Ponies!

The Foal and my Son in Spain - Distorted Proportions, originally uploaded by Batikart.

In truly stereotypical fashion, Hazel has become obsessed with horses - or ponies as she usually calls them. She would die to have one and regards anyone who does as extremely lucky. And she tells me that almost daily, inbetween pretending to be a pony who is lost and needs a new owner (me). Or sometimes she's a working pony who needs to pull things around behind her. Or a racing pony who gallops around maniacally and demands that you hold the reins.

She's not the only pony-obsessed little girl I know, the other day I overheard a conversation between two of her classmates, T and E.

E: ...and we could save up all our pocket money and buy a pony!
T: Oh E, that would take us years and years to do and we'd be all grown up.
E: Yeah [in a disappointed voice]... I knew someone who saved up and then she bought a pony and she was almost nine years old.

I wanted to hug them.