Horsey Heaven

Clara may not know all the names of her preschool classmates, but she knows the names of everyone in the My Little Pony kingdom, from Princess Celestia on down to Applejack and Twilight. So when it came time to think about her fourth birthday party, I knew that incorporating a real, live pony would be an epic hit.

Luckily, Sienna Ranch in Lafayette is home to not only the most placid, docile pony you've ever met, but it also is home to chickens, bunnies and goats. So we rounded up all of Clara's cousins and a small group of friends and headed to the ranch for a birthday party packed with collecting chicken eggs, petting bunnies, grooming goats, and, of course, pony rides!

We can't sign off without sharing a classic Clara story (thanks to Sabrina for hearing it and sharing it with us!). While the kids were clustered in the bunny pen, the Sienna Ranch "ranchhand" asked our crowd if anyone knew who the natural predators of bunnies are in the wild. A few kids hazarded guesses ("lions?" "tigers?" "bears?") before Clara confidently replied, "Dragons!"

Whoi knows? Maybe four will be as interesting as three was!

Happy trails to you!!