Hot Riding Lessons, Hot First Days of First Grade, Hot Horses

Do you get the key word here? HOT! In my case, hot & grumpy! These heat indexes of 110 for over a week now are whippin' my heiney! They haven't dampened Squeezy's spirits much, though...probably the only good thing about the weather is that none of her recent riding lessons have been cancelled and she's really been making the most of them - she's been riding either Frost or Squiggy most of the time as Pal is better, but not 100% quite yet. This is the Aug. 7th lesson...

So hot...taking a breather...

OK...let's get the show on the road again!

For the next lesson and those since, all classes have been moved to the larger pasture, as they're letting the arena grass over to see if that provides more stable footing for the horses for when the older students are jumping...the different view provides a nice change...that's Miss Lauren (soon to be Mrs. Lauren) scoping things out for us...

another rest...

Mrs. Robin has been working with her on posting (less bouncing) and correct form (low hands, straight back, heels down, etc).

Gracie's school began about a week before (Aug. 17) the public schools (which started today). Last Monday, she and I went to "Meet the Teacher" Day and we found that four other students from her Kindergarten class would be in her new First Grade class...she was super excited about that! The five days prior to last Tuesday, we set our alarms and got up early to get back in the swing of things before school began and it really paid off...she was very excited to begin her first day back to school! {insert Mom's big sigh of relief here}

They are hard to see here, but Jack and I bought her James Avery silver cross earrings for her first day back to school...oh my goodness, what a mistake! Although she has had her earrings for almost 2 months now, I guess until her 6-mo. mark (when they are supposedly completely healed), she'll have to stick with solid gold. It took Jack & I together over an hour to get the silver ones out and gold ones back in - a true horror story {eek! ouch! screech!}...

Her teacher is Mrs. Sharer and Gracie says "she's just as nice as Mrs. Pino" (whom we also had to go visit on "Meet the Teacher" Day, as per Gracie's instructions :))

She has a real desk this year {loud Gracie shrieks inserted here}!

Other than making school preparations, staying on track with her riding lessons and making a short trip to see Marmie & Popi before school resumed, we've been much like you see our horses here...trying to stay out of the heat! Hope all of you are doing the same...

{there...you're all caught up, Beck!} :) xox