Circus Night!

This year we made it again to the Big Apple Circus for our playgroup holiday outing and it didn't disappoint. Prices of tickets keep going up and the concessions seemed a bit steeper than I remember, but somehow it all seemed worth it. We scored a last minute ticket for Abuela too so that made her last night with us extra special and I think she really enjoyed seeing the crazy human tricks they brought out this year. The high flying South American brothers on the whirling circle contraption was a definite highlight and the crowd actually gasped a few times as he lost his footing jumping ever longer to land on the rotating device. I caught Riley's expression as he screamed out "He's going to DIE!" for the tenth time. Yes, it was really that good. The girls were pretty great for the most part on our evening in the city and the last minute addition of pony rides was a high note to end on. It sure beat the plastic crap they usually beg for which was mercifully absent this year. I realize we'll probably replace this tradition with another since New York City really offers so many great activities no matter the time of year (but even more so during the holidays). But for now, the circus is still our speed and it was a fun evening there and back with friends in tow. Til the next one!

Holiday Outing: Big Apple Circus!

December is such a festive time in the city and with young kids it's sometimes hard to get out at night and really enjoy the atmosphere that all the lights and people rushing around can provide. But at least we have the annual playgroup circus outing to make sure we get out there and enjoy it. This year we didn't know whether to get Nacho a ticket because he was on reserve. Fortunately the day of the circus another friend's husband couldn't make it so we scooped up a ticket once we realized Nacho wouldn't be getting a call. Then off we went to Lincoln Center to grab our seats and concessions a little bit early. Not being rushed was such a relief and the kids weren't too crazy. I thought the show this year was maybe even a little better than last year. The contortionists joining each other inside that little tiny box and the trapeze artists (one of whom fell! yikes!) were definitely highlights.  The only disappointment for Elisa was the lack of clowns which she complained about once the lights went up. "But it can't be over! I didn't see any clowns!" I think she wanted to see "Grandma" who wore the red nose and such.  But as one usher told me on the way out, Grandma is semi-retired, living in Switzerland and currently having some "health complications." So no more circus for him. As for Elisa, she almost kept it together when I repeatedly told her we weren't buying a bunch of plastic crap. At $20 a pop for a light up toy, I just couldn't splurge for it the week before Christmas. I know she wasn't happy, but it got better once we moved away from the group and jumped on the train home. So another year of traditions down and I'm glad we made it again.

Big Apple Time Again

It's such a simple thing tradition. Yet doing the same thing at the same time of year can be so fantastically fun that you wish you didn't have to wait all year to do it again. That's how I feel about going to the Big Apple Circus. This was our third year going with our playgroup gang to the annual event at Lincoln Center and it was just as exciting for Elisa too, as well as being a new thrill for Carolina. I was slightly worried about how she'd do sitting on our laps, but as luck would have it, the group moved around and Sophia ended up sitting on her mom's lap, so we snagged Carolina her own seat after all. The fact that she mostly wanted to turn around and watch Riley while the circus danced and whirled behind her was pretty amusing. Kids are so weird. But thankfully, our group didn't mind another wandering, fidgety kid so we let her be and the evening played out beautifully. 

The fact that Elisa's school had a half day yesterday made everything work out so well. We got her to nap alongside Carolina and rolled out of the neighborhood around 5pm leaving just enough time to get to the venue and grab our seats without rushing. Since it was a benefit for the City Meals on Wheels program that night, we were even blessed with free concessions. Yes, FREE. As in, I got three cotton candies, two hot dogs, two sodas, two juice boxes, two popcorns and paid $0 when I would have normally spent $40 easy. It more than made up for our slightly higher priced tickets (compared to last year's bargain $25 ones) which were still a great value because Monica wrangled them into another group discount. And in the end, they upgraded our seats and even feature our "Sunny Playgroup" in the program! Woo hoo! It was a really easy, fun night and the kids did great even trudging home on two trains and sticking together without any problems. It was the kind of night you hope to have more of as a parent living here. I really am starting to see the future with two kids who don't melt down at every turn (just some of the time, let's be honest), and it looks like fun. The show was probably not as riveting as last year's ode to circuses, but it was highly entertaining nonetheless. The tightrope walkers and acrobats were probably my favorites, but Elisa liked it all. Nacho made his return to the venue after missing last year's to stay home with Carolina and it was nice to be all together after his overnight trip in the middle of the week. Who knows how many more years of going together as a group we'll have. But I'm happy to have made it again with this group. Thanks for the great night!

Under the Big Top

After Friday's horrible news, it was easy to forget what a magical evening we had the night before at the Big Apple Circus.  But since I need some cheering up this weekend, here are some photos from our second annual playgroup outing.  A few of us made it into the city around 5 p.m. to meet up at the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle where we grabbed a light bite before the show. The kids enjoyed running around a huge tree just there on the outskirts of Central Park, while we noshed and sipped warm cider.  It was a pretty comfortable evening for mid-December and I was happy to be out enjoying the city's festive mood again.  Once we were ready to walk over, the kids could barely contain their excitement.  We snapped a few quick pics outside by the Lincoln Center fountain before heading in to grab our seats.  Of course at the circus you have to get some popcorn and nearly every kid had a cotton candy spool to himself.  Our friend Monica did an awesome job once again wrangling us discounted tickets and a whole section to ourselves close to the ring.  As for the show itself, I think it was every bit as much fun as our first time.  The theme of this year's circus was probably even more suited to our target audience. It was less of a contrived storyline and more about the history of the circus. The animals came out first along with a trapeze artist and the kids were transfixed.      

Elisa had taken a good nap that afternoon in preparation so the evening went pretty smoothly.  She started to get tired about midway through the second act and ended up on my lap for the last 5 minutes.  Unlike last year when some of the kids were way too exhausted or overwhelmed to enjoy the whole show, I think everyone stuck it out this time.  It's so fun to see how the kids relate to one another and how much they love sharing these activities with friends.  Having our playgroup peeps to celebrate the holidays like this is very special and I hope it's a tradition we'll have for many years to come.  Hopefully next year we can bring Carolina along for the thrills since this year would have meant chasing her around and missing half the show.  All in all, the circus was a great night out on the town and a chance to see the brilliance of these performers in their element. We laughed and clapped and gasped together. And just thinking about the spectacle of it all brings a smile back to my face. Elisa shouting, "Oh my God! I never seen those before!" about the white ponies circling the ring.  It doesn't take much to impress these kids and they delight in all of it.  Childhood at its best.