June 25

Our normal summer routine has us at the library on Wednesdays, and watching a movie at home on Thursdays. This week, we shook things up. No library yesterday, and no movie today. Instead, we had a playdate at a new park with a splash pad. I was too busy talking and tending to Eli to take any pictures except this one:

Yes, Lily looks suspicious of something. But she had pigtails!

I also took this one of Eli:

I know. Not particularly flattering or special, but Chris and I have had that blanket since our college/dating days. It was a cheapo Walmart blanket for picnics and whatnot (I'm not gonna lie; we call it "the Makeout Blanket") and it is scratchy and uncomfortable, but it's huge and it somehow has stayed with us.

This evening we went to the circus! Chris' employer is a sponsor of a local circus, and each year they offer employees two tickets to the show. Chris was planning to take Caleb, but then a few kind co-workers offered their extra tickets, and our whole family was able to attend. I was so excited!

Here's a flashback to my very first circus experience, circa 1998:

That is a scan of a photocopy of a Polaroid picture of Flora the Elephant, 17-year-old me, Amber, and Michael. On our way home that night, we stopped by Michael's friend Chris's house. I had met him once or twice and thought he was nice. I'm not sure any of us realized that 17 years later, Amber and Michael would be married with five kids and Chris and I would be married with four kids. It's funny how that works out!

I've been to the circus a few times since then, but this circus is always my favorite. I can't even begin to express how happy I was to be able to be there and watch Caleb and Daisy experience it for the first time!

We don't have many pictures of the whole family together, so I'm happy about this blurry, blown-out cell phone photo of all of us before the show started.

Eli was happy wrapped up on me, and didn't fuss once, despite how loud it was. He slept for the first half of the show, and I nursed him during the second half. What a champ!

Post-show family portrait. You can tell from Lily's eyes that it was well past bedtime. Still, the kiddos rocked it! They especially loved the acrobats and the trained cats. I'm so thankful we had the opportunity to go!