B, of course, remains one of the great joys of life. We still see her often, though  we’d like to see her more.

She is 8 now, just beginning third grade. Reading, which we were afraid was coming slowly, has now kicked in strongly, and she’s often burying her head in the familiar family pose. She may yet become as booky as the rest of us—or whatever the equivalent is in the digital age (she is, of course, like many of her contemporaries, a whiz on electronic media of all types).

Sweet B, with silly Auntie Kate and Mommy in the background. You can see it’s a teeth-optional gathering

She still lets me snuggle her at bedtime and tell her Little Peach stories, some of which occasionally morph into tales of her mother’s riding triumphs. She’s about to participate in her own first horse show.

We’ll be there!