Ladies and Gentlemen! Children of ALL ages...

For a few months when I was 5, I lived with my grandparents in Richmond, VA. My mom, sister, and I lived with Mimi and Grampy on Partingdale Circle while my father relocated his Coast Guard location from St. Louis, MO toGovernors Island in NY. Even though I was very young, I remember a few events from those short months very vividly:

The preschool I went to that had a huge play elephant in the backyard that I could climb on and pretend I was on an African safari

The school my sister went to was called Chalkley Elementary School and was on a very dangerous road called Walmsley (I still love the names of roads in Chesterfield, VA)

The library Grampy used to take me to frequently and my favorite story he read to me: Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman.

The first time I went to The Greatest Show on Earth: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus.

I think when you experience something as grand and exciting as Ringling Bros., you're pretty much spoiled for any other circus... ever. I've seen the Moscow Circus, in Moscow, back when Russia was called the USSR. And it was good. But it didn't thrill or amaze me quite like Ringling Bros. has.

Every year when the circus comes to town, my husband and I look at our calendars, hoping that whenever the circus train comes to Baltimore, we're free to take the kids. We haven't been since our oldest (who is now 6) was 2. And our 4-year-old has never been.

How surprised they will be when we surprise them next week with a trip to the circus!

Thanks to the power of the internet, I know of two great deals available for families who want to go to the circus.

Here are the dates the circus is coming to Baltimore, DC, and NoVa:

Baltimore, MD
Show dates: March 25 through April 5
Location: 1st Mariner Arena

Washington, DC
Show dates: March 19 through March 22
Location: Verizon Center

Fairfax, VA
Show dates: April 8 through April 19
Location: Patriot Center

Follow this link to purchase tickets and use the codes for discounts and deals.

Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at ticketmaster.com. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Gold Circle Seating, Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating and may not be combined with other offers. to get the discount, enter code MOM in the MC promotional box. Other Restrictions May Apply.

Offer #2: A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved before tickets go on sale to the public - just enter the code "MOM" when purchasing those seats.

The circus is always different... and always amazing! If you get to go, I hope you and your kids have a fantastic time!