Mixed metaphors or channelling?

This morning I happened upon Unexpected Disaster Mess #37 and blew my cool. I mean I lost it but good; the kind of scene where the children freeze, watch me with rapt attention, and then scurry away as quickly as possible before I decide to eat them.

A plant had been upturned. All over a nearby stack of... well... stuff. Clothes, papers, a bunch of stuff I've been meaning to put away. Anyway, as per usual, no one had done it, of course. I launched into my "everyone makes mistakes but I can't help fix it unless someone comes and TELLS me" speech, and both kids insisted that it wasn't them. The steam curled out of my ears as I sputtered.

"You two are like CIRCUS ANIMALS!!"

This perked Monkey up considerably. I'm sure he was envisioning a life of cotton candy and popcorn, and maybe even funny hats. Who knows. Chickadee just cocked her head to the side and was clearly debating the relative merits of pointing out that I wasn't making any sense.

I meant to say they were like barn animals. (Cuz that's much better parenting, don't you think? Accusing them of being barn animals?) I have no idea where the circus part came from. I might've been channelling Jenny. Jenny, can you account for the whereabouts of your psyche at about 7:30 EST this morning??