Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Greatest Show On Earth

Jon's office mate at the dental clinic where he works was able to get some free tickets to see the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus in Fayetteville Friday night, so of course we jumped at the chance and said "yes" when he asked!

None of us had ever been to the circus (unless you count the casino Circus Circus in Vegas; I don't) so it was a first for everyone. We met Jon at work around 5 p.m., grabbed a bite to eat on base, and then headed over to the arena. We were allowed to go down on the floor for a sneak peek and got to stand up close and personal to "Duchess," one of the elephants.
We also got to pose with a clown, but not THE clowns from Amazing Race (for all my AR fans out there). He wasn't that funny-- even Zach said so, "He not funny mom." Maybe he wasn't trying to be...
Luce tried on a costume and got to admire the dancing girls in their fancy dresses.
Mom and Zach getting super excited for the show to begin!!
We got FRONT ROW seats-- smack dab in the middle. They were the best seats in the house, so thanks Dr. Bradley!
There were all kinds of acrobatics, dancers, gymnasts, motorcycle cages, animal tricks, the World's Strongest Man (named Dimitrio, and he could get no love! Seriously, Fayetteville was not impressed with his tricks and no one clapped during any of his acts, poor guy!), a Bearded Lady (just kidding), but most importantly-- the elephants. We LOVED them. They were worth the trip. So, add the circus to our bucket list of things accomplished while here in the South!

While The Cat's Away.... The Mice Will Play!

While we were cruising the Caribbean, the kids were being royally entertained for 8 nights and 7 days by Grandma and Grandpa Cardon. I wanted to make a post even though I wasn't around, because when the kiddos look back someday this is what they will both remember about mommy and daddy's vacay to the "big boat" (as Zachy clarifies it). Grandma sent me the cutest schedule of everything they did that week, and while Pinehurst doesn't have THAT much to do, they still managed to do EVERYTHING!! Honestly and truly, I think the kids had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa that they didn't even miss us. And that was fine with me! I think kids need a vacation from their parents just as much as parents need a vacation from their kids.:)

Their week included lunch at Chick fil A (you haven't lived in the South if you don't understand how much joy this place brings!), a matinee movie complete with popcorn and treats, bowling, TWO trips to the zoo (but only one was successful due to weather), painting rocks, lunch at Mellow Mushroom and Panera, trips to Wal Mart, Petco, Costco, Lucy's preschool, church, Camelot playground, and lots and lots of playing with toys and reading books at home.
They also baked Pinkalicious cupcakes with purple frosting, which was definitely a highlight for both kids. I love this picture of Zach doing his own frosting!
Mmmmm! We even got to taste one and they were delish! Grandma is a fantastic cook and made the kids fish (their fav), homemade broccoli cheddar soup, and rice and beans for dinner. Plus they got pancakes, eggs, and bacon for breakfast most mornings which is a little bit more exciting than the cereal I dish out.
Apparently Zach woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Pinkalicous?" So he got one for breakfast.:)
They also made a volcano out of paper mache and even painted it! How cool is that? The kids LOVED their volcano and it was the first thing they showed us when we got home.
The next weekend we took it outside and let it erupt! What a fun hands-on science experiment! (Video to come)
The week ended all too soon for everyone, and before you know it, it was time to pick up mom and dad from the airport. This is Lucy and Zach relaxing on Grandma and Grandpa's hotel bed waiting for mom and dad to get in.
After a happy reunion in the hotel room we headed to "The Pit" which is a famous BBQ restaurant in Raleigh for dinner with everyone.
If you've looked at my cruise blog I'm sure you're sick of food pictures, but this was reeeally good Southern BBQ and it was kind of our last hoorah!
Zachy's best buddy Grandpa Choo-Choo!
Lucy with her look-alike, Grandma Cardon! I don't think I can seriously ever thank them enough for coming and treating Jon and I to the chance for a 2nd Honeymoon, and treating the kids to a FABULOUS week of fun. We love you guys!!