"Aunt Avery, why's the horse going in a circle?"
"Is that horse being naughty? Why's she bucking?"
"What's Uncle Warren doing?"
"Aunt Avery, why'd Uncle Warren say he wants that side? Which side is Uncle Warren's?"
"What color's that horse?"
"Why does that horse have to run in a circle like that?"
"What's it mean that she took her lead? What's a lead?"
"Aunt Avery, is Uncle Warren gonna ride that naughty horse?"
"Is Uncle Warren trainin' that horse?"
After a half hour of non-stop questions Everett crawled off the stool and went to the corner where Warren keeps all of the tack. I was paying little attention to him as I watched Warren work until I felt a rope going over my head and around my shoulders. Everett's entire face was engulfed in a grin as he kept the other end of the rope and headed toward the middle of the arena where Warren had been lunging.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
He was perfectly delighted with himself. "I'm trainin' you!"
Who would've known that those sparkling two-year-old eyes and contagious giggle would be all it took to get this 35-week-pregnant aunt to pretend she's a "naughty horse" with a rope around her neck and sand covering every inch of clothing?
And I thought the kids were supposed to be the dirty ones.
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