Four legged friends.

My Ash is afraid of animals. In fact, she will run from a tiny sparrow if one flies down to scoop up crumbs in front of her. She has never been too keen on petting animals or getting remotely close to them. She would much rather enjoy them from a distance. So you can imagine my anticipation in seeing how Ash would react to the miniature pony and the alpaca and goat and guinea pigs and three little lambs and chicken and rabbits that visited kindy today.

I'll admit I was a little excited they were coming because a) I love farm animals as they remind me of visiting my grandparents farm when we were little b) who can resist petting a cute little lamb or a funky alpaca?! c) I figure getting up close to animals more often (since we aren't allowed pets at our house) will get her used to them. You'd think.

Notice Asher's careful placing of herself in proximity to the caged lambs (thats her in the pink hoodie).

Just as I expected, Ash kept her distance and looked on while the other children pushed in line to hold the little animals or bottle feed the bigger ones. Oh well, at least she petted Honey the shitzu/bichon, that's about as close as she's ever been to anything on four legs.

Actually, Ash was more or less forced into it. Notice how her arm is held in position. I guess she was fine so long as she wasn't looking at Honey. Oops, she must have looked!

Usually I think pictures of animals are boring, but I took some anyway because they were all little versions of their kind. I mean big alpaca = average in a "sure you can have my attention for a second or two" kinda way, but a little alpaca = very adorable, so adorable that you just want to hug it or talk in baby talk to it!

And just check out the grin on this lambs face!