They Say You Can't Go Back

My memories always seem to have blurry edges. Unlike my friend, Mandy, who remembers what grade she was in when she went on every field trip, I can say with reasonable accuracy if I have been somewhere and that's about it. I don't know how old I was or how many times I went, but I do remember going to the circus and, with one exception (creepy clowns who came into the stands), I loved it. The animal acts were amazing and, my favorite, the motorcycle riders in the iron cage ball, made me want to at least learn to ride my bicycle.

But, it has probably been 25 years since I went to the circus and I really didn't know what to expect. I live in the land of PETA, so there is no way you can buy your circus tickets without guilt. I have seen Cirque du Soleil, a circus with enough talent to enthrall the older and more jaded audience. Was there any magic left in the circus for me?

We were going to find out. I took Fin and her friend, K, to the Ringling Brothers circus today. We found our seats just as the lights were lowered, "Ladies and gentlemen!" boomed the ringmaster and from behind the bandstands poured dozens of performers. There were stilt walkers, dancers, gymnasts... then came the horses, prancing around the arena wearing their feathered headpieces. They were so beautiful; all glossy coats and proud necks. Finally, out came the elephants, some with girls riding them, all of them holding the tail of the elephant in front. I was cheering and clapping and even tearing up a little. Oh, it was just as good as I remembered.

I loved it. I loved it all. I loved the sequin-laden costumes that seemed to change every ten minutes. I loved the guy who was set on fire and launched off of the enormous crossbow while men dressed like Mayan priests at a Pride parade carried torches around the arena. I loved the three simultaneous rings of equestrian acts including the zebras who seemed to forget the act and jumped the edge of the ring only to look confused as to where their herd had gone. I loved the "Strongmen from Uzbekistan" (which sounds better, if not as truthful, as "Fat Guys from Trenton"). I loved the gymnast who tumbled the length of the floor wearing a flame colored, ankle length dress that made her look like a goddess. I loved the thick-bellied tigers who moved in slow motion and lazily bat the tails of the tiger next to them. I even loved the new breed of clown; less creepy makeup, more electric guitar. It was fabulous and kind of cheesy, but only in the way they tried so hard to make sure everyone had a good time. I am so glad I went.

Oh, and I think the girls enjoyed it, too.

Busy Day

We have been going and going all day. We started out the morning with a kids cooking class where we met Debbie and Elizabeth. The girls helped make Italian nachos and Eggplant Rigatoni, both of which were delicious!




Things went well and the girls seemed to enjoy the class, though Fin was being her bossy self. It seems to come out with Elizabeth more than normal. I think Fin is a little jealous of Elizabeth. Most of the Chinese daughters Fin is friends with are younger and they aren't a threat. Elizabeth is the same age, same height, has the same capabilities and Fin doesn't seem to like it much. So, lunch was fun. A demon took over my child. There was crying, a (brief) hunger strike, threats in both directions (between Fin and me, not Fin and Elizabeth)... you get the idea. She did, in fact, lose t.v. for the night, even though she eventually pulled it together and started having fun with Elizabeth right as we were getting ready to leave. Grrrrr.

Our beauties.



Engrossed in Debbie's Droid.


Playing tag.


Then we left to visit some furry friends. Lucy needed her ball thrown. A lot.


I love this picture of Fin with Frank. It looks like they were talking at the same time.


Then there were work errands to run and a couple of shopping stops to make including this one.


All capped off with a full, fat rainbow over OV.


Busy day. Another busy one for tomorrow. I think the work week will actually bring more peace than the weekend!

I Believe That Aang Can Save the World

Fin and I had a great night. For the past few weeks, we have been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender each night on DVD. This is the original Nick show, not the movie which I have not seen and hear is horrible. We loved it. Just loved it. I am not sure I can gush enough. The story arc was perfection; beautifully paced with exciting twists. The characters were diverse, being at times both iconic and unique. It makes a great case for television shows having a term limit. If they all knew how long they would run, maybe more shows would be this good and not meander and sputter along trying to get picked up for as many seasons as possible while sacrificing the integrity of the show. (Psst. Lost. I'm talking to you.)

We have enjoyed watching this series, but we really enjoyed the fact we did it together. We had fun, but we also talked about lots of moral issues, the nature of friendship, the reasons for forgiveness. Tonight, we were set to watch the series finale and I wanted to make it extra special. We decided to have an Avatar dinner.

In the series, there are four kingdoms on Earth rooted in the four elements; air, fire, water, and earth. The people in those kingdoms are connected to the elements in a, well, elemental way. Their societies are built around the element and they often rely on it for everything from food to fun.

Our Avatar dinner paid homage to the elements; salmon for water, potatoes for earth, and green beans fried in chili oil for fire.


Fin kept the beans moving.


Cheers! before digging in.


She loved it and ate almost every bite on her plate.


Oh, and did you think we forgot air? Though the flash washed it out, that is a big bowl of whipped cream, one of Fin's favorite things. (There was a warm chocolate chip cookie at the bottom.)


We had so much fun with dinner and the show. We rooted for the good guys to win and the bad guys to find redemption, we scared the cats with our cheering, and we had a wonderful time together. I can't recommend this series enough for people to watch with their kids. The themes are timeless and epic. You will have a blast. And, if you don't have kids, you'll enjoy it, too. Children are not mandatory.