Their white van pulled into the driveway and they jumped out.  Excitement was written all over their sweet, little faces.  My grandma's heart quickly surmised the situation at hand, and knew immediately that it was not seeing me that caused the detected sparkle in their eyes.  As they congregated around her, their mother opened the back door of the van and struggled to lift out a huge, real looking horse.  They said, "Mawmaw, this is "S'More" and she is going to live with you, if it is okay?"  I quickly learned that one of their older girl cousins had bequeathed this good looking horse to them, the evening before, with pink bucket of "straw", carrot, and hairbrush included.

I can't express to you their excitement and my apprehension.  The big, real looking horse was placed in my small play room and hurriedly they flipped her "on" switch.  It was uncanny to me how "real" this horse became.  It turned it's head, it actually chewed the "straw and carrot" with sound effects, it twitched it's tail, it made so many real life movements that I had to laugh.  No one can prepare grandparents for the situations that can come into play in daily life.  They eagerly watched for my reactions as they showed me each action the horse was capable of performing.  Really, I did not know anything like this existed and here it was sitting in my home.

After working to break up the fights that errupted over who gets to ride her first, and pulling out my trusty timer, I went to find my camera.  I wanted to document a few of these moments for you, knowing full well, the smiles it would bring you (especially in light of all the many difficult life situations you all are facing).

The littlest one took it all so seriously, and believed in her heart, that the straw was really being eaten.

She kept giving S'More(perfect name for the horse), more straw from the bucket.  Never mind the (cardboard pieces) straw that was now all over my playroom floor. 

This is one of my most treasured pictures, little girl and horse falling in love with each other.  Now, one more tidbit of "important" information I want to share with you, and that they asked to bring the other horse we already had, into the room so they ( the horses) could be friends:)

One small play room, two big horses, three thrilled little ones, and one smiling mawmaw.  How is that for an "over the top" post?

I do want you to know that the horses found themselves in storage rooms of our home, until the little ones visit again.  My granddaughter called this morning to see how S'More's night was?  Who would have thought I would find myself with an in-home stable of sorts.  Do you need me to board your horse?