The Zany Umbrella Circus: Kid tested. PETA-approved.

We decided to do something spontaneous for Father's Day. Sometimes you just can't plan fun. We jumped in the car and drove to Ann Arbor -- home to U of Michigan. While making a quick Google consult, Mike found out that the circus would be in town there. No, not the one where animals are tortured so they perform ridiculous feats like riding on bicycles and balancing on pint glasses. The circus that would be in Ann Arbor was one like we've never witnessed before: whimsical, folksy, quirky, creative and intimate. It was akin to Cirque de Soleil, but it didn't leave you amazed at where the money in your wallet went. The show we saw was The Zany Umbrella Circus and they were performing at The Leslie Science and Nature Center -- 50 acres of fields, prairies, forest and pond. It was spectacular.

For about an hour, families sat engrossed on a grassy hillside, sipping 50-cent lemonade and enjoying 50-cent popcorn, watching and laughing as a three-person troupe entertained us with what seemed like a private show. The kids loved it. It was magical. So magical that I decided that if they don't get into U of M, they can run away with this circus. The Zany peeps drive around in a really cool van.

The troupe is on their way to the Middle East right now, but if they ever come to a town near you, make sure you grab your family and catch them in the act! For more information, visit http://www.zanyumbrellacircus.com/.