Circus

We took the wee ones to the circus today. It was not the PETA-approved vegan cruelty-free circus, Alec Baldwin take mercy on our souls. But we didn't rob any banks or park in any handicapped spots en route, so? Does that make us carbon neutral? The circus is not what Loverpants or I remembered. And by that I mean we were not in peanut heaven straining our eyesight (over the whirring of those light sabers that all the spoiled brats lucky kids won't put down) so that we can sort of see maybe somewhere down on that expanse of a floor there is a microscopic clown with a molecule of pie and a trampoline doing something funny or cool.

It seems that live performances these days are righting the wrongs of all peanut heaven plebeians and reducing the audience size and embiggening the stage OR SOMETHING and going largely and in chargely with the intimate stage setting.

I am a very big fan of the acrobatics and trapeze and sequins and general clowning and now I know my Baby Girl is, too. They were also both oddly entranced with the motorcycle cage. It came at the way end of the P.T. Barnum show and you'd think my kids would have started getting all feral in the aisle and stealing some kids' light sabers after a couple hours of cotton candy-infused mania but they were cool customers.

Say what you will about Pixar and Steve Jobs and other modern wizards supplanting the wonderment of actual live performances for Kids These Days, but I spent the afternoon at UTC McKenzie Arena and I'm pretty sure the greatest show on earth is still ranking pretty high.

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I loved this lady and her costume. I like this photo of her waiting in the wings, even though it's all grainy. I love her stance. She reminds me of a character from that wonderful "Checkers" painting by Norman Rockwell.

I believe these snow cone novelty cups were $42.

Power to Read

The note we received on the nightly read-along book for Ms. Thang.

We are so proud of her progress with literacy, and so thankful for her wonderful teachers.

Speaking of reading, I finally managed to finish reading my first book of the year. The first that did not include the character of Adobe Creative Suite CS5 OR Fancy Nancy OR Sam I Am. A groundbreaking feat for me.

Twice Upon a Time is the true story of the Christian conversion of two straight-edge punk rockers whose lives are unknowingly entwined in a number of marvelous ways. I had been wanting to read this book as Pastor Asscherick's preaching has had a profound effect on my own conversion. I knew much of the Cliff's Notes of the story, but little details that each man remembers about their childhoods (e.g. their grandparents' homes, the first time they saw a grown man cry) add to the robustness of the retelling.

The writing throughout the book is consistently beautiful, and the way the story is organized is engaging, even if you have no investment or knowledge of Asscherick or Renner. I would have liked for a little bit more first-person narrative. The third person works but it is hard to really get to know the characters from the jump. By the end, one has a well-rounded understanding of the men's characters but it was an uphill climb. Haha, you will understand that shameless pun if you read the book :)

Recommended: The Beach

Crystal clear water. Quartz crystal sand. And no bikini lines. We took a 3 day junket to Destin, Florida. We haven't filed our taxes yet (winnahs!) so we could not cash in yet on returns of any color. So we were keeping a tight budget on our first trip to experiencing the Gulf o' Mexico. Also, I believe it is important to use folksy Irish abbreviations any time they precede "Mexico."

It took us 6 hours to get there, and by that I really mean it took us 8. We didn't realize until our arrival that Little Man was running a fever, and not just spring fever but probably a legitimate temperature. He continued to run that high temp for the next couple of days, which means that he sat on our laps and napped like a sweet, helpless little mcnugget, and his total deflation of spirit is The Reason why some kindly elder woman approached me at the breakfast buffet and remarked, "You have such sweet children!" I love it when elders compliment you on your children. Even when you know it is because your kids are sapped of their usual primate behaviors due to a belly bug.

Some other really high moments of this mini-vacay:

1. The affirmation one feels in her life that she WOULD NOT no way no how trade places with the college gals on spring break, even with their smoking hot bikini bods and no toddlers to keep them from taking a long walk on the beach. The Mac Daddies who were trying to spit game were just...OMG I am so glad I am married to Loverpants.

2. Spending $20 on 3 whole items at the crewcuts oulet. Score x 3.

3. The bunk bed at the Holiday Inn, Destin.

4. Baby Girl playing Rapunzel on said bunk bed at the Holiday Inn, Destin.

5. Meeting Johnny Law of Alabama. The state police officer who issued the speeding ticket to us in Montgomery County was all that I expected and more in an Alabama state police officer.

6. Seeing Alabama. It really is a beautiful state.

7. Watching a whole lot of "Holmes Inspection." Is there anyone else who thinks there is something superheroic about a craggy-faced guy in overalls determined to make it right?

8. Upholding a tradition.

(July 2009)

9. Not going during high tourist season.

10. This foursome. So much luff.