Cowboys

Call me prejudiced, but I thought it was usually boys who are obsessed with cowboys. Avey, however, has loved pretending to be a “rootin’ tootin'” cowboy for some time now, going months back to a certain Elmo’s World about the Wild Wild West. I think we inherited it from my brother, and Avey instantly fell in love. It probably has something to do with the fact that they get to ride horses all day and wear those spiffy hats. Her interest in cowboys seems to have been reinforced by her recent introduction to Toy Story 2, in which the hero is Woody, a cowboy toy:

She’s really been studying the cowboy way of life too. For example, this week a friend of hers came by while in town, and through the conversation revealed that her father is a cowboy. Avey became ecstatic at this news, and the barrage of questions began. When could we meet him? Does he wear a real cowboy hat? What color is the hat? Does he have a horse? What’s his horse’s name? And so on. A few minutes after her little friend had to head home, Avey and I continued on a walk and she, still lost in her fascination, speculated, “Dad! Maybe her cowboy daddy says ‘tarnation’!”

After all, that is the mark of a genuine cowboy.

#LittleGems