After months of listening to begging… and researching the options… and counting the cost… Benjamin had his first horseback riding lesson today.

 

 

Benjamin actually had to get the horse out of pasture, bring it in, brush it, and get all the gear on. With the help of the instructor, of course. She put the bridle on because….well, poor kid,  he is too short yet. But that growth spurt is coming! 

 

 

 

Leading the horse to the arena.

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to mount up for the first time.

 

 

Finally perched!

 

 

Getting the stirrups adjusted. But so happy to finally be on the horse.

 

 

Learning some basic “steering”.

 

 

Back into the barn.

 

 

All in a days work for this future equestrian.

 

 

And for the barn kitty who came and chatted with me while I looked on.

A barn is such a fantastic place to be.

With Warm Fuzzies,

Wuzza

I am having blog trouble.  Yesterday,I downloaded Picassa for my photos, and now I cannot upload any of my photos to my blog. Grrr.

I’ll have to see if my photo and computer saavy hubby has time to look at that later today….

Hope everyone has a great day!

If any of you know how to help me troubleshoot my blog, feel free to leave a comment. I am starting to go through withdrawal. Dishes will go unwashed. Food will go uncooked. School may go undone if I don’t figure this out!  Thanks!

I meant to photo the whole process, but in my eagerness to inhale the stuff, I forgot.  Anyway, it’s is so easy to make ganache.  And the stuff is so dang versatile.  You need 1 pint of heavy whipping cream (not the ultra pasteurized stuff) and 1 pound of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Get good quality chocolate or the consistency will be off.

Bring the pint of cream just to a simmer.

Remove from heat.

Dump in the chips and let it sit for 2 minutes.

Then stir.

At this point, the mixture is warm and a bit watery. You can give it a few minutes to thicken up and then use it warm poured over cakes or fruit.

Or, You can do this….

Pour the mixture into the mixer. This will work much better if it has had time to cool in the refrigerator.  But if your sweet tooth has seized control of your body, you can do it while it is still warm. It just won’t fluff as much.

Whip it on a high setting. The cooler the mixture, the quicker and better it will whip up.

” Is it ready yet?”

This ganache is still somewhat warm, but thick enough to compliment this cupcake. I can leave the the rest in the fridge overnight and it will be the consistency of frosting in the morning. Of course, all the chocolate cupcakes will be gone by then….

Wuzza

I know this is probably against the playground rules.  And I know this probably sets a bad example for the younger children.  (As if they hadn’t already thought about it and are just waiting till they get bigger.)  And, as a nurse who has spent a shift or two in an ER, I know this isn’t the safest physical activity.

But I also know what a climber I was as a kid.  How my mom panicked every time I went to the top of the tree in our front yard.  And how absolutely confident and careful I was.  And if I really didn’t feel sure I could make it, I didn’t try.

Maybe it’s a holdover from their gymnastic days.  Or maybe it’s just the male drive to conquer.  Maybe it’s just that boys will be boys.

What if he falls?

What if he doesn’t?  What if I stand by and cheer him on  helping him learn how to take his time and test each step. What if, instead of panicking in the face of negative possibilities, I help him learn patience, endurance, and caution in place of  fear, defeat, and impatience.

And when he gets to the top and is king over all he surveys, What if I’m just a tad proud of him.

Just a tad.

One year at Thanksgiving when we had only 5 children, we spent at least an hour trying to get a decent family photo for Christmas cards.  We must have taken at least 30 shots.  We still have them.  Every one of them.  Once we added #6 and #7, we didn’t even try. 

However, this year, since the #7 is 3, we thought we try again.   But it wasnt #6 or #7 who gave us any trouble. Nope, they smiled and said “cheese” on command.   No, it was those same older 5 who acted like savages. Where did we go wrong?   I don’t know.  But I have reconciled myself to the fact that any family photo will be them as they are. No bribing  No begging. No guilting them into a decent photo.  But they are the funnest group of people I would ever want to have my picture taken with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They take after their dad.

Wuzza