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Those of you that have been visiting the circus for awhile now, know that I am a big wimp.  Particularly when it comes to driving.  I don’t like driving AT ALL.  In fact on all of our grand driving vacations as we go gallivanting around the country, I have driven a total of 0 miles.  Scott always drives, I am always the copilot… I know it’s very 1950s of us.  But it works.  I hate to drive and he finds life in the passenger seat incredibly boring. 

One place around here that I particularly hate driving is over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  By combining my great dislike for driving with a fear of heights, the Bay Bridge is 4.5 miles of pure torture. 

Thankfully there aren’t many reasons for me drive over the bridge as Scott will gladly take the wheel.  I only drive over if I have to pick Scott up from a sailing race. 

Last week, after my blog post,  a friend told me about a Family Friendly St Patrick’s Day parade taking place on the Eastern Shore.  Since Scott had to work, our going would depend solely on my driving us over and back. 

I really didn’t want my fear to force us to miss out on an opportunity for fun.  So, I invited a friend to caravan with me and made plans to take the circus crew over the bridge.

Unfortunately, if you go in the Easy Pass lane it forces you to go on the side of the bridge that faces oncoming traffic.  SO, in addition to driving on this high bridge with not so sturdy looking guard rails on one side, you have oncoming traffic coming at you on the other side. 

Oh what fun.

I thought as we were driving across that I could use this teachable moment to “be real” with my kids, to share my fears and show them how even grown ups get scared, but I was not letting my fear control me and I was trusting God.

Perhaps next time, I will save my testimony for after we cross the bridge b/c I was then hammered with questions such as, “Why are you scared Mommy?”  “I bet I know… I bet your scared of driving into the water.  Are you afraid of driving into the water Mom?”  “Mom, are you more scared after that tractor trailer drove off the bridge into the water?” “Mom, do you see any tractor trailers?”  “Mom which do you like worse, the water or those cars coming at us?”

“Mom?”  “MOM??” “Mom, why aren’t you answering us?”

Thankfully we made it across the bridge with my sanity in tack and enjoyed a fun time in Easton at the St Patty’s Day Parade.  Afterwards it was time to head home.

On the return trip, I though it best not to risk any “teachable moments”.

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I love my daughter.   Obviously, I know, but I love the head first approach she takes at life.  She dives in, full force with no fear.  And if she falls, it doesn’t bother her, she’ll pick herself up and dive again. 

She hasn’t had it easy in the health department.  At 6 mths she had her first asthma episode.  Since then, she’s dealt with nebulizer treatments with very little complaint.   It’s a fact of life for her and she handles it well.

Around her second birthday, Scott and I noticed her eyes were starting to cross a little.  It wasn’t blaringly obvious, would happen now and again, but enough that we took her to the doctor to have it checked.  After a referral to the pediatric ophthalmologist, she was sent home with glasses.   I braced myself for a battle (b/c getting her to keep a barrette in her hair was a full out war most days), but she put them on without complaint and kept them on ever since.  No fights or complaints, she simply took it in stride. 

At her last eye doctor’s appointment, the doctor said her left eye seems to be getting better, but her right eye is not.  He told us we’d have to patch the stronger eye for 2 hours a day with the hopes of helping it to strengthen, and the ultimate goal of having both eyes grow stronger and work together.

I had prepped her for this, telling her she might get to wear a patch on her eye like Great Grandpa.  “OK!” She replied with great enthusiasm. 

As with every other “hurdle” thrown at her, she’s taken this with stride.  She complained a little that she couldn’t see as well when patched but when I explained why it was important she didn’t fight me on it.  In fact, she has asked me each day, “Can I put my patch on now?”  Yesterday she even begged to have it on and wear it to her brother’s game so she could show it off to Nana, Pop, Aunt Karen and Eli.  I thought she might be self conscious about wearing it in public and had planned to just have her wear it at home, but she kept insisting she wanted to wear it then, so I let her (not wanting to squelch her positive attitude).  She also couldn’t wait to show Great Grandpa so they could take a picture of the two of them wearing their patches. 

When he came over today, he met us in the driveway after church.  She raced out of the car and upstairs to grab her patch so she could show it to him and take their picture together. 

I love her smile here… it so perfectly reflects her great attitude and outlook. 

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Typically, I try not to make this a picture blog or just a family scrapbook type blog.  I try to mix it up a little with the blog content and I do my best to show restraint on pictures.  (believe it or not)

Therefore I felt it necessary to give you a heads up that at least for the next week or so, there are going to be a lot of pictures on the blog.  We have a new cast member here at the circus and we are quite smitten with him.  Prepare yourself for the onslaught of photographs coming soon!!

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Last night I finally got around to updating my circus cast page….it was LONG overdue and quite outdated, not to mention incorrectly formatted!  Take a minute and let me know what you think of the changes! 

I had my youngest as the mime b/c when I first created the page, she wasn’t yet speaking.  I am considering making number 4 my mime instead, but don’t know what circus role to give to my third child.  Any suggestions?

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If crystal doesn’t want me commandeering her blog then she really needs to get a better password .  Yea, this post is actually being written by Scott.  I guess you may know me as the circus dad.  

Anyway, as a family we have chosen today to celebrate her 30th birthday.  Yep, the big 3.0.  I’m off all day and we are going to have big fun.  Because she loves you all so much I though her day would be all the more fun if she received birthday greetings from some of the faithful readers she spends so much time sharing her life with.  So, if you feel so inclined, send her a note and wish her a happy birthday!!!

Crystal, thanks for being the greatest wife and mother any man could hope to be teamed up with.  You really are the greatest.  I am so glad God brought you into the world 30 years ago and I fell a bit spoiled that he brought you to me.

Happy Birthday Crystal!!!!!

(P.S.  Not knowing I was going to do this, Crystal did actually wrote a post about peaches last night.  I’m not exactly sure how all your “feed readers” work but if this post pushes it out of your list, you might want to read it too.  Not trying to mess her up.)

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