The Family Circus

A few weeks ago we cruised out to Dulles in our minivan (which is for sale and is quite fashionable should you be in the market in the DC/NOVA area). Dulles, which you may or may not know (I didn't), is actually a town, not just an airport that some people fly into when they'd like to:

A. Save money 

or 

B. Drive 40 minutes after flying for all day

but it is. I digress.

The kids had never been to a circus and in the interest of giving them all of the All-American experiences we approve of can before we head abroad again, we chose The Big Apple Circus.  The Big Apple Circus is an animal friendly circus and only has a few horses and a band of trained mutts. It was not the circus of my youth, elephant and tiger-wise, but we are about to get our fill of elephants and tigers, so we're good with mutts and horses for now. 

Morgan bought a couple of tickets, then won four more from DC Thrifty Mom, who is thrifty and apparently knows people, because while Paul and I took Clem to our seats, just a few rows up, Morgan took her boys and our boys and sat ringside for the greatest show in Dulles. 

The show was more of a broadway-style circus, which was refreshing and I relaxed once I realized that the typical carnies were replaced (for the most part) with aspiring actors, acrobats and dog trainers. There was a band stand, hot dog carts, clowns, audience participation and popcorn, hotdogs and cotton candy.

I did not capture them, due to my complete and utter awe and rapture, but my favorite part was the contortionist male duo, straight out of the Ukraine. One larger than a bread truck the other smaller than a breadbox. They were so serious and graceful as they balanced one another on top of the other's heads and contorted around like you have never seen, unless you have. I haven't and wow, it was both amazingly uncomfortable and incredible.  

My second favorite was the trapeze duo, reviving both mine and Morgan's lust for the high wire. Look out Paul, the Ukraine may be high on our next bid list for the Loosli-Hanna reunion tour.

The boys loved the horses who dressed as taxis and made stops around the ring to "pick up" little mutts and ride them atop their backs to their next stop and the candy that Morgan snuck them throughout the show. Busted.

I only pondered running off with The Big Apple Circus to escape the insanity of our current life for a moment, then I realized that our current life is already a circus which already travels the world and I do not, most of the time, have to live in a trailer. Also, I don't have to wear a clown nose, which I do believe makes my face look fat. You decide.

All images by me. A mix of film: Contax, Kodak Portra 400, Digital: Canon 5D Mark III and iphone.