Our Three Ringed Circus

I have seen our Family Traveling Roadshow (more commonly known as the Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus). We went opening night. I have either never been to a circus, or was too young to remember going, so I was actually more excited about it than the kids.

We got there early in hopes to see the animals beforehand, but we didn't realize there was a separate tent for that. So, we mistakenly got in line at the arena itself, whose doors didn't open until 6:30. David looked at his watch and, wouldn't you know it, it was only 6:18...twelve minutes to wait! (When you are standing in line with 3 children under the age of 4.....twelve minutes may as well be twelve hours).

I was holding Tate, which left David to corral the other two. Drue wanted up, no down, no up. She wanted to hold the diaper bag which David actually started to hand her but I put a stop to. Again, our visions about this differed. David envisioned Drue politely standing there holding the diaper bag. I envisioned Drue systematically pulling out each and every diaper, wipe, extra outfit, pacifier, etc. and strewing them across the dirty cement floor. Reese decided she'd entertain herself by walking in circles around and around and around all four of us.

If I hadn't been able to smell the popcorn and elephant droppings, making it all the more evident how close I was to seeing my first circus, I think we may have bailed right then and there. (And the fact that we had spent a small fortune on the tickets also was a good motivator to stick it out.)

Moving right along...the doors finally opened, and we headed down to the pre-circus show where we got to actually go down and see the performers up close. Tate just stared in wonderment at the clowns. (And no, I don't think it had anything to do with the fact that he thought they resembled his mother).

After awhile we headed up to our seats. Up, up, up, and up some more. They were still great seats, because we were able to see everything that was going on. We were exhausted by the time we made it to them, however. David was carrying both girls, which is eqivalent to about 70 pounds. 70 squirmy pounds. We had gone ahead and purchased 4 tickets, even though Drue could have gotten in free. We got the extra seat as more of a buffer zone, to hold our stuff, and, because, if we hadn't gotten it, sure enough this would have been the very night Drue would have wanted a seat all to herself.

I just wish the arena seats came equipped with seatbelts to strap the little dears in. This was the best picture we could get, because at no time during the entire show, were Reese and Drue both sitting still, facing forward at the same time! Half the time they were both on David's lap and he later said it felt like he was trying to hold an octopus the way their little arms and legs kept flailing about. (Tate slept peacefully through the 2nd act in my arms).

We finally all got situated and settled for a bit after David and Drue went and got popcorn and water. As David plopped into his seat, I asked the girls, "Aren't you excited? We're at the circus!". "We live in a circus," he piped in. Thus I couldn't help making the following comparisons to our household and the circus:

There was so much going on at once, it was hard to keep track of everything. Clowns, horses, trained dogs....three separate circles of activity....three rings....wait a minute...that's when it dawned on me why people compare crazy, busy, insane places to a 3 ring circus!!! Sort of like when Tate is crying, Reese is calling for me to come help her in the bathroom, and Drue is yelling that she wants to get down from the table but is covered in yogurt....SIMULTANEOUSLY!

I watched in awe and fear as two men performed on this huge apparatus that resembled a hamster wheel, flipping around on top of it seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were 2 stories high with no harnesses to keep them from plunging to the ground. I will probably have the same feeling I had watching them when the kids ride their bikes for the first time without training wheels, or as I watch them pull out of the driveway in the driver's seat of a car! It will be scary, and I'll be a bundle of nerves, but you gotta let them go sometime and just pray God will protect them.

And my last observation about the similarities between the circus and our life, was during the finale. I couldn't believe it was already over and was almost 10:00pm! I realized that no matter how crazy our life with three little ones feels at times, it will pass by so quickly....I need to enjoy every minute of it. As we pack Tate off to college, I know I'll long for the days of squirmy kids and sticky cotton candy kisses.

I thank God for blessing me with a wonderful husband, and three amazing kids, and for allowing me to be a part of .....The Greatest Show On Earth!