Under the Big Top

One of my favorite nights on our vacation was centered around an activity I planned with Carter in mind. The first day we were there I found out the circus was coming to town! A lot of people wound up having other plans the night we went, but my mom, my Mimi, Carter and I all had a delightful time! I've never actually been to an old fashioned circus, but as we arrived it felt like we took a step back in time. The Big Top Tent was set up in a field and surrounded by brightly painted trailers, pony rides and the smell of popcorn. Carter just couldn't wait for a pony ride (I was pretty excited for her myself)!

We took a minute to marvel at the elephants, which just happened to be hanging out right outside the tent!

We then headed into the tent to find our seats for the show.
Roxi, Mimi and Carter:Me and my girl:The show began with what was supposed to be a bang! The "Big" cats came out to perform...it was a little lackluster in my opinion. This is my "I'm not too sure about this circus" face:Lucky for us things quickly improved. The daring young girl on the flying trapeze was an amazingly talented, and beautiful, red head. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets picked up by Cirque de Soleil in the near future! Carter was a quick sell for the vendors who were peddling all sorts of treats. She jumped at the chance for a sno-cone. She was pretty enamored with everything. That really beautiful girl on the flying trapeze turned out to be part of a family of circus performers. And, not only did they perform, they also operated the pony rides, ticket booths and concession stands. It was truly a mom and pop operation. Here is Carter enjoying her treat and the unicycling family act:

One of the highlights for me was how tickled my Mimi got at the circus clown Chico. She has collected clowns ever since I can remember. It was so fun to hear her laugh.

By intermission we were having so much fun I did something I normally wouldn't. Remember those elephants we were looking at earlier? Well, I decided to take my little munchkin' for a ride. It was a first for both of us, I'm so glad I got to share that with her.

Ready to ride: This is what riding an elephant looks like:

Hi mom:

FYI there are 2 kids between me and the cowboy in back :)

A little elephant bootie:Fresh from the ride we're all smiles:We miss getting to do things with our family, so it was extra special that we got to spend the evening with Mimi:

By the second half we needed a bag of popcorn (which we would have bought much sooner had Nate been with us)!Sometimes it's hard to put your finger on what makes something special. In the midst of a time when things seem a little hard you find an oasis of happiness. For me this evening just felt like a little bit of magic...probably because of a very special little someone who fell in love with the circus.But, as the saying goes all good things must come to and end...

Lucky for me the magic is there to greet me every morning when I wake up...I love you Carter.