With a completely open Friday and an itch to leave the house and embark on a trip, Angela's morning phone call extending an impromptu invitation to visit and ride her two horses, Sunny and Roni, in that exotic city of Milan (pronounced MY-lan for non Quad-Citians), was easily accepted. Though we were a bit delayed when, after maneuvering all the boys into the van, I realized Jared had inadvertently taken our single set of van keys to work (good news: he only works down the hill from our house), we arrived at Angela's and her mother's home in the lovely, historic Highland Park district of Rock Island more or less without a hitch.
Bumbling up the concrete steps to Mrs. Spurgetis' full-length porch, Russell and Elliot greeted "Yaya" (that is Greek for Grandma in case you don't know) with the sloppy, open mouth kisses that has become their trademark. Joining us on our venture were our priest's wife, Kh. Maria, as well as some other friends from church: Lori, her niece Gwendolyn, and her twin daughters, Nina and Nicole. While we waited for Lori and crew to arrive, Thomas reveled in the offering of yellow plastic-wrapped Kraft cheese, while the boys assisted Yaya in watering her flowers, and Maria, Angela, and I leisurely sat on the porch drinking in the beauty of the neighborhood and of the day.
Following a picnic lunch at the stables where Sunny and Roni are housed - a lunch during which a comment was made about English riding prompting Thomas to ask whether there was such a thing as Korean riding - we moved into the barn for the main attraction. The children were enchanted by these creatures and as Nina and Nicole quipped, "I would like to ride the horse," Elliot raised his arm in the air indicating his sign for "elephant." (Guess we better work on our animals.)
Besides Sunny and Roni, we met two miniature ponies, which Russell promptly poked in the eyes, and a horse named Gracie who was receiving a bath from a young woman named Joanna who allowed us to bend down and view Gracie's belly button. (When I asked Russell where his belly button was, he pointed to his knee. Better work on body parts too.) It is not every day you get the chance to see the belly button of a horse. The boys absolutely delighted in their first horse ride, and, when not busy riding, found great pleasure tunneling through and shoveling up the pile of sawdust located outside the ring.
With dirt smudged faces and hair full of sawdust, we returned home from our horse adventure, and in exhaustion fell promptly asleep. Yes, even I took a nap. After all it was Friday and it had been a good day.
With a completely open Friday and an itch to leave the house and embark on a trip, Angela's morning phone call extending an impromptu invitation to visit and ride her two horses, Sunny and Roni, in that exotic city of Milan (pronounced MY-lan for non Quad-Citians), was easily accepted. Though we were a bit delayed when, after maneuvering all the boys into the van, I realized Jared had inadvertently taken our single set of van keys to work (good news: he only works down the hill from our house), we arrived at Angela's and her mother's home in the lovely, historic Highland Park district of Rock Island more or less without a hitch.
Bumbling up the concrete steps to Mrs. Spurgetis' full-length porch, Russell and Elliot greeted "Yaya" (that is Greek for Grandma in case you don't know) with the sloppy, open mouth kisses that has become their trademark. Joining us on our venture were our priest's wife, Kh. Maria, as well as some other friends from church: Lori, her niece Gwendolyn, and her twin daughters, Nina and Nicole. While we waited for Lori and crew to arrive, Thomas reveled in the offering of yellow plastic-wrapped Kraft cheese, while the boys assisted Yaya in watering her flowers, and Maria, Angela, and I leisurely sat on the porch drinking in the beauty of the neighborhood and of the day.
Following a picnic lunch at the stables where Sunny and Roni are housed - a lunch during which a comment was made about English riding prompting Thomas to ask whether there was such a thing as Korean riding - we moved into the barn for the main attraction. The children were enchanted by these creatures and as Nina and Nicole quipped, "I would like to ride the horse," Elliot raised his arm in the air indicating his sign for "elephant." (Guess we better work on our animals.)
Besides Sunny and Roni, we met two miniature ponies, which Russell promptly poked in the eyes, and a horse named Gracie who was receiving a bath from a young woman named Joanna who allowed us to bend down and view Gracie's belly button. (When I asked Russell where his belly button was, he pointed to his knee. Better work on body parts too.) It is not every day you get the chance to see the belly button of a horse. The boys absolutely delighted in their first horse ride, and, when not busy riding, found great pleasure tunneling through and shoveling up the pile of sawdust located outside the ring.
With dirt smudged faces and hair full of sawdust, we returned home from our horse adventure, and in exhaustion fell promptly asleep. Yes, even I took a nap. After all it was Friday and it had been a good day.
1 comment:
What a wonderful and memorable day! I love the pictures!!
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