Texas Mother Goose by David Davis

My children don't know that Mary, Mary was contrary.  In fact, they think she is from Granbury.  Because that is how the rhyme goes in one of their favorite books, Texas Mother Goose. 

The book is filled with all the ones you remember from reading Mother Goose, but each one has been changed to reflect their love of the Lone Star State. 

Almost every night we read, "Sleepy Little Buckaroo"

Sleepy little buckaroo,

You had a busy day.

On your stick horse,

You rode the range

And watched the dogies play.

Close your eyes

And rest tonight;

There's no need for sorrow.

You'll wake to greet the Texas sun

And ride the trail tomorrow.

I had, and loved a stick horse as a child.  My children have all had stick horses, too.  My oldest son's was a store bought, plastic one that made all sorts of horsey sounds.  My daughter's was made from an actual sock, a more boutiquey version we purchased for her in the Fort Worth Stockyards. 

My four year old has a stick horse, but he never rides it.

After reading Sleepy Little Buckaroo at bedtime, I asked him why - it's amazing the things you have time to think about during summer, when your mind isn't racing to make sure clothes are washed and lunches made for school the next day.

He answered that he liked it, but it didn't like him. 

So, I suggested that we make him a stick horse, filled with love so that we knew it would love him!

Items Needed:

• We went to home depot to purchase the dowel rod, because we don't have the traditional broom stick.  I chose the 1" x 3' dowel.
• A sock.  You can use any color or style of sock.  This one is an anklet, but it's really thick.  I tried one of my husbands socks, but the horse's face seemed a little too long.  I saw some tutorials which used fabrics, jean legs, etc. but I like the classic sock look best. 
• Stuffing for the sock, I used a polyester fiberfill, you can purchase at any art store (or Walmart).
• buttons for eyes, or you can use google eyes, or make them from material or paint them on your sock.
• needle and thread - I can't sew, but if I could do this, than so can you!
• hot glue gun - what I didn't sew, I glued! 
• ribbon for bridle and reins
• yarn for forelock and mane
• nylon cord for securing the sock to the stick. 

Steps:

1. Fill the sock with stuffing.  You want to be certain the heel of the sock is very thick, since that is where the stick will go.  We added a little red felt heart, similar to Build A Bear, so we could be certain the horse would love him!
2. Insert stick, making sure there is plenty of stuffing between rod and sock, for child's safety.
3. Wrap nylon cord around sock to secure it to the stick.  
4. Sew on or glue on eyes.  This is something you MUST do after stuffing the sock.  It would be much easier to sew them on before stuffing, but the stuffing is different each time, and never looks just right.
5. Add on the ribbon for the bridle and reins.  You might be able to get away with glueing on the bridle, but you need to sew on the reins, since your child is going to be pulling on these. 
6. I like the look of the loops for the forelock and mane.  I made lots of loops with the yarn and tied them together for the forelock.  For the mane, I used a piece of yarn and sewed down the back of the sock, then tied more loops of yarn onto this. 

From start to finish, it took me about an hour and a half, minus potty breaks and playing breaks.  Of course, I had a four year old helping me, so I also had to search for the supplies alot, and constantly gather up the yarn, because he would run around the house with it, making a "spider web".  If you aren't getting this kind of "help", it will probably go faster for you. 

Why the long face on my four year old? 
Because I made him stop playing so
I could take a picture!

And, he loves it, and the horse loves him. 

We are going to do a follow up activity, and ask his friends to meet us at the park with THEIR stick horses, for a real rompin' stompin' rodeo!