Bring on the clowns

Hubby and I realised the last time we were ever able to go anywhere as a family it was probably McDonalds as with a child who is gluten free (as a second heading that way...'nother post though), there are precious few outings we can safely find.  We've hiked ourselves to death all over suburban Atlanta and there are only so many other activities you can all share with an 8, 5 and 2 year old.  So, when the chance of dirt cheap tickets to the circus popped up I dove at the chance (actually it was more a mudslide that knocked the little old lady out of the line...ok, not really, but you'd have thought I was running with the winning lottery ticket.)  Now this was not just any ticket, this was 4 seats ringside, as in row A seats 1,2,3,4.

Then hindsight being 20/20 I had to make a decision whether this was such a hot idea after all.  The last time we went to a large, noisy, strobe lighted event it was 2003 and we only had Jake.  It was Disney's Monsters Inc on Ice.  I dropped over $100 on those tickets and Jake (pre autism diagnoses) lasted all of 10 minutes; he was a screaming, hysterical mess and hubby my Mother and I had to concede it's not worth the hundred bucks.  Still, I remember having a faint bad taste in my mouth at the time and dare I say it ...yes...a bit of resentment towards Jake's "behavior."  Little did I know at the time he was in an absolute sensory overloaded meltdown.  Actually, the fact he made it all of 10 minutes is a testament to his profound strength really.

So fast forward to last week, there I was holding these fantastic tickets and I had a flashback to 5 years ago.  Oh God, what if he loses it again, or worse, his brother with Aspergers might lose it this time?  After all, John doesn't even like the noise of the vacuum cleaner, how the hell will he manage the band at his feet?  I was beginning to talk myself out of the trip and considered donating the tickets or flogging them in the local rag.  

It was hubby that reminded me how far Jake had come, and how surprising John could be in potentially sensory situations.  He was right of course, but my instincts were cemented in a screaming meltdown from 5 years ago.

The day arrived, and to my absolute surprise (and after lots and lots of prepping the boys) we were there, 2 feet from the ring, so close when the western riders galloped around the edge of the ring, the sawdust was spat at us with ferocity and the earthy smell of their flanks was like a rushing wind .   IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!

The boys were enraptured, thrilled and might I add particularly appreciated the farting noises by the clowns, (hey gotta have a toot skit):D  To the outsider, you would never have known they were spectrum.... except perhaps that they weren't always sure when applause was necessary or warranted.  'sok though, the clowns waved at them more than once and with a little nudge from hubby and I, the boys could wave back.  Oh yes, bring on the clowns!