

I am normally completely opposed to cotton candy and my kids had it for the first time in their young, deprived lives at Chuck E. Cheese's a few months ago. But, how can you say no when you're at the circus? The kids each got their own bag, even, and couldn't believe their good fortune. That little piece of cotton candy on Brandon's chin stayed there for about a half hour. When he finally discovered it hanging there, he picked it off and ate it, of course.

This was Marissa's expression almost the whole time. She wasn't quite as big of a circus fan as the rest of us. She would have been happier staying home and going to bed. She was pretty good most of the time and liked having plenty of interesting things to look at.

Lexie, Liam, Maylan and Dylan loving their front row seats. Maylan came home from the circus wanting to learn how to do the trapeze. Me too, actually. Brandon told us he wanted to be the guy who takes tickets. He says that the other things are all too dangerous for him. Thanks for a great idea, Ryan and Chelsea!