Typically for my birthday my husband and I do a date night to a new sushi restaurant or new bar. This year, though, I thought it would be fun to spend the evening of my birthday with not only my husband but our oldest son as well. We went to see Ringling Bros. Circus, Built to Amaze. As the circus started after his bedtime he was out-of-this-world with excitement, which made me quite excited too. Other than splurging on cotton candy, I didn’t remember much at all about my own childhood experience at the circus and this was my chance to experience it all again with him.
Before we even got into the arena, it was clear who the target audience was. Just imagine walking into a childhood utopia. Every kind of food, ice cream, candy and toy caked the area leading into the arena. When we were finally able to peel my son off the ceiling and went into the arena, we were greeted with a multitude of activities to provide the kids with entertainment on the arena floor. Jumpy slides, clowns and acrobats decorated the floor in a cacophony of child-friendly fun. The organizers who provided the activity list get 2 toddler thumbs up.
As I expected, the highlight of the experience was the animals. We were able to see the beautiful elephants and the well-trained horses and dogs. The favorite was the taming of the lions and tigers. When I was a child I just thought they were intoxicating. As an adult, there is a rational part of me that knows that the big cats can never fully be ‘tame’ but the fact that they are such gorgeous creatures makes an even more intoxicating act.
Driving back from the event, I thought about my parents and hard they worked to provide for us and how much I never knew. I feel so fortunate to be in the position of having my son fall asleep pretty much as soon as we approached the first stop light. Happy Birthday to me.
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