I'm not a huge "fair person". I grew up near the Puyallup Fair and after going a few times in my life, I felt like I didn't need to go every year or even much as an adult (although Matthew and I did go before we moved and had a blast).  I hadn't thought about taking Ellie to the Spokane County Fair this year since she seemed a bit young but after a family member suggested that she may enjoy the animals, I was sold. Ellie is a true animal lover and is a friend to all kinds - bugs, kittens, cows, and frogs alike.  I didn't tell her where we were going since "fair" would mean nothing to her but on the way there I did start talking about all the animals we were going to see and we talked about what those animals "say".  She was getting so excited at the thought of seeing the farm animals we read so much about in her books. We took Grandma and Grandpa Southwick with us which made things even better for her (and for me!).  I hadn't been to this Fair before and it was smaller and less crazy than the Puyallup Fair which was a nice change.  Ellie doesn't know about rides, cotton candy or blow-up toys which made strolling through the grounds a pleasurable experience.  She was simply entranced at all of the sights, the people, the size of all of the exhibits. She kept pointing to the ferris wheel and of course, wanted to jump on the huge blow-up castle (gee, thanks Uncle Marc;).  We went through every animal barn and she absolutely loved it, her favorites being the bunnies and the goats.  A couple of goats were tied to the outside of their pens so she was able to get up close and personal and almost laughed herself out of her skin with glee as they nibbled at her stroller.  From beginning to end, Ellie was a delight to watch and it was a privilege to be able to share the experience with her.  Without a zoo anywhere nearby (sigh), taking the opportunity to get her in front of real animals is something worth doing.  Tasting her first elephant ear on the way out of the fairgrounds didn't hurt either. She was a bit confused about why what she was eating was an elephant but after her first bite, she gave up the questioning and dug right in.  That's my girl;) Pictures from our adventure are here.