Category — Movies/TV/Pop Culture

Hooray for Bekki, who won the Snip-its Giveaway!

If you’re sad that you weren’t a winner this time, you might want to “like” the Snip-its Facebook page so that you can hear about other discounts or special offers. Or, if you read this week’s KidsOutAndAbout.com e-newsletter, you’d know that there’s another giveaway over there! Speaking of which, if you haven’t gotten around to it yet, go ahead and sign up to receive the weekly e-newsletter.

Meanwhile, if you weren’t distracted with that other story about women’s health that was all over the news today, you might have heard that Friday, February 3rd is Go Red for Women Day to raise awareness about women and heart disease. I just happened to wear red today, but I have two fun links that are heart-related, so I thought that I’d take the opportunity to share.

First, here’s an amusing little official Go Red Video by Elizabeth Banks from Parenthood. I first saw it on Ask Moxie, who is smart enough to answer all sorts of difficult and sensitive topics for mothers and actually embed videos into her blog post, which I remain too technically inept to do myself. Yes, tech friends, this is a cry for help.

Second, do you know that Kina Grannis song Message From Your Heart? I’ve been on a bit of a Kina Grannis kick lately, but even if I weren’t, the song is really quite apt for occasion. But wait, when I went to look for that link, I realized that this video won her a big  Doritos contest for Super Bowl XLII (aka 2008). Okay, I missed that part completely. Where was I? Probably chasing children or hovering in the kitchen because another hot dip had just come out of the oven. So it’s a doubly timely link, for heart health and Super Bowl hype (did you need a recipe?). Gosh, I guess Doritos has been doing these contests for years. Huh. I only notice Doritos these days when I’m rolling my eyes at their obnoxious and sexist ads. If you, like me, are on approximately a 4-year delay when it comes to pop culture, maybe it’s new to you. Kina Grannis has a more recent super-fun jellybean In Your Arms video.

J loves the Message From Your Heart song, but she insists that the “Taking blood and making art” line is really “Taking love and making art.” It sort of fits, I’ll admit, but it’s wrong. This drives me a little nutty. Actually, J gets this from her father. Cute W frequently gets lyrics wrong, and he’s often emotionally attached to the incorrect lyrics. It’s become a bit of a running joke in our family. Right now, the girls love to sing, “I got the moves, Mick Jagger” instead of “I got the moves like Jagger” just because they know it makes me squirm. Hey you guys! That one’s from 2011, isn’t it? Thank goodness for Zumba! I get cardio (heart healthy!) while learning about pop culture. Woo, hoo.

We went to Disney on Ice last night. I took a few notes because at this point, I can’t help myself.

There were a lot of charming costumes, including adorable starfish and other sea creatures for the Little Mermaid portion, and all sorts of skates designed to look like other things, like high heels or footy pajamas. The Lion King portion seemed the shortest. We particularly enjoyed Pumba. J leaned over to me to ask how they were making Pumba skate like that, and when I explained that I thought it was one person hunched over, I asked, “What do you think of that?” She answered, “Uncomfortable.” All of the four stories (Lion King, Little Mermaid, Lilo & Stitch, and Peter Pan), were super-abbreviated, but it was more about the spectacle than the plot, anyway. Only Lilo & Stitch fell a little flat because so many of the costumes were jeans or shorts (also because we don’t know that story), but the skater who played Lilo made up for it with the biggest personality of all the performers. My girls have done enough skating to know how tough it is, so they were deeply impressed. The Peter Pan story was the longest, with fun special effects like fairy dust, flying, and a pretty awesome pirate ship.

A few parts were scary for easily-scared children, including a giant Ursula sea witch and a big alligator. But they looked more like parade float than anything, so it wasn’t bad. In fact, when Captain Hook’s eaten by the dragon, he basically jumps into the cushy alligator and then pulled ropes on the alligator to make the jaws bit, a move so obvious that J pointed it out to me. So I wouldn’t be concerned unless your child is at an extraordinarily fearful stage.

There’s an intermission during which pretty much everyone will purchase something for way too much money. My girls got $15 snow cones in souvenir cups, and another popular item was $10 cotton candy that included adorable Tinker Bell or Nemo-themed hats. It was pretty funny, actually, because there were a ton of big men wearing the lavender upside-down flower Tinker Bell caps. I chatted up a group of guys two rows ahead of us because they looked much more likely to be at a frat party than at this show. Turns out one of their younger sisters was in the show and he was seeing her for the first time: if you go she’s the fox-costumed lost boy among others, so cheer extra hard.

Last night there were plenty of seats, with the upper tiers of the TU center completely empty. I also noticed that the people who dropped serious cash for ringside seats were getting a lot of extra attention from the cast members, eye contact, high-fives and such. Since we’re just coming off of Disney World, it felt very much like a show that you might see there.

There’s a show tonight and two on Sunday, and you can buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com, call  1-800-745-3000 or visit the Times Union Box Office.  Ticket prices are $12, $22, $40 for VIP, and $55 for Rinkside. There’s still the coupon for tonight’s Saturday, December 10 at 7 pm. The code is MOM2011 to save $4 on the $22 or $12 tickets to these performances.

Yeah. Sorry. I was working on the newsletter for KidsOutAndAbout.com tonight while catching up on Parenthood episodes (I think Julia had my most likeable moment ever when she was sitting on the floor drinking wine and fretting that they’d “ruined” their daughter).

Then, it was time to blog, and I had no ideas. Well, I had one idea, which concerned an item of M’s. I’ve been meaning to take a picture of it and share it here on the blog. So, I seriously just crept into my sleeping daughter’s room to find it and take a picture. And I couldn’t find it, so I was ransacking the room in the dim lighting. And I still couldn’t find it, and she started stirring.  So.  .  . that’s it. I’m giving up.

If you entered the Disney on Ice Giveaway before I added the pink update portion, you might want to go back and double check that you actually followed the rules to qualify for the drawing. The deadline is Thursday at 11:59 pm.

So, speaking of tv, anybody watching anything new that I must try? Except, of course, that I don’t have cable, so it has to be network, internet-for-free, or on Netflix? We’ve just caught up with Sons of Anarchy on Netflix, and I’ve heard that Once Upon a Time is supposed to be good. So. . . ? Any favorites?

So, guess what? Disney On Ice is coming to the Times Union Center from December 7th to 11th with their show  Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey.

In Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey, the delightful mouse couple lead you on a journey through four Disney stories:  The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan and Lilo & Stitch.  If you want to get an idea of what the show’s like, click on the link in this paragraph for a little video preview.

I’ve got two family 4-packs of tickets to give away! Both are for the 7 pm performance: one for Thursday, December 8th and one for the Friday, December 9th.

You can buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com, call  1-800-745-3000 or visit the Times Union Box Office.  Ticket prices are $12, $22, $40 for VIP, and $55 for Rinkside.

If you want to save some money (um, duh), more $12 tickets are available for opening night, and I’ve got a coupon code for the shows on Thursday, December 8 at 10:30 am and 7 pm and Saturday, December 10 at 7 pm. The code is MOM2011 to save $4 on the $22 or $12 tickets to these performances.

And if you want to enter to win a family 4-pack, here’s how:

1) Comment on this blog post. In order to count as an entry, you must include: a valid email address (it will auto-fill if you’ve commented before & it’s for my eyes only, don’t worry); whether you’d like to enter to win Thursday, Friday, or either night; and the answer to the question: if you could spend a morning ice skating with one of the characters from these four Disney stories, which character would you choose and why?

2) For those of you who are super-ambitious, if you have successfully followed the instructions above, you may enter the drawing a second time by going to the Capital District Fun Facebook page, “liking” it if you haven’t already, and sharing any link on the page (just click “Share” under the link), along with a comment that says something nice about the blog. Or me. Or both, even.

Some additional rules:

• You may enter between now and Thursday, December 1st at 11:59 pm. The winners will be announced on Friday, December 2nd.
• Quality of comments will not increase your chances of winning. I’m just counting y’all up and doing the randomizer However, other readers and I will appreciate high-quality comments!
• You can only win one family 4-pack. I’ll do a drawing for Friday night first (including only Friday night/either entrants) and then for Thursday night (including only not-yet-winning Thursday night/either entrants).

Hooray for free stuff!

Update: Okay, you people are sort of killing me. No, no, it’s okay, but please:

• Be sure that you include both the answer to the question and the night(s) that work for you in your comment, or you won’t be in the drawing. I’m sorry, but them’s the rules. If you look again and realize that you forgot, then yes, you may comment again and add what you forgot.  And of course your email still needs to be valid, too, but I won’t notice if it’s wrong until I pick you and then email you to tell you that you’re the winner and it bounces back and then you’re sad and someone else is happy.
• If you’re going for that second entry, you’ve got to “Share” a link, not just “Like” it. When you like something, there’s a teensy little note about it that only your stalkers who pay slightly too much attention to your every move will notice. When you share something, you click “Share” and then there’s the opportunity to add your own comment (it says “Say Something” with a little box) and that’s where you say something nice in order for this to count as your second entry. Sharing makes a link that is more noticeable in your friends’ newsfeeds than the “Like,” which is why I asked you to share in the first place. Also because I was blatantly fishing for compliments. But whatever.

Honestly, at this point I’m like, jeez, this is why I never make irritating and complicated rules. I thought that these were relatively easy. But if I’m driving you crazy, can someone please appreciate the fact that I’m not asking you to follow links to the Disney on Ice website and answer a trivia question that can only be answered by watching the complete video? Because people do that stuff, you know. No, seriously: I’ve seen it. I didn’t ask you to Tweet, did I? You’re welcome.

And now I’m done with the updates, so you’re on your own. Good luck!

Before the post, I just wanted to remind everyone that if you’re considering going down to New York City for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, you should read my post from last year. Anyway. . .

While J was in Disney World, she fell in love. Like many great love stories, it came as a surprise. I never would have predicted that she’d become so enamored with. . .

. . .

A Baby Ewok!

I mean, come on, who even considered that plush baby Ewoks even existed somewhere?

Okay, umm, now I just feel stupid. Because I wrote that last sentence, and then I decided to Google it, and apparently you can go on ebay right now and order up a veritable crapload of baby Ewoks in a variety of colors, styles, and genders.

I stand corrected.

Really, I’ve just never been that interested in Star Wars. I think I saw, oh, I don’t know, maybe the first one growing up, and I was like, whatever. I believe pretty much my entire family had the same reaction, so I’m not sure if it was a nature or nurture issue, but in any case, Star Wars just didn’t rock my world. Grease, on the other hand, made quite an impression (it was also the first movie that I ever watched on a VCR, at my friend Cathy Goldenberg’s house).

After we were married, I tried to be a good sport and learn to appreciate the splendor of Star Wars. Because my husband–in fact, his entire family–loves Star Wars. Very much. I did my best to remain attentive, but my mind would always wander. We sort of gave up. I mustered a bit of enthusiasm years later when Natalie Portman jumped into the mix, but even then. . . eh.

Poor Cute W had screened Star Wars with the girls a while back to a tepid reception. And then. . .

Enter the Baby Ewok.

Of all the choices in all the gift shops in all the many parks of Disney, somehow the Baby Ewok was the one item that J simple Could. Not. Live. Without. We put her off the first time she asked for it, saying that she should wait to consider her options. Days later she was drawing sketches of the elusive Baby Ewok in the hotel room while Grandma planned her quest to obtain her quarry. Finally, J and Baby Ewok were brought together.

J has been lovingly caring for her Baby Ewok ever since.

New babies can shift your whole perspective on the world, can’t they? As a caring adoptive mother, J feels it is important to understand her baby’s birth culture and unique place in the world. That’s right: she arrived home from Disney World yearning to watch Star Wars. Within a week they’d watched Return of the Jedi and The Empire Strikes Back.

Cute W was thrilled. M, less so.

Today J stayed home from school, recovering from a little cold. When I asked her if she’d like to watch a movie, it was an easy choice. She and Baby Ewok wanted to watch The Empire Strikes Back.

I reported her movie choice to Cute W, expecting him to be pleased. His reply?

“She’s watching WITHOUT ME?!?!?!”

J stayed home from school yesterday. She had a headache and stomachache, and when I tried to move her along in the morning, she just walked right upstairs and climbed back into bed. So she was out. Last night we fit in a soccer scrimmage and a harvest dance for M, I dropped off a huge carload for a garage sale, and poor J arrived at our bed in 1 am begging for more drugs.

Today M had two different soccer games, so Cute W and I traded off between sick duty and soccer duty. I scored the indoor game.

Meanwhile, Cute W took the opportunity of a sick day to have a mini movie festival, and he knew exactly what to show. J came home from Disney World with a new and beloved possession:

Do you see what this is? It’s a baby Ewok!! What a weird thing to sell! What a weird thing for J to choose as her new life’s companion. . . .

The girls have seen the first Star Wars movie, and in spite of Cute W’s repeated suggestions, they’ve never shown particular interest in seeing more. Suddenly, though, J wants to see the real Ewoks.

They’ve now completed the trilogy–M grudgingly and J with great enthusiasm. Until one of the Ewoks died.  J took it hard, M teased her and was reprimanded, and there were tears all around at bedtime.

Awe-some.

At least there’s an extra hour for rest tonight.

We finally made it to SPAC to see the New York City Ballet!

I’ve been meaning to go for years. They’re here, for what? Two weeks or so each summer? And every year I’m either away on vacation or it’s storming on the night I planned to go or something else ridiculous happens to thwart my cultural appreciation aspirations.

This year my clever and motivated friend invited me along to American Girl Night (sponsored by Emma Willard School). Even though we were tired from our weekend away, I couldn’t pass up a free ride with excellent company. The more the merrier! Also driving an navigating intimidates me. Because I’m a bit of a loser.

My friend was rewarded for her motivating karma with a brand-new American Girl doll, Kanani, the girl of the year, for her daughter! We weren’t even at the raffle area, but M was, along with her friends, and she ran to alert her.  It was thrilling for all of them.

New Doll, Happy Winner, and J to left

Besides the raffle, Cute W just asked me, what makes it an “American Girl” night? There were three crafts (stickers on a cardboard visor, ribbons to tie onto a ponytail holder, and a lei to assemble),  tasty treats (sugar cookies and snow cones), and terribly popular photos taken in photobooths from the Saratoga Photobooth Company. Also little bags and magazines. All included with our lawn tickets, which were $20/grown-up and $5/child.

We had an excellent time. J had her buddy L, and M ran into some friends. The actual ballet, for them, was an afterthought. But I’d go again.

If you want to go, here are my suggestions for extra fun:

• Understand that other girls will bring their American Girls, possibly wearing matching outfits doll-girl outfits, possibly very overdressed with heels, while others will be in shorts. That’s okay. Embrace it and do as you wish.
• Pack camp chairs even if you don’t want to sit in them because when people set their chairs directly in front of your blanket, you will resent them. You will wonder how they can sit directly in front of your six-year-old. Let go of this resentment and, instead, bring camp chairs or an extra blanket for a buffer zone.
• Snack in the car as you drive to arrive at 6 pm. But don’t eat all of your snacks/dinner yet.
• Snag a spot, and then, if you’re there early, head for the photobooths first, because those are the longest lines.

Waiting at the photobooths

• Then, after that, eat some free treats.
• By 7 or 7:30 pm, you will hopefully have scooped up all possible AG swag, so settle yourself down and eat some dinner on your blanket.
• The ballet starts at 8 pm, and this is when your older child will realize that she never got a string for her lei, and your younger child will think that possibly she needs to throw up, either because of snow cone excess or the desire to stay happy for her friend instead of consumed with jealousy about the Kanani raffle prize. Well, okay, that won’t happen to you, but something will happen, because the kids were unbelievably overstimulated and now they’re. . . less so. J kept saying, “They need better scenery!”
• So, really, my suggestion would be to bring along someone who doesn’t care about the ballet to take over at this point (perhaps your husband?) so that you can watch the dang ballet.
• Really, come to think of it, your husband would also be good at helping hold all those AG dolls and bags full of crafts before the show, too.
• And then coordinate with some friends and when the ballet starts, the people who are interested in the ballet can slip over to another blanket very far away from your children’s blankets.
• Also, in that case, bring wine. Hopefully you’ll have a friend who is pregnant to graciously drive the grown-ups home at the end of the ballet.
• And if you don’t plan ahead, with the division of labor and the wine and all, maybe you should all just leave at intermission (about 10 pm). Because 2 out of 3 girls who drove home with us were asleep before we hit Ballston Spa.

Here’s another guest post, this from my Big Sister B! I was completely surprised and grateful when she sent it to me. Our mutual niece is the one who inspired my daughters’ devotion to Taylor Swift, and I’ve mentioned that I’m a fan, too. You can tell that my sister works in the apparel industry because she casually uses the word paillettes. And if you’re wondering, Taylor’s not touring anywhere near us for now, but I’ll let you know if she plans a trip to the Capital District.

In case you didn’t know (I didn’t), Taylor Swift is doing a big U.S. tour this summer called “Speak NOW.” I only know this because my sister and her daughter, my ten-year old niece, invited me to come with them to her Pittsburgh concert. It would mean a fourteen hour round trip drive for them and another hour either way for me. An overnight stay. On my birthday, which would leave my empty nest husband alone on Father’s Day.  I said yes, yes, yes  without hesitation. Not that I am a great big Taylor fan. But you have to practically be living in a cave not to be aware of who she is, even if, like me, you have no little girls or teens in your immediate universe. She’s pretty and sparkly, she plays a number of instruments and writes her own songs, she  seems very respectful of her fans and her Mom and unlike so many pop star girls lately, she hasn’t been caught in any embarrassing situations, sued her parents, gotten pregnant, been arrested or shown us her tender bits getting out of an SUV.  And my niece was SO EXCITED! I was honored to be asked to  come along.

Our Taylor calendar, hanging in the playroom

It was GREAT! There were 52,000 screaming but well-behaved fans at Heinz Stadium. The ratio of female to men was at least 20 to one – the outnumbered men for the most part either the coolest dads ever or sheepish boyfriends. Many of the girls and their moms, and even the toddlers, were dressed in their version of Taylor Swiftness – red lips, cut off denim shorts or flouncy sundresses with short cowboy boots and straw cowboy hats. Some times this worked for them. Sometimes not so much but we tried not to judge. We did not dress up like Taylor but  we did enjoy eating greasy pizza for dinner and watching the costumed fans swirl around us as they queued for souvenirs or overpriced junk food. Two of our favorite fans were little girls – maybe seven and eight, both in matching dresses totally covered in spangly paillettes – one in silver and one in gold, with black calf length boots and curly long blonde hair and red lips  – JUST like Taylor – if Taylor shopped at Target.

Well, Taylor did not disappoint! Even though we were up in the nose bleed seats and Taylor looked like an itty bitty sparkly nymph skipping around way far below us if we weren’t watching the big screens they thoughtfully mount on either side of the stage –we were engulfed and carried away by the world of Taylor. She sang her heart out and there were aerialists and ballet dancers and tap dancers and beautiful costumes and fireworks and love love love all around. Taylor gave it her all without a trace of irony or a hint of cynicism. Twice, she took long walks through the pitt of the stadium, wading through the ecstatic crowd. As a grown up old enough to be her mom, I worried for her safety.  And her guilelessness  and openness was paid back by her fans.  Even the most blasé looking clusters of teenage girls, who effected studied sullenness or boredom during the three (THREE!) warm up acts  sang along soulfully and sincerely to Taylor’s songs. The eight year old standing swaying  in the row below us  reached over at one point to hug her mom sitting next to her – she was overcome with the joy of Taylor. So were we.

Our niece and Taylor

My niece was totally transfixed. My sister and I were so happy to be there with her.  We all had a fantastic time and a great adventure. Overnight in Pittsburgh for Taylor Swift has to  be one of my favorite birthdays ever. Who’d have thunk it?

If you have a chance to go see Taylor, you should definitely  go. Here are a few hints:

• Bring a great deal of money – you will have to buy a number of souvenirs and they aren’t cheap. We  thought the commemorative book for $30, which was printed on really nice paper, came with a poster, had 3D photos and glasses, gave you the play list and some coupons to get MORE STUFF LATER – was really a good deal. My niece spent all the money she had saved since Christmas (I was impressed with that!) and more that she borrowed from her mom.
• Buy your stuff early. By the end of the show, most everything was sold out.
• Don’t forget your binoculars. Wherever you sit won’t be close enough.
• Bring your cell phone so you can text Taylor  (yes, you can!) and also all your friends moment by moment action along with photos of you THERE!

And if you go and decide to wear a dress with metallic paillettes, pink cowboy boots and a sequined cowboy hat and top it off with really RED LIPS (even if you are six) don’t worry, you won’t be overdressed or alone.

We went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus last night. An excellent time was had by all.

So, first: I’m sticking with my recommendation to get there early, and I’m going to have to go with as close to one hour ahead as possible. By the time we were in the arena at 6:25 pm or so, there were lots of people, but there was still plenty of fun to be had. What I hadn’t realized is that the pre-show is pretty much over about 20 minutes before showtime, because they need to clear the floor and set up.

Busy, but not a complete mob scene.

I thought that it was a great idea to have circus clothes for kids to try on (you can click on the picture above  to see it better). My children decided that they were too sophisticated for that. There was a juggler surrounded by vast numbers of people, but we managed to get close to the very fun ring that included some dancing, followed by acrobats and an elephant.

The ring was surrounded by a rope as well as a little cushioned wall for people to sit on, and one thing I really liked was that the crowd was great about sort of shuttling the children forward so that they could see. It was a bunch of people who had come for their kids, and so around me, everyone was polite, friendly, and kind.

My go-to-the-bathroom-at-the-end-of-the-preshow strategy worked great: no lines. Of course, my children were completely freaking out that they might miss the start of the show, even though we were back in our seats with 5 minutes to spare. Clowns had been performing the whole time, so they felt like they’d missed out, but it was nothing compared to the hoopla that followed.

They paraded in with a crazy circus train that included performers, puppetry, mermaids, and tricked-out Segways, and it was so overwhelming and motion-filled that I briefly feared that M would get sick. Nope, not at all. Both kids were entranced. Prior to the circus, Deb from Kids Out and About had gushed about the unbearable hotness of ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson. Repeatedly. Apparently he charmed her in an interview on one of their earlier tours. So in the midst of the hoopla I was also checking for my own personal hotness report. From up in the stands, I’d have to say that he was upstaged almost immediately by the men of the trio Ulaanbaatar Ballerina. In Johnathan’s defense, I must point out that it’s much easier to communicate hotness at long distances when you’re shirtless and in spandex. I have three or four jokes now that I’ve considered and rejected because they’re simply inappropriate when reviewing a family show.

Ah, hem! Where was I? We wished that there had been a dog act. That was J’s favorite last time. There was an assortment of other animals, but they just didn’t thrill us as much as a small dog hopping around in a tutu. During the tiger act, you could almost catch the tigers rolling their eyes and muttering under their breaths resentfully. The saving grace was when two tigers began nuzzling each other while waiting for their turn to do tricks. That charmed us all.

Sky-High Ice Gliders

The humans offered a variety of unbelievably fabulous stunts. Of course, with so many, folks tend to lose all perspective. I mean, seriously, where else can you watch someone walk over flaming broken glass and there’s barely a peep out of the audience? Or you see a guy do flips on stilts? I thought that it was interesting that the biggest applause always accompanied mistakes or failed attempts at something. Cute W thought people were trying to be polite and encouraging, but I argued that it was because we forget how hard it is to do all of this stuff, and the mistakes remind us.

We loved it when the motorcycling Torres family came out and took off their helmets, and one closest to us shook out her long girl-hair.  We love-love-loved the Barnum Bouncers.

We have new revised wished-for jobs for our family: M would like to do the trapeze like The Flying Caceres, while J would like to divide her time, working both as a Barnum Bouncer and as the woman who rides under Alex Petrov. We agreed that the Body Benders had a tough job, J pointing out that “they poke holes to breathe because if they didn’t then they would be dead.” (Click the link and see the 8th photo to see what she means).

There were plenty of souvenirs and food treats, and I tried to keep track of some prices just so you’d be emotionally prepared.  Many snacks were combined with a memento, so you’ll drop $10 for a snow cone in a plastic clown mug or $12 for three big puffs of cotton candy and a yellow hat that looks like it should come with a curious monkey. There are those ungodly spinning light-up things that only people who are insane or grandparents would consider purchasing. The grandpa behind us bought one for his toddler granddaughter, and he handed the vendor a $20. “Two more” was the answer. He coughed up the singles, then joked to me that he’d been expecting a ten back. No such luck. However, it was possible to eat for not too much money. There were caramel apples for $4 and a crazy s’more-on-a-stick item that J chose for $5.

Okay, back to more logistics. It’s a mob scene. Avoid leaving the arena area during intermission if it’s possible. Seriously. It’s crazytown. If you remember where the bathrooms and exits are, you’ll probably have better luck moving around the seating area. The show itself ran just over 2 hours. By the end every child in the place was completely exhausted and overwhelmed. If you’ve been planning to stop for groceries after the show, change the plan. Seriously.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time. My friend, who’d never been to a circus before (!), loved it and said she’d officially recommend it to any circus first-timers.  I hope that my ticket-winning readers went and had a good time.

Want to go? For tickets, here’s the link.

Those very kind people at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus have shared some tickets with me so that I can share them with you. Hooray!  I’m also excited because one of the things I tend to forget is the free events surrounding the whole circus brouhaha, like when the animals all parade from the train to the TU Center, or other stuff that, hello, I didn’t even realize that they did, like feeding the elephants outside and inviting the public to come watch. So this year I’ll be super-informed and will make sure you know when and where on things like that.

Of course I’m also excited because I  got free tickets for myself, too.  Sometimes people will offer me something, and it’s either not my style, or it’s not fun for families, or it’s just plain yucky. So it’s a rare occasion when I can accept something super- delightful  (like delicious baked goods) that I think many readers will want and enjoy. And as I’ve mentioned before ,we love the circus. In fact, when I sat down at the computer this morning, I was confused for a minute until I realized that M had added some editorial notes to my “to do” list.

Good handwriting, right? I know: she’s a prodigy.

Anyway, I also got a list of facts about this circus tour, like that there are 350 members of the tour, 130 of whom are performers, and they come from 15 different countries and speak 10 different languages. And that they’ve got a nursery, daycare, and school for the families that travel along. And that they’re wearing  3,168,000 rhinestones and sequins in the production. All of which kind of makes me want to join. Except, can you imagine if poor M got train sick, too? That’s no way to live. We’ll have to content ourselves with watching.

To enter to win a Family 4-packs of tickets for Opening Night, which is Thursday, May 5th, at 7 pm, comment once on this blog post by Sunday at 11 pm. You can say anything, but if you need an idea, tell me what your act would be if you ran off to join the circus. I’m going to choose one comment randomly , and I’ll let you know via email by 10 am on Monday if you’ve won. I’ve got a second set to give away, too, but I’m thinking about making people work a bit harder for that set, so stay tuned.  Meanwhile, if  you want to buy tickets because you never win anything, here’s the link. If you luck out, I’m sure that we can find someone to take them off your hands.