Tag Archives: kids

Teamwork?

Jane was squatting down on the driveway trying to catch boxelder bugs. Happily babbling away and telling me all about it she’d inch forward, reach out to grab one, miss, giggle and repeat.

Enter Clara.

Clara clomps in front of her, surveys the situation, and smashes a bug flat.

“Oh, Clara! Jane was trying to catch one of those!”

Clara reassess, moves her foot off the smashed bug and offers it to Jane.

Jane carefully picks up the flattened boxelder bug and runs to me with it excitedly “telling” me all about it.

I was still wondering if that was a good teamwork or if Jane is just a really easy going kid, when they found a toad.

I had a moment of pause when Clara went to help Jane catch it.Clara, Jane and Toad

The toad and I were both happy that the teamwork was a bit more conventional this time!

Sheep Shearing

Have you ever had a chance to watch a sheep shearer at work?

I find it to be mesmerizing.

The way wool comes off in one big piece, the sheep rolling in front and underneath the shearer as he turns them around and around.sheep shearing

The way he knows just where to grab a leg, push on a head or pull at an ear to move the animal easily into position.sheep shearing 2

The way he and the sheep make it look so easy that I want to try it too.

Instead, I looked at the length of his legs compared to mine, mentally calculated the weight of both sheep and clippers and decided I would join the watchers at the gate.Jane, Ivy, Granny watching shearing

Some of us had an easier time finding a good spot to watch than others.DSCN3057-(2sm)

But she tried and tried.DSCN3056-(2sm)

And what Jane lacks in height she makes up for in perseverance…DSCN3055-(2sm)

… and smiles!DSCN3060-(2sm)

Just about when Jane got it figured out we moved locations.

Which is when I found myself sitting on a pile of hay in an old barn.

The rain on the roof was just loud enough to drown out the pockets of conversation between family and friends. The sheep moved about in the fresh straw while the kids helped feed them and as the shearer continued at his work, I sat and enjoyed the moment.

A  moment of calm in what has been an unusually stressful and hectic week as we continue on with our “relocation.”

A moment that smelled of hay, sheep, and warm rain.

A moment of the best kind.

Have you ever had a chance to watch a sheep shearer at work?

I highly recommend it.

Eaten by Lions

As it turns out I’m an old slow zebra, and the rest of my family… lions.

Also, tag is not my strong suit.

My problem with tag is multidimensional. First off, I know I can’t catch John. Unless he were to fall in one of the many pitfall traps, I mean dog holes, which are hiding in the long grass (because, yes, our lawn mower is broken again but that is an entirely different story), it’s pretty much hopeless. Then there is the part where I have to seriously work to outrun Ivy. The girl is fast. Clara, spent most of the time either strategizing about how she was going to “spear” people or getting a ride on John’s back. It’s possible that she is neither lion nor zebra and instead a native hunter. Jane, the only family member of mine I might have a chance of out running was already sleeping for the night. So it was me against the spear wielding, fast running lions.

Which brings me to my second problem, the giggles. I can’t help it. I try to catch John, it’s not happening- I get the giggles. Ivy lets me get close out of pity- giggles. Clara shows me how I should spear people instead- giggles. I attempt to outrun John who is carrying Clara and fail- giggles. I attempt to out run Ivy- giggles. All those giggles lead me to my third problem.

My third problem I’ll spare you the details but it involves too many giggles while running after giving birth three times. Also I would like to say that it’s totally unfair when you get tagged while you are “hiding” behind a bush. Clearly, I was “On T” as, apparently, they say now.

All this ended with me tripping while running through the lawn with a terrible fit of giggles and having my family pile on me as they informed me that I was an old, slow, zebra and they were the lions come to eat me.

Tomorrow we are playing baseball.

Teaching Children

As a parent there are so many, many things we want to teach our children.

There are many more things that we should teach them.

And then there are all the tidbits that we accidentally (and often unfortunately) teach our kids.

Sitting down and putting to much thought into this parental responsibility can become overwhelming.

Personally, I find it helps to remember that so long as you hit upon the basics:

how to care for animals…Jane and chicken

…how to get along with others…Ivy and Clara in crick

…and how to build a good dam…sandles by dam … that they are likely to turn out just fine!

Oh No…

-A lady in the parking lot of our local grocery store walks up to John and the girls.-

Lady -Excuse me sir, is that a Brittany in your front seat?

John – Why yes it is.

Lady – Oh I thought so, they are wonderful dogs!

John – Mam, clearly you don’t know anything about Brittany Spaniels. This is an ill mannered, uncouth, chicken killer.

Lady – Oh I know Brittany’s, I have one. How old is he?

John – Two years.

Lady – Oh no… (looks at girls)… and these are your three girls?

John – Yes mam.

Lady- You must drink.