thank you very little lyle lovett

I never wanted to be a barn mom. Theater, soccer, debate team... any of those I could feel at home bringing my kids to. Horses! Why did it have to be horses? I've talked about my feelings on horses in the past. It's not that I hate them, it's just that I don't trust them. At. All.

Zach recently took a nasty spill off a fast moving equine beastie, which didn't help my prejudice. Yet here we are, every week down at a farm, surrounded by them. I adore the little farm, I ADORE Zach's amazing horseback riding teacher, and whether I like it or not BOTH of my kids adore the damn horses.

Naia has been a barn baby from the start, tagging along at Zach's lessons since she was in my belly and toddling up to the giant beasties as soon as she could walk. (The two photos below are from spring 2012. She looks so little! Just about a year and a half.)

She sees Zachie riding and her eyes grow wide. Clutching her toy horses, she skips around pretending, practicing, playing.

There's a horse show coming up. And horse games played all day. And a stick horse that is often laying as a trip hazard in our cockpit... and so my life is turning into a Lyle Lovett song. Just in case you've never heard it...

"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 could all together, go out on the ocean. Me upon my pony on my boat."

When Zach was 6 years old, we turned the boom into a horse for him... I hope this is as close as we get to living the song.

Since he was a little guy, he always had one foot on the boat and the other in the stirrups, so to speak. This photo from when he was 6 says so much. Riding helmet in one hand, life jacket in the other.

So from the boat to the barn, that's where you'll find us each week. Following their bliss.