His sister, the Toad Princess, actually gets these little guys to crawl up on her shoulder! I can also dispel the myth that toads become princes because I did observe her kiss one. It earned her a lecture from her mother but no magical transformations happened to either one of them.
Lucy and Gavin can be entertained for HOURS by the creatures they find in the yard. All I have to do to keep them busy is find them a toad, some worms, or a beetle and they're good to go!
When Austin gets home he takes them for rides around the yard on Peaches and Beauty. Gavin is getting good at holding on to Peaches with his legs while she trots around. Lucy has become quite a good little horsewoman too. She takes her "Care of Horses and Ponies" book out to the paddock daily to check them for diseases.
Beauty gets her best exercise from Austin, though. He's the one who brings her water and scoops her poop and lets her know who is in charge. She's willing to walk Lucy around the yard a few times in exchange for a nice fast trot with Austin up the trails near the house.
They say that a kid hasn't had enough fun if there isn't a ring of dirt around the bathtub at the end of each day. By that measure my kids are having a great summer. I'd say my husband is, too.
