Best In Show

My little boy does not have what one would call the competitve gene. He's the one who complained in his first soccer scrimmage that it didn't make sense for "all the kids to fight over one ball. Why doesn't the coach give everyone their own ball?" He'd much rather go to the show than sing on the stage. Until horse back riding. I barely listened when the teacher mentioned an upcoming horse show because I figured it was a given that he would not be interested in competing in the show. But he said, "Mommy, I want to do it!" He decided he also needed to practice outside of class. I wasn't sure how we'd pull that off short of turning into a living version of that Lyle Lovett song ("If I had a boat, I'd go out on the ocean. And if I had a pony, I'd ride him on my boat. And we cold all together, go out on the ocean. Me upon my pony on my boat.) But since our mainsail is still M.I.A., we rigged this up. Behold, the boom horse.

You know how with little kid events these days they don't keep score and everyones wins? Well this was one of those. A sweet happening geared towards bettering the kids' horsemanship and confidence. Yes, everyone got a ribbon. Without any knowledge of how he placed in what category, my boy came off of Ralph-the-horse with Miss Meg at his side (Miss Meg, our barn angel who helps Zach out because I am too pregnant to keep up now) and he said, "Mommy, I am so proud of myself, I feel really good!" As far as I am concerned, he wins best in show!

p.s. I am leaving on a trip to California tomorrow... without the fellas! Going to be a pregnant groomsman in the wedding of one of my best friends from high school. I'll be back mid-next week.