Zing, Zang, Zoom!

Three tickets=$69.00 (thanks to a $21 discount for military folks)

Nachos with Chili and Cheese=$7.00

Two "large" soft drinks=$10.00

Light-up Toy for hours of toddler fun=$18.00

Mommy's Requisite Cotton Candy=$12.00 (but it came with a "free" magician's hat)

Bottled Water=$4.00

So, for a grand total of $120.00, Danny and I were able to make priceless memories with our son when we took him to the circus last night.

It was an absolute blast!

For those of you who know me well, you know that I live for these types of events. Anything like the circus or Disney on Ice or The Wiggles concert or any other totally-for-kids-type-of-show is right up my alley. I'm unable to resist these events to the point that I've been begging Danny for well over a month to take us to the circus. When he decided to go at the last minute yesterday, I could have kissed his feet. I could almost smell the cotton candy in the air...

And, I think it's probably a good thing he decided to take us (read:me) because I might have pouted for several weeks if the circus left town without me seeing it. I'm out of control. I know.

Anyway, Tyler went to the circus for the first time when he was about six months old because, clearly, he gave me a good excuse to go. This time, he was old enough to be totally entranced with all the lights and action, and he really had a great time. I was a little concerned that he might not be a fan of the clowns, but we talked about them all the way to the arena, so he was prepared for their make-up and silly costumes.

I, however, was not prepared for one of those clowns to come up behind me and scare the living daylights out of me. Whew. Maybe Mommy needed the pep talk!!

Tyler's favorite parts of the circus included:

~The Zebras...he kept shaking his head like they did because he just thought it was hysterical (imagine how they kind of shake their heads around when they're trying to get flies away from their ears...that's what tickled him!).

~The Elephants...he enjoyed watching them "hold hands" when they walked in a line with one's trunk connected to another one's tail.

~The Tigers...he made a fair amount of roaring noises and has enjoyed duplicating how they hopped on their back legs.

~The fireworks...I can't believe I have given birth to a child who doesn't jump when those things go off...I still get startled every. single. time.

~The nachos...he dipped and dipped and dipped the exact same chip in the cheese sauce maybe hundreds of times. It was really funny. Next up: teaching him chip-dipping etiquette.

~Running during the intermission...I knew he had energy to burn, so while I hunted cotton candy and a bottle of water, Danny chased Ty around in one of the lobby areas. Lo and behold, there was a little girl out there burning off energy too, so they had a ball together. It might have been worth the ticket price just to see them having such a fun time.

All in all, we had a wonderful time. I am so thankful that Danny decided to take us to the circus because taking our oldest child on a special date was a treat for all of us. We are so blessed that Noni and Poppy were so willing to stay home with Lydie. She was definitely in good hands. Next time, Lydie should be old enough to really appreciate the circus excitement and can come along with us. I can't wait!

I just hope she likes cotton candy...