Sometimes when I think about what I want for my kids I get caught up in the idea of a typical (stereotypical?) childhood. You know, like riding bikes all over the neighbourhood and…whatever else it is that kids are “supposed” to do. (Clearly this is not a well-thought-out angst.) In any case, I feel like we put one important piece in place on the weekend.
We went to the circus!
It’s possible that Rich and I were as excited about this as Connor, but he was totally excited. He was dying to see the elephants. As in, kept asking when we were going to see them. Ah, to have no patience whatsoever. But, boy, did we get to see the elephants.
We got VIP passes, which got us a behind-the-scenes tour of what goes on in and around the big top before the show starts. Connor—who normally won’t sit still for anyone—loved the ringmaster when we got to hear him talk about the circus. (And he wasn’t even in full costume at that point.) He told everyone we saw the next day that he got to meet the ringmaster. Maybe if I put on a sparkly coat Connor would listen to me better…
Anyway, then (I feel like we need a drum roll here) we got to visit the elephants.
They were having a bath when we first got there.
And then… Oh my, and then we got to feed them.
Well, Ethan didn’t. His aim with a banana isn’t very good. But Connor loved tossing a banana over the fence and watching the elephant pick it up.
Too bad the little bugger wouldn’t let me take his picture. But—ha ha—too bad the little bugger didn’t see the photographer there.
Love the joy on his face. Magic childhood moment, check.
But it got even better inside when he got to have a ride on an elephant. The kid was in heaven. (As was his dad, I think.)
The show itself was really good. I’m always in awe of what these performers can do.
See? Awe. (And kind of enjoying watching with my biggest boy on my lap.)
The acrobats were amazing. But man, oh man. Better them than me.
Especially this guy. The grand finale was the Wheel of Destiny, and I was sure this guy was destined to end up taking a tumble. But nope. He walked around on that big ol’ spinning wheel and made the rest of us hold our collective breath. Grand finale indeed.
The elephants were awesome. The acrobats were incredible. But what I thought was especially cool is that this circus tour is the Zerbini family’s 250th anniversary. Can you imagine? A family business that goes back that far… Their stories at Thanksgiving must be something else.
I have a feeling we’ll be talking about this one at our dinner table for a while too.
Disclaimer: I was gifted VIP passes to the Royal Canadian Circus for my family, but our love for the circus (and the beloved elephants) is entirely our own.
The Royal Canadian Circus is in Calgary for a few more performances May 16-20. You can buy tickets through their Facebook page, and the code “FUN” will get you 2-for-1 general admission tickets.
Professional photos courtesy Kevin Yee, KISSPHOTO INC.
