It's a FUNUNDRUM up in this place!

Funundrum?

What is a Funundrum you ask?

A Funundrum is Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Baily's newest Circus event that just so happened to roll through Birmingham this past week.

Not only is the Circus in town, but our local elementary school's first grade field trip consists of a trip to the Circus.

AND, I just so happen to have a first grader at said elementary school!

I think I was just as excited as the majority of Jameson's class.....well, except for the whole "being out of my element around a huge crowd of people" thing.

It has been many years since I last went to the circus with Chelsea.  The last time we went with her, she absolutely HATED every second of it!

It was TOO loud, TOO bright, and when the clowns actually came INTO the audience, TOO scary for her!

She NEVER wanted to go back again....so we haven't until this year.

But, of course, when Chelsea found out that Jameson and I were going to the circus, on a school day, without her, she went into a tirade of "That's Not Fair!", "How come HE gets to go and I don't?", and "I never get to do ANYTHING!"

Then I gently reminded her that she had already been to the circus multiple times and hated every second of it, and she got to go to FOUR of her bell ringing concerts around Christmas time, AND if she did go with us there would be NO WAY we would have been home in time for her to see General Hospital.

She quickly changed her mind.

Anyway, the day started off at school, waiting for time to load onto the bus.

Jameson

Jerry Ray

Aiden and Isaiah

Alysia and her Mommy.

Jameson LOVES to ride the bus, it's just too bad that the bus doesn't pick up in our subdivision, and he only gets to ride the bus during field trips.

I, on the other hand, HATE school buses.  They are WAY too small for my big ol' fat bootie to fit in, so I opted to drive my own car.

The ride/drive over was pretty uneventful and once we made it through 50,000 other school kids, we were able to go right to our seats.

Jameson (and Ian...that kid put rabbit ears in just about every single stinkin' picture I took of the kids.)

Jameson and Jerry Ray

Aiden and Isaiah

Gracie

Isaiah

Madison and Gracie.

Gracie's little brother, Jonathan.

This is where the problems begin.  You see, because we were there with school kids, and most were there without their parents (or grandparents), we were not allowed to buy any concessions or souvenirs (you know, unless we were willing to buy them for EVERY single child).  Well, most of the adults understood the concept, but the kids did not.  It didn't help matters any that every single second, there were vendors going up and down the isles peddling their wares.

Needless to say, there were some really unhappy kids (and a couple of unhappy parents who didn't think the rules applied to them).

Fortunately, the Circus soon started and the kids couldn't care less about souvenirs.

THIS got the biggest reaction of anything....the elephant pooped on the floor....multiple times.

Too soon (for the kids) the Circus was over and it was time to go home.

Fortunately, the school let me check-out Jameson so he could ride home with me.

YIPEE!  No waiting forever to load back on the bus and no trying to maneuver through Birmingham traffic behind a school bus!

AND, since Jameson was riding home with me.....he could FINALLY get the souvenirs he wanted...which turned out to be cotton candy (complete with a foam cowboy hat) and an Snowcone in a tiger cup.

Ahhhhh, that's better!

It could have also included a flashing light sword sold by the nice man on the street corner.

Hey, it only cost $10, and it really is cool!

We maneuvered through Birmingham traffic and made it safely home a few minutes after 2:00.

Well, what do you know, we did make it home in time to watch General Hospital....

But Chelsea didn't have to know that.