Allie

Emilie is spending the week in Traverse City with the teacher she had back in first and second grade. I never ever had a teacher invite me on their family vacation but Emilie is special; she is sweet and social and everyone loves her. And her teacher is very cool, she races mountain bikes to boot.

This leaves me and Allie. I dig Allie. She is her own person. I try to spend one night a week with just her. I look at her and ask what she would like to do. It is always an adventure. Last week she wanted to pet a goat. I found a place in Brighton that had goats so I asked if we could pet them. The owner, perplexed, said sure. And we did. Previously I blogged about how she likes to go to Border Books sometimes, not to read but to make fun of books and the people reading them. Yesterday we went out for ice cream as we often do but where Emilie would sit down and carefully eat her ice cream, not spilling a drop, Allie likes to go on a tire swing near the ice cream shop and try to take licks as she spins around. Uh...okay. While we were walking back to the truck we watched people setting up down town Brighton for an art fair. We talked to someone setting up the "Brighton Artist Club" display. They have about 250 members. With all the conviction of a Jehovah Witness, he tried to talk me into joining, which is very strange as I have no artistic ability what so ever. As we continued towards the truck, Allie said "you know you could join and just not tell anyone."

Allie has amazing perception. She knows I secretly have a thing for artists even though I am way to left brained to admit it. I was an artist, like all kids are, but as you get older you start coloring within the lines and it isn't fun anymore. Allie hasn't reached that stage. The lines in a coloring book are nothing more than suggestions to her. Her skies are purple and the sun is blue. She is way to clever to see things the way they really are.

I drove past the art fair this morning, just to see. It was raining so I didn't bother to get out of the truck. I'm sure there will be an art fair next year and the weather will be better.