Life At The Circus

Because I am used to the chaotic and crazy lifestyle I live, I sometimes forget how it can look to the outsider.   It feels normal to me to walk down the street with a gaggle of kids surrounding me, fighting or singing or playing (or all of the above).  And when I combine my circus life with that of my close friend (whose blog could also easily be called Life At The Circus as she has 4 boys ages 5, 4, 3 and 3 months) well the chaos only multiplies.  We’re accustomed to it though and unless one of us takes a step back and observes, we often forget how crazy we look are.  I can recall a trip to Einstein Bagels a few years ago.  We sat at the table enjoying some adult conversation while the kids chewed on bagels.  Only when I got up to refill my drink and stepped away from our table, did I realize how incredibly loud our table was compared to the rest of the restaurant.  Embarrassed, I quickly went back to the table to quiet our troops.  La...

It’s funny how a simple thing like dinner on a Wednesday night can have an dramatic impact on your life.  7 years ago we went out to dinner with another couple in downtown Annapolis on a Wednesday night.  If you know anything about summer in Annapolis then you know that Wednesday nights mean sailing races. (Truth is I grew up around here and just learned that fact 7 years ago). When I saw the boats I thought “Hmm nice boats, cool.  Ok, what’s for dinner?”   But Scott and Tim talked nonstop about the boats and races.  Turns out Tim had a sailboat and was setting the stage for recruiting crew. That fall Scott joined Tim on his boat for a Saturday fall race.  Little did I know that was just the beginning.    That spring our son was born and sailing season started a few weeks later.  And the rest is history.   Every Wednesday night from late April till early September for the past 6 years, he’s been out on the bay.  And as muc...