The Greatest Show on Earth!

This past weekend we had the treat of taking the kids to the circus for the first time (and by kids I mean all of us!). 

Our last trip to the circus was a good eight years ago when we went on a date to see the Ringling Brothers at Madison Square Garden (ah, young love). 

So we decided it was time to take the kids when we got the little flyer in the mail a few months ago saying the the Ringling Brothers were coming to town. Needles to say, they were super excited.

Mostly because they got to ride the train first time.

This kid was in his element.

 But they were also super excited when we got there and they got their own very own seats. 

No sharing! Yay!

They really got into it when we went down to the floor to watch the pre-show,

complete with clowns and elephants who painted pictures and played kickball.

I'm sad I didn't have my real camera, but I didn't feel like getting it confiscated on the way in, so you all get are phone-quality pictures. But they still capture just how much was going on and all there was to see!

The kids loved the real tigers...

And the elephants were awesome...

 But of course I was a sucker for all the acrobatic stuff....like the trampolinists,

the tumblers,

And of course the tightrope crazies!

Marie also loved the dog show with poodles doing all sorts of tricks (no good pictures there) and she literally could not stop laughing while watching them. It was adorable.

It was a really long show for three little ones, and pretty overwhelming with all of the lights, loud music, and so many things to see, but they were all completely engrossed the entire time. Especially Ethan. He just kept saying "woahhh" and "look at dat!" and talked about the tigers for a good hour afterwards. They spent the train ride home processing it all, and Erik did what we all wish we could after an exhaustingly fun day: snuggle up to mom and nod off to sleep!