Skylar turned five this past weekend and we went all out… our house was packed, 40+ kids running around, more energy than I’ve felt in my own house in a long time. I couldn’t help but to compare it to the intro scene of Mrs. Doubtfire. The swingset barely had a break in the backyard, we had a fire pit going for the adults trying to stay warm (while pretending to supervise), and every room in the house got used for some kind of play at some point. It was a lot. In the best way. (And it gave me an excuse to pour some love into an elaborate homemade birthday cake.)
But the star of the show? Baby barnyard animals. We had them set up on the front lawn, brought in from Channel Homestead Farm in Hanson, which is a recent discovery of ours that has turned into a new family favorite.
My friend Carrie Pendleton, who happens to be our bookkeeper here at Napier, has been going to that farm for years with her two girls, who were very into 4H for a long time. They used to ride the ponies there, tend to all the many barn animals, and help with the animal showings. It holds a special place in their hearts, and for good reason. It’s family run by the nicest people you’ll meet, right in their own backyard.
She told me about it more than once, even showed me their website, and it still took a full year before it actually registered. It wasn’t until the farm popped up on my Facebook feed that I finally caved and booked something. If that’s not the simplest form of modern marketing at work then I don’t know what is…
When an ad for 15-minute private pony sessions (ages 3 and up) came up on my feed, I booked it immediately. Being pregnant with number three right now (due in February!), I’ll jump on any kids’ activity that requires less physical exertion from me but still makes a big impression on the kids. My animal-obsessed two were beyond thrilled. Each of them got fifteen minutes one-on-one with Christanie, the farm owner, who fastened their helmets, handed them brushes, and showed them how to groom the pony before they got to ride.
Skylar went first, true animal fanatic that she is, and loved every second of the brushing, though she got a little nervous once she was actually up in the saddle. Then it was Logan’s turn, my three year old, who ran straight for the mounting stairs with zero hesitation whatsoever. Classic second child.
Honestly, for $25 a kid, it was well worth every penny. It made their day, if I’m being honest it basically made their month. They still talk about it and ask to go back. It was about a thousand times cooler than the pony rides you’d find at the Marshfield fair, the real deal instead of a few laps around a fenced ring.
It’ll be more of an every-once-in-a-while thing for us, but apparently a lot of toddlers do have their fifteen-minute sessions like this every week in lieu of “real” riding lessons. Pretty genius, if you ask me. Even more genius? Whatever algorithm gods were at work when they presented that ad to me. That’s the value of staying front-of-mind.
Anyway. Happy birthday to my girl, who I’m savoring every day with at this magical age. Five looks good on her. And if you have a child/grandchild between the ages of 3-6, I highly recommend paying the ponies of Channel Homestead Farms a visit!
