Long time no see or the summer in a nutshell

My last post was May 15. Holy cow, seems a life time ago! You see, I don't work during the summer, and I refuse to pay for s.l.o.w. dial up internet at home. So, I blog during my lunch hour, or on break time at work. But, since I've been at home all summer, no blogging. I've missed it. I've thought of hundreds of things to write about. I just have been to busy to come in and blog.

Today? Today is a Sunday. My wonderful hubby had to use the internet to do some annual training via the internet, so we had to come to town. It's hot here. The AC is off. Hot and stuffy. But, it's hot outside too.

Kev is online. Kat is online. I'm online. Andy is off helping his girlfriend load her truck and move. My little boy has a girlfriend. It's made for an interesting summer, as they have had the idea that they have to spend every single hour together and that he needs to be in town or she needs to be at our house.

I'm pleased that someone has discovered how wonderful he is, and has discovered that he is a cutie-pootie. But this means that I now have to share him. But, his girlfriend's family is relocating and they leave today. He's crushed. She's crushed. We adults, are slightly relieved, and yet we ache for our love-lorn children.

We've spent much of the summer getting ready for the fair. Those of you who aren't 4-H parents have no idea how time consuming it is. Animals have to be fed, monitored and trained to lead. Crafts have to be constructed and completed. Sewing projects created. Everything has to be delivered and presented in the best of light. Every year, I swear that we won't wait till the last minute. Every year, we have something that isn't done till the last minute.

This year, it was crafts and sewing.

Kat likes both, and is good, but boy is she stubborn and difficult and ...Well, she's stubborn and difficult. I, however am not.

Sewing. She's sewed 2 years. Made 3 or 4 items. So, of course, with her 2 years of experience, Kat knows more about sewing than I. To keep me from killing her, Kim offered to come over and sew with the girls (her's and mine) if I'd do arts and crafts with the boys. Done deal.

Kat sewed really well for Kim. Kim isn't as stupid as I am evidently. Kat made a beautiful sun dress. Zipper wasn't perfect, but it turned out beautifully. Purple ribbon quality. Two days before judging, she insisted we make a white blouse. The day before we had to have it judged, we sewed it. She and I. Lots of yelling, lots of "I don't care if that seam isn't straight, I'm not ripping it out." And she didn't. I had to let it go.

I really did let it go! I promise!

But, the shirt got finished. The dress earned reserve champion. It was well deserved. The shirt, well, we don't know yet what it got, we'll have to wait. I'm betting on a red. But, we survived.

All Andy has is animals. But, his love life has taken front seat to training animals. I'm not sure what will happen at the fair, but he's 15 and I'm not going to nag. Right???

Let's see, what else have we been doing??? In a nutshell

1. Bought and installed a new front door. A beautiful door. I stained and poly'd it. Now we need to paint the house.

2. Took a much needed vacation in the Mt's of Colorado. One week away from the world. 3 days of it in atypical continuous rain. My first hike down the snake river. The bald spots on my feet are almost healed now.

3. Drove the kids to the pool many many days. Drove kids to band lessons. Drove kid to drivers ed. Drove kid home from drivers ed. (Why couldn't the kid drive himself home???)

4. Stayed in the house out of the 100+ degree days.

5. Paid $120 for a stupid cat. Said stupid cat is a bottle baby that we saved after his momma died (carried off by coyotes or owls). Said stupid cat tried to play horse-shoes with the menfolk. Cat broke leg trying to catch horse-shoe. Cat is now is a cast from shoulder to paw, requiring him to be in the house full time and using a +*&()^%#$@ litterbox.

6. Discovering that of my 33 new "pullets," 5 of them are roosters. And 4 of those 5 are from my 8 Americana "pullets". I'm not going to get any colored eggs out of them. And, these 5 roosters are extremely randy. I feel sorry for the hens.

7. Sorrow. Miss Monkey, our bottle goat died while having her horns removed. It's my fault, and we've had lots and lots of tears about it.

8. Get ready for the fair. Which is next week. And one week after that, it's back to work.

We had a celebration this weekend. Kim, our dear friend and neighbor graduated from college with her teaching degree. And, she got a job last Thursday night! We are so happy for her and her family and excited for them as well.

They've all had a rough road, with mom going to school, working 2 jobs and trying to keep up with her family obligations. Kev and I have helped out as much as we could, watching the kids (while Bob worked nights, and Kim had classes). We've traded kids, vehicles, etc.

Kim wanted to celebrate by having a BBQ and bonfire. So Saturday night, we got together, relaxed around their fire pit, enjoying food, drinks and good company. Until Kim fell asleep--at 10:00. Yep, 3 hours into the celebration, the hostess, and honoree fell asleep.

Two years of stress, worry, and hard work were over, so she crashed. But, it was OK. I certainly understood and the kids were still having fun and Kev and I visited with Bob and watched the fire burn till 1 a.m. And Kim slept through the whole thing.

They've proven to be among our closest friends. We were all raised similarly, have the same values and ideas for our children. My mom commented that it was a rare friendship when I could discipline my neighbors kids just as I did my own, and vice versa. And, thinking about it, she's right. I have several friends who's kids I never discipline or correct. Their parents would come uncorked.

But Kim and Bob, nope, they just say "OK, then, thanks." and we move on. Of course they can do the same with OUR kids too. I like every member of their family. I like spending time with them, just chatting or doing some activity with them. They're more than friends, they are family.

Congratulations Teacher Kim. You've worked hard. You'll be an excellent teacher. We're very proud of you and are glad you and your family are a part of our lives.

Stupid Pigs

Yesterday was Weigh-In day. We had to weigh our 4-H pigs and goats to get a starting weight. In August, we will get a final weight at fair time. But, before you can weigh the pigs, you have to get them to the scales.

Not an easy task.

I had it planned. Kev had nicely pulled the trailer up to their pen. Short trip to the trailer from the pen. The kids (my 2 and the neighbor 3), would be blockers and form a wall. The pigs would be herded by me into the trailer. We'd use a simple bribe of some grain. Simple, well thought out, easily executed plan. Except I forgot to add the pigs to the equation.

Pigs don't herd well. Pigs can run. Pigs are fast. Pigs can get through small holes between children's legs. Pigs can move in tight circles and leave me in the dust. Pigs can also poop while running. Pigs can place poop in strategic spots where I step and slide. Pigs poop a lot. Pigs do not cooperate.

Phases 2 and 3 and 4 involved moving the trailer closer, getting old shower doors from Chicken pen to form walls to block in loading area, and stock panels from top of dog pen to form moveable walls to block potential escape routes.

I needed 10 more people. Two of my helpers would rather jump on the trampoline than help. They kept disappearing between phases. One of my helpers is becomming a young lady who doesn't want to get dirty. That left me with a 15 year old and a 10 year old. Both boys were troopers, but we couldn't do it alone. My neighbor and savior arrived after an hour of unsuccessful pig wrangling.

Together, with all the kids, we finally got those pigs loaded. One pig, we drug into the trailerby its hind legs. 100 lb pigs can kick and wiggle. Each of us had a leg. I'm sure it was quite comical to see two women struggling to drag a pig into the trailer. Pig was of course, squeeling and wiggling. We felt like we were wearing one of those old vibrating exercise belts. It was quite the workout. The other three must have been scared, because they herded better (this time) and we finally got them loaded. Only took another 20 minutes!

The goats were a breeze. We simply walked into their pen, picked up 3, shoved them into the dog kennel in the back of the pickup, and we were off to town.

Now the 4-H scales are made for large animals--cattle, sheep, pigs. Not goats. So we had a challenge keeping the goats in the scale--they could crawl out between the bars. But, they got weighed, tagged, and put back into their kennel. The pigs cooperated. They unloaded, got weighed, and loaded again. After all, they are professionals now. No big deal.

Unloading at home was just as simple. Kevin backed the trailer up for me, we again used the shower door walls, and the stupid pigs simply walked into their pen. Stupid pigs.


And if anyone is curious--

Goats: Monkey, female, (the bottle baby) weighs 26 lbs. Fireheart, male, weighs 24 lbs. Chaps, male, weighs 36 lbs.

Pigs: Not named, but weights range from 100 lbs to 106 lbs. When we got them 6 weeks ago, they all weighed 50 lbs. (and I could pick them all up and carry them too!)

Stupid pigs.

Shoplifting

I went into the grocery store to get a few items. Walked down the beverage aisle to get some soda and noticed a young man, probably 16-18 wearing shorts and an oversized hoodie sweatshirt. He had just picked up two single bottles of Mt. Dew and turned away holding one in each hand. I thought that was a little odd, but shrugged it off because at times, I've carried bottles like that. He walked back towards the back of the store.

My next stop was the chip aisle. As I walked down it, and saw the same young man walking toward me only this time, the Mt Dew was not visible. I smiled at him, started to make conversation, but he wouldn't make eye contact. He picked up his pace and walked quickly right out the door.

It was then I wondered where the MT. Dew was.

From his body language, I'm certain they were in his pockets. And I stood ther wondering what I should do. Confront him? Contact management? I wasn't sure.

I know that the law says it isn't shoplifting until you are out of the store. But, as a private citizen, do I have the right to stop this other private citizen and accuse him of theft?

I thought about going to management, but by then, he'd have been long gone.

I truly was stunned and wasn't sure what to do. Asked a friend of mine who is in law enforcement. He said that concealing is considered shoplifting, and that since no member of management was near by (they weren't) then I really couldn't do anything. He did say I could have called it in, but chances of catching this kid would have been slim to none.

So, I guess I did the appropriate thing. But was it the RIGHT thing? Should I have stopped the kid, should I have told management? I felt so helpless, so uncertain. I don't like feeling that way. But I also don't like knowing that I saw someone steal and didn't do a thing.

My daughter is why I have gray hair. She's why I feel so stressed and inadequate as a parent. It's a gift she has. A talent. If she had been our first born, she'd have been our last. I swear!

Case in point:

She needed white tennis shoes for her dance recital. I picked some up Friday night before I came home from work. I got cheap Hanes sneakers. Thin soled, light weight, perfect for dancing and jumping in. And, if she never wore them again, not out much money.

Boy am I stupid.

She went ballistic. "These are U.G.L.Y. I'm NOT wearing them."

I tried reasoning, reminding her that she was going to wear them once. ONCE. I reminded her that she never wears tennis shoes. She gripes all winter long about tennis shoes. I mush have been hearing things, because I was informed that she LIKES tennis shoes, that I never buy her any cool or nice ones.

Right.

So, Saturday morning, before practice, we ran to Walmart, returned the shoes, and she picked out her own pair. Chunky, clunky, boys tennis shoes. For a dance recital.

Whatever. She wore them, was happy, and managed to dance reasonably well in them.

This morning, I wrote out the last lunch check for the school year. $78.00. For Kat's lunches.

I was a "little" hot about owing so much money. Monthly lunches are $35.00. Why do I owe $78.00? Because little miss "responsible" had lost her April lunch check.

"Is it in your trapper?"

"No. I swear Mom, I turned it in. I swear."

"let me see your trapper."

"You never believe me. I turned it in. It's NOT in my trapper."

"Let me see your trapper."

"NO. It's not there. I TURNED IT IN."

"Give me the trapper."

Looking in the trapper, I find the check. Wadded up, shriveled up in the bottom of her trapper, April's lunch check. "Kat, what's this?"

"Oh. I don't know how it got there, I swear I turned it in."

Of course she did.