I love other peoples' birthdays

Today is Anthony's birthday and I have had so much fun plotting and planning for it. A few weeks ago he chatted me and said,

"Ok, are you sitting down? I want riding boots for my birthday."

It was a total shock and completely thrilled me. Considering our long standing stall in shared interests this was a sign of even more progress!! Within minutes I was on Craigslist.com and I scored a pair of men's English riding boots in a size 10.5. I should have bought a Lotto ticket that day because, seriously, the odds of this happening were 1 in about a kajillion. I must have had a big chunk of Karma waiting for me, or something.

Next, I tried to find him some breeches, but alas, Craigslist was not to be my savior in all things riding, just boots. I hunted around the internet for a good deal, but a "good deal" in the equestrian world is $100. Most breeches were in the $200 range! - It really has been a long time since I was in the Horse World. I remember buying breeches as a teenager for $40 a pop.

I figured we'd just have to wait on that piece of his wardrobe. Besides, Anthony was in no rush. He kept asking me if men really wore breeches to ride or if it was just women (he had the same squirmy reaction to wearing a Speedo when I was teaching him how to swim the competitive strokes - I refused to teach if he was wearing 10 lb "trunks" - they're not named after a tree for nothing). But just this week I scored $200 from selling my glider and ottoman and *poof* I had the cash for some more riding gear.

I told Anthony we had a mystery field trip today and drove him up to the tack shop. He was thrilled and I have to say, quite a trooper. I don't know if I'd be as brave to switch from the normal baggy fare that is a man's wardrobe to skin-tight and clingy cotton, breathable or not. After a few attempts he found a great pair for $130 (gulp), but whatever. This pair will last him years (I still have my breeches from when I was a 20-freakin-8 inch waist and can paint them on in a pinch - no pun intended).

Here he is gamely modeling them. Isn't he dashing?

There's something about a man in breeches...

During his second lesson the working students watching him with me at the rail (all of 12 and 8 years old) had compared his form and dark, good looks to that of Rodrigo Passoa, a Brazilian show jumper. I wasn't sure who he was, but upon a quick Google search, lo and behold there IS a resemblance!

(You'll have to trust me on there being a resemblance.)

We both have lessons tomorrow. I'm so excited! We won't ride together since we don't have anyone to watch Hollis, but I don't care. I'd rather be able to watch him anyway. And I feel a little better about my old self since I also got a pair of breeches today. After trying on my old ones from college I felt like a sad, irritable sausage and felt it was my civic duty to all involved to remedy the situation with some nice fitting britches.

*sigh*

The birthday is ongoing, too, since a couple of his gifts are in transit. This is turning into more of a birthweekend than a birthday; my favorite kind! We saw Star Trek at the matinee and we'll go out to dinner for Pho. (By the way, go see that movie - it fucking rocks.)

You can read more about our brand new horseback riding venture as a family here and here.

PS: I forgot to mention that while in the tack shop Hollis was zipping around whinnying at everything and everyone. He can't say "horse," doesn't even attempt it, but he does whinny like a champ. I could hear him from across the store when he was hidden by racks of clothing, "whiiiiiiiiney! whiiiiiiiney! ppbbbbbt!"