The kids and I found it in the driveway over the weekend. I think it’s a queen wasp. Rio thinks it is scary. What do you think?

Among the many exciting circus themed adventures the kids and I had this weekend was Backyard Burning Man, which was exactly what it sounds like: a miniature version of Burning Man, scaled down to a single afternoon and evening in a suburban backyard. There was a bouncy castle, body painting, stilt-walking, juggling and hooping. Also lots of food.

The highlight, for me, was getting to try Miracle Fruit, which I have wanted to do for a long time. It’s a fruit that turns sour tastes sweet, and has been a fad at hipster parties for awhile now. But I don’t normally get invited to those parties, so I just get to read about it in the New York Times.

It was oddly disappointing. I ate whole lemon wedges and they tasted like lemonade, but I could have gotten the same effect from putting a pinch of sugar in my mouth before biting down. Everything else I tried – pickles, vinegar, some random stuff – tasted sweet but bad. I don’t like sweet pickles, and the vinegar tasted like off wine.

It was still the high point because it was a Totally Novel Experience. I love those, and don’t get to gave them very often.

The low point of the event: Serena peed in the bouncy castle.

Many thanks to our gracious host, who not only made this event happen but thanked us for our company even *after* the peeing incident.

Among the many exciting circus themed adventures the kids and I had this weekend was Backyard Burning Man, which was exactly what it sounds like: a miniature version of Burning Man, scaled down to a single afternoon and evening in a suburban backyard. There was a bouncy castle, body painting, stilt-walking, juggling and hooping. Also lots of food.

The highlight, for me, was getting to try Miracle Fruit, which I have wanted to do for a long time. It’s a fruit that turns sour tastes sweet, and has been a fad at hipster parties for awhile now. But I don’t normally get invited to those parties, so I just get to read about it in the New York Times.

It was oddly disappointing. I ate whole lemon wedges and they tasted like lemonade, but I could have gotten the same effect from putting a pinch of sugar in my mouth before biting down. Everything else I tried – pickles, vinegar, some random stuff – tasted sweet but bad. I don’t like sweet pickles, and the vinegar tasted like off wine.

It was still the high point because it was a Totally Novel Experience. I love those, and don’t get to gave them very often.

The low point of the event: Serena peed in the bouncy castle.

Many thanks to our gracious host, who not only made this event happen but thanked us for our company even *after* the peeing incident.

I got to practice walking on stilts today for the first time ever! It was fun, , and I have a lot more respect and sympathy for the toddlers I work with now. Learning to walk is hard! I did fine though. I just mimicked Serena, waving my arms around like a monster and taking big stompy steps.

There are pictures of me doing it somewhere, but I obviously couldn’t take them while I was doing my toddler impression. This is a shot of the people who taught me. (You guys rock. Thank you!)

Now Bruce Schneier, a computer security blogger, is using scary headlines about co-sleeping as an example of people’s poor understanding of risk. His short essay is worth reading. The basic summary: the newspaper touts a raw number of deaths related to co-sleeping, with no context for the number. Do 20 out of 20 co-sleeping infants die? 20 out of 20 million? How many crib sleeping infants die?

If peeking behind the curtain of irresponsible scare journalism doesn’t freak you out enough, here’s another scary website: Let’s Panic! This one might make you laugh so hard you pee your pants (especially if you are great with child), but don’t worry. They’ll viciously mock you and then tell you how to get the stains out.

Has it really been two years since you were born? It’s hard to imagine a time you weren’t here. And yet so much has happened: how did we cram a move and a career change and school and travel and nibbling your cute little cheeks into just two years?

Finally sweet pea, you are still a baby. I know you’ve long since given up diapers and morning naps and crawling. More and more of your babble is becoming intelligible. You’ve moved into your own bed to sleep in, and recently started dressing yourself (I love the backwards bathing suit look, and the two-legs-through-one-pant-leg approach is charming).

But as long as you’re made of dimples and golden curls and big blue eyes you’ll be my baby. I hope that’s a good long time.

This is all practically free for me (we paid a $20 membership fee at the beginning of the summer, for six weeks of classes). It’s gloriously disorganized and fun, and the kids are learning a lot. Not only about how to perform in a circus, but how to be in a class or teach one. We love it.

The Open Air Circus is the progeny of a grown-up circus called the ExtraTerrestrial Circus Experiment. They would love it if everyone came to their benefit show this weekend. Here’s their information about it:

ExtraTerrestrial Circus Experiment is putting on a benefit performance on July 10th at The Armory in Somerville. Advanced tickets are on sale now at www.openaircircus.org/benefit.asp at $8/child (5-18 years old), $15/adult, and $40/family (admits 2 adults and 2 children). Tickets at the door will be $12/child and $20/adult. Please let all your friends know about this opportunity to enjoy a spectacular performance while helping support the OPENAIR Circus.

Please consider coming in a green fashion (public transportation, walking, biking, skating, etc.). We have some directions on the above page of how to get there but are glad to help you figure out a your particular path if you email us with your starting location. If you do come by car, please remember to park in the lot behind the Armory to try to avoid street parking congestion.

“Look, Mama, a piece of newborn sky!”

“I put a magic leaf in his hand just in case he comes back to life,” Rio says.