animal trainer's hoop

I was informed with 1 weeks notice that Todd was going to be an animal trainer for a tiger & a horse for the circus. His class is perfuming a circus and he needs a costume. Well, I decided that I'll deal with Kate's birthday party this Saturday first and then his circus. One at a time. That's my plan.

But when I picked him up from school yesterday he told me that he needed a hula hoop so they could practice their act. So we ran out to the store and bought a hula hoop {that didn't make noise} and gold duct tape. 

the basic hula hoop

I wrapped the gold duct tape on at an angle so it would just wind all around it. It is by no means perfect. There is puckering and what-not all over it, but that works for this circus hoop. It only adds character.

The finished circus hoop for the tiger to jump through. 

It's absolutely perfect for his circus. I love it. I hope he gets to bring it home when his circus is done performing.

Then, in the morning, about 15 minutes before we had to leave to take him to school he lets me know that he needs a stick for the horse trainer part of his act. 


What? 
And we have to leave in 15 minutes??? 


So we ran around the house looking for something that would work and I found this paint stirrer. I wrapped it up in the gold duct tape the same as the hula hoop and he was ready to go!

Look at him. All ready to bring down the house with his act. Now if only I can make a good animal trainer costume... 


The circus is Wednesday. So I only have 2 days to get it done. At least I have black dress up shoes from a thrift store & and pair of black church pants from a consignment store to get me started. I'm starting tomorrow and I'll try to take as many pictures as possible. 


In the middle of strawberry picking, too. We're going tomorrow. And that means I will need to make batches and batches of jam.