Back In the Saddle

As of today, Clara is back in the saddle again!! (That sentence is a little redundant, isn't it? My brain thinks in song lyrics....those are the words to a song. Sorry. Can't help it. Don't criticize my grammar...it's the composer's fault.)

Anyway, I am digressing sooner than usual. We are so excited to finally have Clara riding again. We have been so thrilled with the way riding a horse has improved Clara's balance and torso strength up to this point.

The ranch we are going to is called "Reins of Life" in South Bend, and it is wonderful!

While we miss Ms. Peggy and Ms. Laura terribly, I feel very comfortable knowing that we are, once again, in good hands. She is in a group with two other children, which is new for us, but she has two side walkers AND a thirteen year-old helper, so I am not worried about her getting individual attention. :-) As it turns out, one of the side walkers is the Executive Director, so she is probably qualified to help Clara. :-)

Clara with Ms. Peggy, Ms. Sharon, and Sam

Her therapist is Ms. Sarah, and as has been the case with every therapist Clara has had up to this point, she seems like a special kind of gal.

Clara and Ms. Sarah (and that hair that is driving me bananas!)

She spent the first 15 minutes or so grooming her (very bushy) horse, Hollywood. I had to ask if it was the breed of the horse that made it so bushy, or if all horses do that up here. It turns out, they all grow lots of hair in winter here. It is how they survive the cold. Georgia horses don't need all that hair. There are a lot of things we don't need in Georgia. :-)

 She rode for about 45 minutes. They did a lot of exercises that were disguised as games, and I was impressed with how much Clara remembered. I thought that after 4 months she would need a refresher on how to "drive" the horse, but she didn't. They told her to turn left and she pulled those reins like she had been doing it her whole life. Little Napolean was also not at a loss for commands to boss the horse to "Walk-On" and "Stop".

Treats for Hollywood.

As you can see, being on that horse made Clara a happy little girl.

All Smiles! 

Inside was warm and toasty...

Outside...not so much.

She was tired this afternoon, so there is an early bedtime in her near future, but otherwise, she is very excited! She couldn't wait to tell her Daddy all about it!

We are expecting an honest-to-goodness blizzard tonight, so I guess I should go knit a blanket or something. Blankets have become a bit of a fetish for me since moving to the frozen tundra. Jeff keeps making fun of me for wanting blankets all over the house, but I wonder how funny it will be when I stick my frozen toes on his bare legs....not that I would ever do such a sinister thing. :-)

Have a blessed night! I will update you on the blizzard.

Love,
Jeannie