Goat Riders in The Sky

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Lukas came home from Kindergarten a couple of days ago with his winter coat literally covered in mud.  His clothes were clean, indicating that he'd changed them, but his shoes were also caked with drying mud.

Mrs. LIAYF and I had suspected that he was playing on the hill behind the school, which during this time of year can become a rather muddy mess.  But we didn't really question him about it.  In all likelihood at the time we were too busy dealing with getting Annabelle ready for bed to even care about details.

Do you remember when your kids were infants?  If so, then you understand what I mean.  The needs of a screaming baby always trump pretty much anything else competing for your attention. And babies tend to scream the most right before bedtime.  It's like they know something.

But, back to the mud story.  Lukas' school is not the kind you would find in your typical kindergarten program.  It's a wonderful school with top notch teachers and the approach has been terrific for our son, but it's kind of....how would I describe it....crunchy.  Yeah, crunchy.   In fact, it has a garden, and chickens, and turtles, and a bunny.

And a couple of goats.

Goats as in the 4 legged, bleating, smallish farm animals that eat just about anything they get their mouths around, including all the vines and shrubs off of a hillside behind a school - leaving it a muddy mess in the middle of the rainy season - kind of goats.

Yeah, the goats have cleared said hillside, making it into a winter slip-n-slide for adventuresome youth with some spare energy to burn  (read: 5-7 year old boys).

So, Lukas was using the hill as a kind of Great Wolf Lodge of Mud?  Mrs. LIAYF finally got around to asking him about his muddy clothes a couple of days later.  "No, that's not what happened" was his response.  "Then what did?"

"Well......"  he started.  "Yes?" Mrs. LIAYF prompted him. "Well, I tried to ride the goat but I fell over the front and just slid down the hill!!"  "I see" his mother responded looking serious, but later admitting to me that she was trying to stifle her inner laughter.

"I shouldn't have" he continued, obviously having had a discussion with one of the teachers, "Because I could have broke it's back or something.  And it probably doesn't want me trying to ride it."  "And, it's the one I like the most too!"  He said this with his arms out to his sides, palms up and his typical smile, so infectious that it's nearly impossible to be upset with him.  Of course, she reiterated to him the reasons this was a bad decision.

When I was told of this goat riding adventure, my first thought was of the Omak Suicide Race, but with a chain like fence at the bottom, instead of a river to cross.  With that in mind, I suppose it's a good thing he didn't even make it fully onto the goats back.

I was also informed that, as an apology to the goat, Lukas was going to bring in some apples for it to eat the next day.  We decided that would be an appropriate gesture of apology to his 4 legged friend.

That, and a promise not to attempt to ride it anymore.

Yipee yi Ohhhhhh

Yipee yi Yaaaaay

Goat Riders in the Skyyyy