Three Ring Circus

We went to the country for a party. We arrived in the country with two children. Within five minutes, there were five children. Within half an hour, I was the only adult and there were seven children. That's what happens to me in the country.

Luckily, the babysitter arrived soon thereafter (hiking up the mountain on her snowshoes--we were at the top of the mountain, and there is still snow in the country). I bestowed all the children upon her and went off to join the adults at the party. It was a delightful party, delightful babysitter, delightful mountain, delightful snow.

In the morning the children were like a herd of elephants way too early, and then party guests started arriving for the morning after. There were pancakes and bacon, but the bacon took a long time as the children clamored for it, refusing to do anything else because they were waiting for bacon. We decided that should be a movie: Waiting for Bacon. Finally the children had bacon and went back out into the snow to perform their tricks. C and I walked part way down the mountain and back up. We are too old and whiny for tricks. Though I did do a bit of yoga in the kitchen while everyone waited for bacon.

When we got home, we went to the circus. It was a one-ring circus. The year before we left No Longer Red State we went to the three-ring circus and loved it. But when you go to a one-ring circus, you wonder why anyone would want a three-ring circus. I have been to four one-ring circuses that I can remember: the one with the sinuous dancers and high end music, the one at the county fairgrounds with the mangy animals, the one where all the performers are kids, and this one, which is probably the best old school circus around. At a one ring circus, you can concentrate, and you feel like part of it, not just a spectator.

There were dogs and ponies, and M said, "Look at the ponies' tails--oh! that's why they're called ponytails!" The clowns were so basic, so stupid, and so funny. There was a trapeze, and a guy on a slack-rope tightrope with a unicycle, and strong people gilded in gold, and craziness of bouncing off seesaws in stilts which had the entire tent (there was a tent) screeching in terror and excitement. It was quite a circus. I love the circus. Especially when no elephants are being mistreated.