New Friends

We were recently in the very fortunate position of having a friend for Kaleb fall into our laps.

Meet Scout, a 5 month-old Gotland Pony!

He has an exceptional personality and his breed is known for their fondness of children. Already, this boy is living up to his name. For the next 3 years, he will learn all about manners and every other skill we can teach him without actually climbing onto his back. Then he will go to school to learn all about being a reliable riding mount. He will be a good sized pony, at least 13hh. That's about 8-10 inches shorter than the horses Patrick & I ride. Scout has a very similar eagerness for discovering adventure that Kaleb does. I'm sure they'll get into endless trouble together!

Home.

There is a special spot on this planet from where I began. That is the best way to describe how I feel about returning. It has been too long since I last breathed of this space, where breathing was first born. I believe this spot is different for everyone. For myself, it is a wood heavily populated with evergreens, moss and lichens. The ground is always damp and quiet, the shade always cool and scent always a soul-stretching renewal. The best vehicle for recharging my batteries is without hesitation a horse, though a good pair of hiking shoes are sometimes a tight second choice.

I was lucky enough to share this precious experience with my favourite person on the planet this past weekend. I went camping with my hubby at a nearby lake. We took our two horses and rediscovered old trails. Well, I did - the hubby hadn't been before. Needless to say, I've sold him on the locale. We did everything from sand dune climbing, sand pit exploring, deep water crossing and deep woods riding. I used to do this every year and while I knew then how precious it was, I'd forgotten just how much I need to stay connected with nature. It soothes all of my hurts and shores up my reserves like nothing I've ever encountered.

Our one escape this year lasted from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon and I will be riding on the high until we can do it again.

Ready to Ride

Let me try out Mom's riding boots...



Now the other one...


Yup! They FIT! Let's saddle up!

Picture Mantage...

Yo.
M'car box...

One of m'cars...

Climbing on Mom...

Sittin' Tall...

Teeth and Tap Shoes

We continue to be dumb-struck by how happy of a child we have. Always, he's ready with a toothy smile. Every exchange seems to bubble with chortling giggles and ecstatic squeals.

Ever helpful, he very intently watches everything we do. Things have their places and times have their deeds. He LOVES knowing what comes next and beating us to it.

Like all babies, another favourite is, without a doubt, music. The funkier the beat, the more jamin' the time. He's great with his feet, hips and arms. We're particularly bias, amazed at how well he keeps his rhythm. When it comes to ballads, the arms go up and the voice oh-so-gently croons out.

For a birthday event, Kaleb and Dad got creative. Ginormous cards with hand prints, foot prints and all manner of toddler scribbles to be cherished forever. I could have done without the massive "30" taking up centre stage, but... bygones.

!!! I cannot BELIEVE how much larger his foot print is! I mean, yah - you go through shoe sizes with the same speed a ski jumper approaches the end of the ramp, but to see the stone-hard print on that stark white paper is a real eye-opener! MAN, those little footy prints have doubled in 15 months!!

We love how big he's already grown. He's still slightly smaller than his similar-aged counter-parts, but he's more than sturdy, rustle-tustle. It is so great to wrastle and snuggle with such a sweet-smelling, giggling little monkey. It has to be my absolute favourite.

I cannot believe how much I love these days.