My name is Mylie Goods. I am 8 years old! I love writing but I’ve never had a journal before. I don’t know what to say. Well, I really love horses. My parents FINALLY bought me a miniature horse named Annie. I love her so much! She’s a bay, which means she’s brown with black mane and tail. She also has a snip on her nose, which is just a white spot. She’s really cute! And, she’s going to have a baby!

I stop writing. It’s Tuesday evening and I should get back to my homework. Third grade is tough. I only have one nice teacher, Miss Thai. She teaches Reading, which of course, is one of my favorite subjects. I also really love science class, but we only have that two days a week. Tonight, I have homework in Reading, Math and Social Studies. That’s a lot of work! I complain to myself. I wiggle my loose tooth with my tongue as I think. I decide that it would be best to see Annie first, before I start my homework. It’s only six. So, I head to the garage to slip on my boots.

I walk outside into our backyard. My mom keeps goats, and Annie lives with them. I can tell she wishes she could live out with the big horses. My grandma has a horse boarding business, and there are nine horses in a neighboring field. I dream of riding them around the fields, taking them on trails, soaring over jumps with them. For now, I can only take care of Annie and take lessons at neighboring farms. “Annie!” I call. The goats come running. I have two goats of my own, Patches and Oreo. Oreo is humongous and tends to drag me around. Patches is gentle and sweet and loves to be scratched. I climb the gate and pause a moment to scratch and pet the goats. Then I walk into the barn and grab some brushes.

I can’t find Annie. Finally, I see her in the back corner, under a tree. It’s only May, but she seems to be panting. I walk over and stroke her round belly. I can feel the foal kicking against my touch. I smile to myself and wrap my arms around Annie’s neck. “I can’t believe you’re going to have a baby!” I whisper in her ear. “What are you going to name her…or him I guess. I want to name her Midnight. I hope she’s all black with a star on her forehead!” I sigh and begin to brush Annie, gently of course, daydreaming about the possibilities.

An hour passes quickly as I care for my horse. Finally, when it starts getting dark, I remember my homework. I decide I can spend a few more minutes with Annie and the goats. I put the brushes down and play with the goats. If you run, they’ll chase you, and it’s great fun! I run around, jumping from log to log, as the whole herd follows me, bleating playfully. The goats are going to have babies soon, too, but I’m not nearly as excited. They have babies every year. With Annie, this is only going to happen once!

My mom appears on the deck and calls me in for dinner. I give Annie a carrot I had in my pocket and one last hug. She nickers as I walk away. I wish I could spend more time with her! Who needs dinner? “I’ll be back tomorrow!” I promise her. I walk up to the garage and take off my boots. Dinner takes a long time, as always. I eat fast, but no one’s allowed to leave until everyone is finished. By the time we finish, my mom announces that it’s shower time. It’s almost eight already! I take a quick shower to wash off the smell of manure and horses. Then I get ready for bed. As I’m brushing my teeth, my loose tooth falls out! Mom tells me to put it under my pillow for a gift from the tooth fairy.

The next morning, I wake up to the sound of my dad yelling. “When did we get a new goat? Why is there a new goat? Kris!” I jump out of bed and check under my pillow for a gift. There’s nothing there! I race downstairs to see what the yelling is about. My mom and dad are standing on the front porch. “Bill, that’s not a goat!” I know exactly what they’re seeing. I run through the house and out into the garage. I put my boots on as fast as I can, and run so fast through the yard I feel like I’m floating. I slam on the brakes as I approach the gate. I peer over the top and see that Annie had her baby!

I climb over the fence and investigate. The baby is a boy, and is a palomino with no white markings. He is tiny! He hides behind his mother, scared of me. I stroke Annie, then catch the foal and pull him into my lap so I can stroke him all over, like I’ve read in books. I’ve heard that it’s called imprinting. My parents appear at the gate. “Mom, Dad! There was no gift under my pillow! I think that this baby is my gift from the tooth fairy!” My parents look at each other and laugh. “Well,” my mom says, “you better name him something magical.” I sigh to myself. “If he was a girl… I could’ve named him Tooth Fairy!” I think to myself for a moment. “How about Wizard?” I ask. “Perfect!” my dad exclaims. I give Wizard a big hug after I’m finished imprinting as well as I can. I set him down, and he runs to his mama and begins to nurse. “Awww. Mom! Can I stay home today and watch them?” My mom laughs and shakes her head. “No Mylie, you’ve got to go to school!” Ushered by my mom, I walk into the house sadly, looking back over my shoulder. I realize I’m going to be late for the bus. I devour a bowl of cereal and race outside just as the bus pulls up our driveway! I step onto the bus and realize, with a touch of dread – that I never did my homework!