Tag Hits the Big Top

Friday Sept. 23rd, while Mitch was off at a convention in Florida,  I took Tag up to the Ringling Bros/Barnum & Bailey's Circus.  Car rides are tough with him, even on the hour rides to Salt Lake it's hard to keep him happy.  He started to get excited as we were approaching downtown and he could see lots of kids walking down the sidewalks.  I couldn't get him out of the car fast enough, "want see kids!" he was saying.  What a feast for the senses the circus is! Lights, music, colorful people and animals, toys, smells of popcorn and hot dogs filling the air.  It's not the same as it was under the real big tops that I remember going to once or twice as a child, but was still very fun in Delta Center/Utah Jazz arena.  I thought the animals would be the most captivating to Tag, but it was actually the acrobats flipping and swinging in cirque du soleil style he loved the most.  He watched alternating between smiles, looks of wonder, pointing, laughing and even screaming in delight at the acrobatics.  It was magical for him even if at this age he won't remember it.  Tag enjoyed the tigers, elephants, and horses quite a bit as well.  He seemed mesmerized by an act with lots of guys on bouncing stilts that were dancing, flipping over each other, and doing some cool basketball stunts into hoops- he loves basketball like his dad! The clowns were over his head at this stage and he just wanted food or to roam during their acts.  He was as captivated by the food as well and wanted to eat the whole time-  after finishing the snacks I brought he pestered our neighbors for their kettle corn, drank a full bottle, and finished off most of his first real hot dog- I had to give in for the circus.

Mitch and I have both discovered that Tag can really pack a punch now.  I came to this realization when I was playing airplane on the floor with him.  I had just set him down (not an easy thing 8 mths pregnant) and was still lying on my back when a little board book came flying at my face.  He got me right on the bridge of my nose.  I saw stars, had a couple of cuts, and a swollen nose for several days. We both shed some tears- mine from pain and his from fear at not really understanding what was going on.  Mitch was playing on our bed with him- they love to do a different kind of airplane where Mitch runs with Tag and then launches them both onto a pile of pillows.  He closed his eyes for a second upon landing and got a head butt to his lip.  He got a puffy, bloody lip that turned into a lovely canker to remind him not to close his eyes around our little guy who doesn't know his own strength.  

I've been trying to prepare Tag for the new little brother he'll have soon by talking to him about the baby in my tummy and showing him some pictures from our later ultrasounds (which thank goodness look fine- he even looks like Tag one of the 3D pictures) and on the internet.  After seeing the pictures a few weeks ago, he laid his head on my stomach and hugged it, with his little hand patting my tummy as he talked to the baby.  It was so sweet!  He has done it several times since too as we talk about his brother.