The Greatest Show on Earth

The circus. The Greatest Show on Earth.. 

I went as a really young child more times than I can count, but I haven't been in nearly 25 years. Every year I hear about the circus, and every year we don't make time for it.  

Last year we didn't go because the girl were too young, but this year.  This year we were going to go. 

It was up until recently that the girls would hold interest for anything longer than 5-10 minutes.  I'd say about two months ago.  Jolie sat on the kitchen floor and did a single puzzle over and over and over again for nearly an hour.  All by herself.  Parker was right with her, not nearly as long, but you could tell she was intrigued.

When the announcement of the circus dates came round via email I hopped on the chance pretty quick.  Next year we will have to pay for a ticket for them to go, so we were both eager to take them this summer while we could use the 'get in for free with children under 2' card.

The circus was three shows each day, around 11:30am, 3:30pm, and 7:30pm.  We opted for the 3:30pm because 11:30 was nap-time, and the 7:30p was bedtime.  While we don't have trouble staying up late every now and then, having to be confined while sleepy wouldn't go well.  So 3:30pm it was!

The 'pre-show' started an hour before, and it was highly recommended (by the internet) that we go.  There were clowns, blow-up tents, acrobats, and of course.. the elephants came out for a brief moment.   Oh.  And the amount of people.  Lots and lots of people.

sparkle bow / shelby chic boutique // tassel top / baby gap // shoes / freshly picked

necklace / trade show two years ago // top / express (similar) // shorts / loft (similar)

We did our best to make our way to a spot where we could see something (anything).

Auntie and Uncle J were with us and thankfully they were taller than most among the crowd, so holding Parker and Jolie high enough to see (i.e. shoulder seating) wasn't an issue.

We made out way to our seats after he pre-show concluded, and patiently waited for the show to start.  My kids are expert people watchers, so the 15 minutes we waited was a silent one.  There were people everywhere and I'm not totally sure we have ever been in a situation for that amount of people watching before.

Popcorn was the essential snack for watching the greatest show on earth, and Jolie made it very clear. I don't think she shared with any one.. 

We made sure to get the best seats for our money - which I think helped with the girls attention span during the 2.5 hour show.  We were able to see everything!  I told BB last week that my kids never show much interest in being a part of social situations (like clapping when others are clapping, or even knowing when the right time to clap is..) 

I was 100% proven wrong.  Jolie and Parker clapped and cheered at all the right moments.  They loved it!  I nearly lost interest in the circus watching my own show of cuteness in the crowd.  I was really taken back at their understanding of what was going on.

It is no secret that my kids loves all animals.  Squeals with delight when little birds poke around in our yard, rabbits, and the zoo makes them extra excited.  We were loving all the animals, music, and dancing, but what both Parker and Jolie loved the most were the acrobats.  Jolie clapped and laughed with excitement especially during the tight rope walking (and let me tell you, THAT was impressive). 

This show was AWESOME. So much going on, and although Parker and Jolie were near to done with it the last half hour or so (it was dinner time and momma was out of snacks..) the circus with two almost 20 month old babies was a success.

Since we were in Dallas, we planned to head over to The Texas Truck Yard for dinner after the circus.  The first time we went (HERE) it was so delicious, all I could do was think about those cheese steaks.  We had to go back.  

We got there a little later than we did last time, and it was apparent that the weather was absolutely perfect (and it was a Saturday night). 

There was a ton of people - and again, the opportune time to watch them.  All of them.  

We snagged the end of a picnic table near the stage (live music was amazing) and stuffed our face with philly cheese steak goodness, and pizza for the babes.

I attempted 746 times that day to get Parker and Jolie to sit still for a photo, and they denied me 746 times.  ZERO interest in the camera, and I don't blame them.  

Silly Jarrett and Silly Jolie.  

NO PICTURES, MOM.

The sea of people.  We had two hubby's waiting to score our table while their wives got the food. We bribed our table seating for a photo of the {6 of us}, and they obliged.  We figured that almost 3 hours was enough? 

There were 11 pictures of us when I got my phone back (his wifey has taught him well..) and every single one looked like this.  Parker took a keen interest in J's bald head and gave him a good pat-down for all 11 photos to express.

When I know we are going to be out past our bed time (7:30pm these days), I always pack jammies and milk for the right home. This way we can transfer them right to their cribs when we get home.  My trunk can hold 4 grown men, so changing my little birds in the parking lot is a breeze. 

jammies / carter's for target 

I had been looking forward to this day for months and it did not disappoint.  I loved loved loved the circus and I'm so glad my girls seemed to as well.

A few tips that I'll take into planning for next year..
Skip the pre-show.  There were way too many people, and not enough for my girls to do at this age. Until they will sit for a face painting or can safely run through a bounce house, we won't be planning on that again.
Snacks. My girls love love love popcorn, so that was worth the $5.50 for the tub, but I had a stash of snacks for them to eat during the show.  My girls are definitely snackers (they get it from their momma), so make sure to have plenty to make it through the 2.5 hour show.
Make the splurge.  Tickets can be pricey for this type of thing, but I will say that sitting close helped to hold my girls' interest.

The Barnum and Bailey/ Ringling Brothers circus was super fun, super entertaining, and made for a perfect weekend memory with my favorite people on the planet.  I can't wait to take Jolie and Parker for years to come!