At around seven or so I think, I felt small fingers in my back. It kind of tickled.
"Poor
Mamma." The head that matched
that small voice and small hands had laid on me. It made me smile as I turned
and kissed Skyla's head.
"Thank you SunShine, I needed that." As much as that little imp
can cause trouble, she's always there when I need her the most. I opened my
blankets and let her crawl in. She curled right into me. She continued to hug
me the best that she could with me laying down still.
"I forgot."
"Forgot what Sky?"
"This." In her
little hands was a little picture that she had drawn.
These are moments I really
feel blessed to have my little ones and the same reason I keep getting new
children. They really know how to make you feel so special. I thanked her and
started patting her back. Soon her eyes had closed and so did mine.
When we got up, I found that
Darlita had gotten all the chores done for me, and had gotten all the other
children taken care of. Chase crawled over to me, asking to be held. Before I
could, Skyla was trying to pick him up. I had to laugh at the sight. He was at
a pretty good weight.
"Leave alone!"
Skyla said to the baby, her nose wrinkling.
"Thank you Sky, but I
think he wants me now. "
I said, trying to take my son
from my daughter.
"No!" Sky said
backing up with him.
"Skyla, we've had such a
nice morning so far, let’s not ruin it. Beside you had your
turn with me. It's Chase’s now. After his turn’s
up, we are all going outside; I have foals to start training. You get to help
with it Skyla, if you can behave yourself."
"You mean I ride
Cookies?!"
"Not yet, she's still
too young for that, you'll have to wait for spring for that." I told her
with a chuckle, knowing that she would hold me to it. "We’re going to get
her used to the lead and halter."
"Oh, I can do
that!" she said, with her eyes lit up.
After about an hour of
watching the two, I realized that my daughter and that horse had a unique bond,
one that that only happens so rarely. I also realized that I could fully trust
that filly with Skyla ‘cause earlier that day while I was watching Bliss and Chase
play, I heard the horse whinny as loud as she could, along with Skyla
screaming. I called to Darlita, telling her to watch the two that were playing.
I ran to the pasture seeing the little filly rearing up with Skyla behind her
sitting the ground. I ran up to scold both parties, when I saw what had spooked
the little horse. Lying crushed to death was the remains of a poisonous snake. Panicking,
I ran over to Sky, checking her over. Seeing she was fine, I started thanking
that filly, telling her that I owed her everything.
“Mamma watch
this!" I was watching the two playing, that’s when I noticed that Cookies
had lowered herself to the ground still running up behind Skyla, thinking that
she was going to get hurt I was going to say something, but the horse managed
to get Skyla up on her back herself. I had to laugh watching the two. It was
the funniest thing I had ever seen! That little horse could fully understand
that girl and it was the other way around as well. I felt someone crawling into
my lap.
"Hi Shanda Bear."
She grinned as she leaned back against me.
"How are you doing? I
haven't seen you all day." She was just grinning. I got an idea
"Shanda go get your new
book, the one I got you while we were in town." She looked at me with
questions in her eyes.
"Just do it." The
girl ran in and back out within minutes. We sat there reading for awhile. We
still were when Bliss left out a scream that would have scared Death out of
their wits. I noticed that Chase was practically on top of her, trying to get
her toy. I pulled him off with a firm no, before setting him back down and
giving him one of his own toys. Then headed back over and stared reading to
Shanda again I was surprised when she made a sound it was like a squeak, or
something, while she was pointing to a picture.
"That’s right! Good Girl!"
I told her, trying to encourage her to do it again. As soon I did that, she
made no other sound, as she normally does.
"Try some more Shanda
Bear." I told her. I now believe that Shanda wants to talk, but just never
learned. Seeing it was getting late, I called everyone inside to get ready for
bed.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, now come on. Let’s
finish the day with a positive note."
Before I went to bed that
night, I made the several batches of cookies for the children placing them at
their feet. There were several children that needed the reward. I made sure
each had a goodnight kiss that night as well, realizing that I could have lost
Skyla that day very easily if it wasn't for that foal. I then took some of the
oatmeal out to the barn, called the small horse to me, and started giving her
the treats.
"Thank you again, you've
earned these." I told her then, I headed back
inside and crawled into my bed.