A normal Wednesday morning at our house...

I hope your Wednesday was as beautiful as ours!  The weather was perfect, the sun was perfect, lots got done around the house and farm, no complaints here!

In the morning, the kids had their 4-H cattle out for walks and baths.  I took pictures of the kids' yearling heifers.  They are actually aunt and niece, I think...  I know for sure that Bossy (Danny's first heifer, now 6 year old cow?) is mother to one, and grandmother to another.  You can keep trying to figure it out, but I --for one-- am on vacation.

Don't you think this picture needs a caption?
Carrie's choice:  Blair says, "Beth, can you keep a secret?"
Drew's choice:  Blair says,  "Mmmm... Beth, your face tastes yummy!"
Holly's choice:  Blair says, " Tastes like rope!"

Leave your suggestion in the comments below!

And finally, here's a picture of Holly all by herself.  Isn't she a doll?

P.S. I've already ordered a 5 x 7 for my desk at work :)

It is so good to have a sister!

The day Emma was born, the delivery room nurse said, "This is the best gift you'll ever give your older daughter", and how right she is.  I know my own sister is one of my greatest treasurers!

It rained today, so that meant staying inside.  Holly decided it would be a good day to start her sewing project for 4-H.  She bought some material with jelly beans on it last spring, with the intention of making pajama pants.  Holly's been reading through the project book and decided maybe this year we should start with the skirt.  But, she seems to be over the jelly bean thing, so I suggested that she make a "practice" skirt for Emma out of the material!  (This was also a great way to force us into making a second skirt, since she'll have to model her piece on judging day.  She can't model Emma's skirt, so we can't slack off now!)

Emma was the most obliging fashion model you'll ever meet.  It was "take your jeans off", then "put your jeans back on, it'll be a while", then "take them off again and try on the skirt--watch out for the pins!", then, "okay, take it off again"...

Holly had a lot of fun measuring her and making the skirt for her!  She was so proud of how well it fit and how much Emma liked it!

Holly did a great job for her first try! She remembered a lot of the things we learned at the sewing clinic last February. She is thinking of using something black and white for a more  "classic" type skirt, to be worn with a black sweater and black sandals.

You know you're a fair kid's MOM when...

My "fair friend" (really she's my always friend, but we know each other mostly through years of 4-H,) shared an article with me on Facebook, "You know you're a fair kid when..." and all of it rang true.

But it got me thinking about all the things that could be said about being a fair kid's mom.  Here goes:



1.  If your name is on the stall card, it's your responsibility... but if the animals in the next stall over need something, or more specifically-- poop scooped, you do it.  Even if it isn't your animal.  It's called animal husbandry and common courtesy.

2.  You work hard to make sure your kids get at least one decent meal a day during fair week.  For us, this means community style lunches with some club friends-- tacos in a bag, barbecues, or sub sandwiches.  Even if it's just out of the back of my minivan, at least I know where it came from and whose hands touched it!  Also, if a fellow 4-Her is hungry, SHARE!  The 4-H motto:  "for my club, my community, and my world" rings loud and true during fair week!

3.  You know how to stay composed.  When my kids come in last place, I dig deep and always try to be a good example.  On me, this looks like congratulating and patting-on-the-back our fellow 4-Hers who won first in their class or took top place in showmanship.  The judge doesn't care that MY kid was out in the pasture everyday bottle feeding his animal.  He or she really doesn't care that my kid knows how to pull a calf, administer medicine, or spends most of his summer vacation working side by side his dad and grandpa on the farm.  His animal isn't the fluffiest, and yes it's crossbred.  That's what we do.


4.  You learned the politics early on.  But, you try and be the best YOU you can be, because the future of the program depends on the example you set for those who will one day have 4-Her's of their own.  At the end of the week, if we've had fun and spent quality time with our friends, then that is all that matters.  I don't remember the winning or losing from when I was a kid, I remember the good times and the friendships I made!

See where "Mom" is?  At the hind end, making sure everyone stays where they need to.  By the way, did you know that calves tend to kick?  Yeah, they do.  It hurts.  Also, it's not glitter and sprinkles that come out of that end...

5.  Crying at the auction is allowed.  But I have to admit that I get choked up LONG before sale day.  When we're leading the cattle up and down the road in the evenings, when the kids are brushing, washing, petting, and caring for their animals in general, it breaks my heart to know how much their hearts will hurt on Sunday when they have to load the trailer--and not OUR trailer, not headed for OUR farm.  It really doesn't get easier as the years pass, either.  It also brings tears of joy to my eyes to see their hard work pay off as they lead their animals around the show ring and again on sale day, when so many people come out support the 4-Hers and the program.  All in all, 4-H is "good people".


6.  And the clothes:  yes.  The clothes.  I wouldn't be caught dead in my workplace (or public, for that matter) wearing what I can usually be found wearing at the wash rack early in the morning of fair week.  But for those 5 days, it's a matter of getting the job done.  I figure that people see me at my "best" 360 days of the year, they'll forgive me my sopping wet overalls, bandanna and rubber boots.  As far as those show clothes:   my iron and ironing board see more action on the Sunday or Monday before the fair than it does all year.  It's the ONLY time (well maybe at Easter) that my kids get their shirts (and sometimes jeans) ironed!  I don't think that the average person understands how long those clothes STAY clean.  MAYBE 2 minutes.  Those nicely pressed shirts are slobbery/sweaty/dusty mere minutes after being donned.

So, in closing, please remember that behind every "fair kid" are dedicated, hard working, and tired parents.  Parents who sometimes believe more firmly in "making the best better" than is humanly possible.  But, at least we're trying?!?!

Sewing Clinic!

Today I had the pleasure of taking Holly to a 4-H sewing clinic sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension.  Holly is signed up for Sewing 1, where her ultimate "project" will be either a pair of pajama pants, a skirt, a pair of shorts, or a 9-patch pillow.  I think she's leaning toward a pair of pajama pants as of right now.

First, the girls were given an introduction to the project judging day (which happens in July, a month or so before the actual fair), and were told what to expect at the "fashion revue", which is a fashion show in the afternoon, where they display their projects for an audience.

Learning the parts of a sewing machine...

Practicing sewing a straight line, turning, and sewing a curved line...

Then the girls split into groups and worked their way around 5 stations where they learned the different aspects of sewing and clothing construction.

Learning to cut out a pattern...

Taking measurements to correctly size a garment...

At the end of the stations, the girls then selected material and made a drawstring bag.  Holly loved every part of the day!

Working on the drawstring bag...

We both learned so much!  I can't wait for spring break when we have hours on end to play around with patterns, fabric, and the sewing machine!

It's been over a month...

since we left the fair and I haven't posted even 1 picture.  SLACKER!
Well... moving on...
We survived another year... barely.  It was exceptionally stressful this year for no other reason than because I think I may or may not be losing my marbles.
 Anyway, here are some pictures of the boys!

Every year we are SOOO ready to be done with 4-H by the first week in August.  It's a LOT of work, walking, washing, walking, washing... and no matter how much we work the animals, I'm always afraid that it "wasn't enough".  Like I said earlier, I think I'm just losing my mind and will look back on these days with regret for how much I worried and how little I sat back and just enjoyed it all.

But, now that a month has passed and records are turned in, it's time to start picking out next year's projects (times 3 since Holly will be a full-blown 4-Her this year!).   Today-- right now-- I feel ready, slightly less crazy, and I look forward to another year!

The newest member of the family!

When we went to the fair, I was sort of thinking about getting another rabbit (Spot died last summer), but hadn't figured out the logistics.  There are some coyotes that live a little too close to us; we lock our cats in every night for safe keeping.  Bringing the rabbit into the shop every night isn't an option and we're afraid that a rabbit left out would be easy bait.

The club that we were in as kids started a petting zoo (probably sometime in the early 1990s).  The kids always like to go feed the goats, see the llamas and this petting zoo is housed in the rabbit and chicken barn. Well, this year there was a cage full of baby guinea pigs with a "for sale" sign on it.  Totally out of curiosity, I went up to the leader of the club that puts on the petting zoo and asked how much for one of the guinea pigs.  She steered me toward her daughter's 5 month old guinea pig, who was also for sale--cage, food, pig-loo, and all-- included!  She introduced us to her daughter who explained that she is in high school and just didn't have the time to give the pig as much attention as it deserved.  So, of course, Holly fell in love.  We have been telling Holly that --NO MATTER WHAT-- she could buy a hamster with her birthday money in January.  But this kind of was a deal too good to pass up.

So, I spent the rest of the day mulling it over in my head and consulting with Dave  (not really, it was more like, "Hey, we're getting a guinea pig.").  Early that evening, after the cattle show was done, I went back and wheeled and dealed with the nice lady and then after dinner and finishing up cattle chores, we went back and picked up "Elsa" and brought her home!

She is a super sweet guinea pig.  The first night we had her, she sat in our laps and actually purred!  Just like cats, it's a sign of contentment!  Another night we had her out in the living room and she was sitting in our laps chattering away at us, also a sign of contentment, I guess!  I read that when they need to go to the bathroom or are sick of the attention, they'll nibble on your shirt or your fingers or whatever is closest.

Sure enough!  Elsa was sitting on my lap and started nibbling on my shirt, then nipped at my finger, so we put her back in her cage and immediately... um... well, you know... did her "business".

I think that Elsa will be a nice addition to the family.  Holly's really good about going outside to shut in the cats every night, so making sure this inside pet has food and water every day is definitely something I can trust her to do.

I've been reading up on guinea pigs and came across this quote by the French poet Anatole France:

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

Happy National Cow Appreciation Day!

I'm finding conflicting information on the EXACT date for Cow Appreciation Day, one website says it was July 11th, but Facebook told me it was July 15th.  We're celebrating it on the 15th.

Here are the cows we are appreciating this summer:

Baby Blair!  Isn't she adorable!  She's Danny's bottle calf, she was orphaned this spring when her mom (Danny's cow, "Bernie") got sick and died.

These are our bred-heifers:  The black-white faced cow is Danny's 3rd heifer, Belle, and technically Blair's older sister.  She's a DOLL!  Love her to pieces!

The red-white faced Hereford-looking cow is a replacement heifer that belongs to my parents.  She spent the winter in the 4-H pen and is SUPER friendly, so the boys have broke her to lead and will show her--just for fun--at the fair.

These are the boys' steers:  The black steer is Danny's.  His official name is "Bugsy" because when he was a little calf, his eyes were too big for his head and it looked like he had "bug eyes".  The Hereford is Drew's purebred calf from his fancy, purebred cow that he bought two winters ago.  "Chuckie" won Grand Champion Hereford at the fair last summer.  Hopefully he will do o.k. this year, as well.

We are a stock and custom feeding cattle operation, so we are in the business to MAKE BEEF, not fluffy show cattle.  We feed a ration to put on weight, not grow hair, so we never do very well at cattle shows, but we "hold our own".   It's a fun time nonetheless, and the kids are learning a lot about animal husbandry and RESPONSIBILITY.  So in the end, they really are winners!

A new addition to the family!

Drew's 4-H cow had her baby yesterday!  Even though it's April, it still feels like late November--bad day to be born at the back of the pasture!

Dave and my dad brought Mackie and her calf up to the barn (the cow walked, but the calf rode on Dave's lap in the back of the truck,) and put her in a stall with a little nest under a heat lamp for the calf.

When we came out to see him, Dave got the calf up on is feet and told him it was time to eat!

As we stood there and watched, it was amazing to see his little calf instincts at work, he kind of stumbled around his mom, finally figuring out where he needed to be.  Just as he was almost in "position", Mackie swung her head around and gave him a little bump on the backside as if to say, "Yep, that's it!  Go to town!"

He's a cute little guy, I'm sure Mackie got him all licked off and once his tummy was full he settled back down under the heat lamp and had a nice nap.

As we walked back out of the cow lot, Dave had to love up his favorite cow, "Red".  I didn't realize he had this special relationship... I guess they're quite good friends.

Holly found this baby sleeping by the fence while his mom was up at the hay feeder.  Notice this one's WHITE head?!? I'm sure that this is what baby George will look like the next time we see him.

Oh, yeah!  Drew named him George because he was born on Grandma Georgeanne's birthday!  Happy belated birthday, Georgeanne :)

They still love me...

When we come home from the fair in August, we literally back the trailer up to the pasture gate, open the back of the trailer, take the halters off the cows and their calves, and step out of the way!  The ladies and their babies are so happy to be done with us, they practically shout for joy and kick their hooves in the air!  (Actually, there IS usually some mooing and hoof-kicking!)

Then I go back to work and don't get to see my bovine friends much until the calves get weaned and brought home, and even then it's only when I drive by their pen that I pay much attention to them.

This past weekend I took some time to check up on two of my 2013 favorites.  They walked right up to me like I was their long lost friend.  (They must have forgotten all the cold showers, the yanking on their ropes, the pushing on their backsides...)

Chuckie (left) and Belle (right)
Cute photo-bomber in the middle!

Danny and Drew get in the pen with them every now and then, but right now the pen is over-full with the late summer calves that were recently weaned.  The boys and I will start working with them again when the weather straightens around and basketball season is over. (We also have another steer calf and heifer that will be 4-H fair bound, too.)  The little ones are so cute, but so dirty!  Chuckie and Belle have had this pen to themselves for awhile, I guess that's why they stayed so clean.  I love their furry hair this time of the year!

Chuckie was SO happy to see me, he wanted to give me kisses!

I had just finished making Scotcheroos, suppose he can taste it?

I think that they miss me.  I miss them too.  Summer vacation can't get here soon enough!!

Scenes from the fair!

 Well, we have another year of 4-H and showing beef cattle under our belts.  It was a long week that flew by, the days were endless but happened in the blink of an eye, and we are EXHAUSTED!  (I know, none of that made any sense.  Trust me, though, that's how it happened.  If you've ever been a 4-Her with livestock, I'll bet you get it.)   
I'm too tired to put together anything well-organized, so here are just some random cattle-showing pictures for the aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends who are always so supportive of the kids  (also the majority are former 4-Hers)!

Danny and his junior heifer baldy.

Bernie:  mommy to the baldy, she and I are besties.  She and Drew... not so much.  She was kind of sick and tired of the whole deal by Friday night and gave him some 'tude. 

 June bug, one of the twins.  She won Grand Champion market heifer.  (O.k., I'll admit, there wasn't much competition, only two in the class.)

The morning of the open show, waiting to go in the show ring.  Chuckie the bull calf won grand champion Hereford bull calf.  It was REALLY exciting, the judge said lots of great things about the calf, we're kind of excited about next year when he'll be a big ole steer!

And, finally, one of my favorite "Mom" moments:  watching the boys work together showing the breeding stock.  This is our future!  I think we have two very good cattlemen in the making!

 

But, the best part of the week was spending time with friends who put up with our crankiness, helped us out, let us help them out if we could, and supported what I think is one of the best institutions in America--4-H!!!!

At last, 4-H General Projects Day had finally arrived and I was able to reclaim my dining room table!

Last Friday was the day I'd been looking forward to for quite a while:  4-H general projects judging day. 

I'm NOT a procrastinator, so the girls have had their projects finished for at least a week (except for the cookies, which needed to be baked the night before, of course!).   But, this means that their projects have been taking up space on one of the few "safe zones" in our house: my dining room table.  It drives me NuTs! having stuff laying out...

Contents of table (going clockwise):
1:  Bicycle poster-- topic:  ABC bike check, gist: check your "air pressure", "brakes", and "chain" before you set off on a big trip.
2:  American Girl Doll blanket--Holly's visual arts project, she learned some sewing machine basics.
3:  Chocolate Crinkle Cookies--DELICIOUS is all I need to say about these.  Emma did a great job following the recipe and she learned about kitchen measurements, which we all know is the KEY to successful cooking!
4:  Note board-- see previous post :)
5:  Drew's rocket--  finished at the VERY last minute (the night before) because this is Dave's area of expertise and Dave DOES procrastinate.  It launched very nicely, the judges seemed impressed as Drew explained to them what changes he made this year based on the feedback they (the same judges) gave him last year.  I was very impressed by his level of maturity as he "handled" the judges!  I swear, he's 10 going on 35!

So general projects judging day was a success!  The girls had fun presenting their projects for judging.  The judges are so good with the Clover buds, they ask good questions and praise the kids for their hard work.  Drew got a blue ribbon on his rocket, too!  The boys need to put the finishing touches on their crop posters before they get judged on the first day of the fair.  And then there are those cattle...

My Boys are Blessed with Bovine Beauties!

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is a cow and her calf (I guess that's two things....).  These lovely ladies are all set for the fair (in 1 week and 3 days)!  The Herefords are Drew's, he bought #15 to replace his cow who gave birth to the twins last year. (Fergie developed a tumor on her uterus and wasn't able to be bred again, so she had to be sent to market.)

  

#15, aka "Mackie", calved on Easter Sunday, and her son "Chuckie" is a nice little guy!  He has really curly hair, which is something we're not used to.  He leads pretty well and the work we do this summer will make next summer all that much easier; Chuckie will be Drew's market steer next year.

 

The black cow is Danny's first calf out of his original cow.  "Bernie" has been to the fair twice already:  as a junior heifer calf two years ago and as a bred heifer/summer yearling last summer.  She's a pro! 

 

Her first calf, "Belle", is a cutie and sweetheart (I have a HUGE soft spot for a black white-faced calf; way back when, my 4-H cow looked a lot like Belle)!  She seems to have inherited her grandmother's kicking gene, but we just know to give her hind quarters a wide berth and I've noticed that her kicks aren't as powerful as they were a month ago.  I think she's getting over it--Ha! Yeah right!  That doesn't happen. 

 

Moral of the story:  Just watch where you're walking.

Cloverbud Project Time!

The girls are "Clover Bud" 4-Hers, or junior 4-Hers.  There are fewer projects for Clover Buds to choose from, Clover Buds don't get premiums, and they don't have to keep records.  We like it because it gives younger siblings a chance to participate in the club, get to know one another, and learn something! 

The girls both signed up for the Clover Bud Visual Arts project this year.  Most anything goes for this project.  (Last summer Holly did V.A.'s and made a collage out of stuff she collected on our Philadelphia vacation.)   We were looking through the project booklet that 4-H provides and found the directions for fabric covered note boards.   

We took a trip to the JoAnn Fabrics and collected our supplies. 







The girls had a milestone learning experience!  Ironing!!!

We tacked the fabric to the back of the cork boards.










We measured and cut ribbons for the note-holding and then reinforced the ribbons with some hot glue. 

Ta-Da!!! Aren't they cute!  Holly is the "wild child"--she loves animal prints!  Emma is the girly girl, hers is pink and flowery, just like she is!