the jedi vs. the sensitive plant

on saturday, gabe and i went with some friends to the circus. mind you, i have not been to the circus since i was very young (so young that i dont remember when it was). i was not sure what to expect, but the possibility of seeing an elephant lured me there.

first let me say, clowns are creepy. i mean, really who likes clowns? who does not find them creepy? with the exception of the occasional birthday clown with balloon animals, i think that it is safe to say that most clowns are creepy enough to make even the most manly man a little nervous.

anyways, we got there a little early so that we could all sit together, and while we were waiting for it to start, a friend let us borrow his light saber. that was, by far, the highlight of the afternoon for gabe. he loved holding it up and staring at it. i think that he was trying to tap into the force and will me with his jedi mind tricks to get him the heck away from the creepy clowns.

the highlight of the afternoon for me, and i am pretty sure sarah too, was right as the circus was about to begin. at this point gabe was long overdue for a nap, and when he is in this state, he is very sensitive. the man in the sequin coat announced the beginning of the circus, and we all cheered, and gabe's lower lip began to quiver. sadness spread across his face, and in a truly heartbreaking display of real emotion, he demonstrated to us the intensity of his disappointment in the entire circus experience. it was so sad and so fantastic at the same time. i cant express how incredible it is to see him act like a child and not an infant. at that moment, and other similar moments, it hits me that he is going to be a kid one day, and i get really excited!

in the end, gabe was not impressed by much other than the light saber and the kids sitting behind us. however, sarah and i and all the others really had a good time (despite the lack of circus elephants) and it was nice to get out and enjoy something out of the ordinary.