Zach came to me the other day with a tinker toy model. He loves his tinker toys and I love the fact that he uses his imagination and engineering skills. Zach was an early adapter to this skill and he keeps coming up with new ways to use them. One of his favorites, at the moment, is to use the long sticks to make a race track. Each day, he creates a new race track; one that is oval, one that has straight-a-ways, one with a long straight-a-way and a few curves. You name it, he has built it. I also have the pleasure of watching the cars race and one, inevitably, crashes into the wall and breaks the track. And it all begins again. The model he created recently was an airplane. Granted, he just completed a flight with his dad. Dave is also talking about flying quite a bit because he is working on his pilot's license. The airplane was fine, but it was funny that he thought to put wheels on the glider! He came to me to discuss the reason planes have wheels and how they 'retract' when airplanes are in the air, but they are engaged for landing. Ah ha - thanks for that explanation, you little 4-year old.
I have the pleasure of experiencing the way both kids minds work and as you know, all kids are different.... Zach does amaze me with his logic, but then I sit back and see a replica of Dave.
When it comes to Olivia, we all know she adores animals - ALL animals. She has this animal whisperer aura to her somedays. We were recently at a birthday party at GB's Stables. Olivia left the crowd waiting to ride in a fenced in area. She decided to befriend a horse in another field and feed him stalks of long grass. It was a quiet understanding Olivia and the horse had between themselves. A friend asked me if I had much experience with horses. At first, I replied no, but after thinking a bit more, I realized that I do have lots of experience with horses and many other animals. 
Growing up in Villa Rica, most of my friends either lived on a farm or had access to horses. Getting back to my rural roots, Jane lived on a hog farm. Yes, it smelled, but we didn't mind becuase we had full range of the pastures (with cows and horses) to ride four-wheelers and ride the horses as well. When the chicken trucks came in, we helped release the baby chicks. They travel without any food in their bellies and are first fed upon release into the chicken houses (it helps with travel injuries). Sylvia's dad traded in cattle. They had lots of pasture space, so we rode horses quite frequently at her house. Ah, those afternoons of riding.... My other friend, Chad, also had horses and during high school, we would head over in the afternoons and ride until sunset, wash the horses and put them away for the night. How easily I forget the good old days. So, going back to the question....do I have experience with horses.... yes, a lot and I really miss it.
Looking at Olivia, I guess it was hard to see a bit of me in her. Of course she loves animals and so does her mommy (I just let the City get in the way). Maybe this is why I love going to Lake Martin so much. I truly enjoying digging in the dirt (i.e. landscaping), I do not squirm when I see a bug, spider, dirt dauber, bee or the like. Now snakes....I do have a bit of a problem with them, but guess what? I still swim in the lake. We have to share the space - can't we all get along? I've been known to leave huge spider webs up at the lake house so we can watch the spiders spin in the morning light and watch them grow throughout the summer. They watch us, keep the other bugs at bay and we enjoy a beautiful show. Charlotte's Web, anyone?!
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