THE CIRCUS: "THE PRE-SHOW"

We're finally in there after waiting a while outside. We were about the 4th or 5th family to arrive to stand in line early to see the "pre-show": a close-up and hands-on view of the cirucs! Natalie sitting on the ring watching! I am sure she had no idea of what was in store for her at the circus!

If you look really close, you can see Jonah on the ring on the other side! I circled it!

This is Natalie, Jonah, Alexa, and Cari watching the girls jump. And of course, Jonah's mom taking a photograph of them watching the jump roping!

Another angle of them watching...

Jonah wouldn't go jump and Natalie really wasn't coordinated enough on her own, but she was with the help of this guy. WOW!
From Cari's camera...
After they would jump with each child, they would pose for a photograph with the child. I think this one is so sweet!
Cari demonstrating the hula hoop for Natalie and Jonah.
Natalie thinks she can do it!

By the look of Jonah's face... I think he was pretty sure he couldn't!



Okay, just pose for a photo!
They had a wardrobe for the kids to try on clothes and take photos.

Cari and Alexa in costume...

Natalie got her cotton candy!
Okay, I Poppa wears the hat too!
Okay, I was bored while wanting on the pre-show to end and for the Circus to begin. So I could see Nicki and Jonah at their seats from out seats. I took a few of them. I didnt' think any of them were clear, but I had a few that were. They were on like the 2nd row on the right side of the stage. I considered the floor seats, but I think, unless you had the first row, you might have problems seeing the show since they were all on a flat level.

Okay I somehow another small photo was checked when I posted these. I changed it when I did the next set of images, but it didn't change these...Oh well.

Let me give the little story behind Natalie and the cotton candy. Long story, but Natalie sleeps with us when she is here. In efforts of trying to get her to sleep in her toddler bed, the night before the circus, I tried one of the typical child bribes. I told her if she would sleep in her bed that she could get cotton candy and a toy at the circus the next day. After a long rough night of back and forth from her bed to ours, I wanted to give her some credit for sleeping some of the night in her bed. So I told her she could still have the cotton candy, but not a toy from the circus. I was very worried about the promise. I was worried about my ability to keep it. I had decided that if she really insisted on something that I would give Cari the money to get her something so that I wouldn't be rewarding her after I told her she couldn't have one. I guess it's the same, but maybe not. Well...I am very proud of Natalie in one sense. She did not even ask for a toy. I am proud that I have been consistant enough that she knew that I wouldn't get her a toy. She asked for the cotton candy right way and thoroughly enjoyed it. Consistancy is a problem that I have had through the years a as parent. Though Natalie is a grandchild that one should spoil...when she is here, since she is here so often I am actually parenting rather than "grand" parenting. So I am trying to be consistant and structured as much as possible (at least in the things that really matter). We do have a lot of fun time these days w/o structure especially in the pool. I know summer is short and before long my little one who has been such a wonderful part of my life the last three years will soon be living 2 hours away. I don't know how my heart will survive...so I find the need to fill it as much as possible with lots of sweet Natalie love as I can this summer!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~