About Time

I had to walk to the barn one evening last week and happened to see this calf standing at the water trough with one of God's great sunsets framing him.  I'll never tire of seeing a great sunrise or sunset.

During this parenting adventure I find that I am constantly either looking forward or backward, but not relishing in the moment nearly enough.  

For instance, if I leave the house with all the kids now and feed them at 11:30, I have enough time to pick up parts, groceries and run to the bank and be home just in time for naps so I can run snap tests on cattle while the baby sleeps and then start supper during snack time.  Perfect.

Or planning for the week: We can help work cattle these three days and skip naps, and then schedule me picking up feed on Thursday afternoon at 2.  It's a 45 minute drive which will work perfectly for the kids to nap in the pickup. 

Or, you can plan everything perfectly, lay exhausted kiddos down for a nap and then your husband decides to dry fire his implant gun in the house multiple times to test it and now everyone is awake and cranky.  (I cannot even make this stuff up.  That happened as I was typing the previous paragraph.) 

As you can see, my life primarily revolves around working for my husband and then fitting the children in around the cattle and crops in our life.  

***

I feel like this is how we operate in agriculture as well, always looking forward or backwards but rarely taking a moment to enjoy the now.  The kids were helping me grocery shop last week and I grabbed a package of multiple cans of wasp and hornet spray to throw into our cart.  Kenyon asked why I was grabbing that already as technically this is still winter.  My answer to him?  "It's about time to think about shipping calves."  

From his perspective I was being absolutely ridiculous, but in middle-aged parent math I feel this timeline checks out.  

It's about time to start calving, which means its then about time to turn cattle out on grass, then about time to burn, then about time to work calves, about time to bale and haul hay all day, then play baseball all evening, then about time to finish projects for the fair, then about time load trucks at all those pens with angry hornets and wasps.  

Yes, sir.  About three good blinks and it will be the end of summer.  Then it'll be about time to chop sileage, wean calves, preg check cows, survive the dreaded holiday season and BOOM.  It's 2025.  I feel like I should say Happy New Year, but at this point I don't know if I'm dreadfully late for 2024 or incredibly early for 2025.  

Smoke and Dirt

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that if you see our family in the flesh it is likely you will probably gather a slight whiff of branding iron smoke and our children will be covered in dirt.  

I so enjoy these times.  Everyone knows their place and what they need to do.  There is minimal talk, save for the times I shout out ear tag numbers to John to make sure we are on the same page as he gathers ear notches for me to run BVD tests later.  

We get to spread apart from one another and no one has to breathe my air, which is heavenly having come out of a pretty intense decade of raising tiny babies that often clung to me like spider monkeys.  

The girls need reminded fairly often to quiet down.  They have so much fun playing in boxes, climbing over old oxygen tanks and having sword fights with sorting sticks that they forget there is actual work to be done. 

I can always count on John to make hilarious comments about no longer needing a bath when we both get sprayed with slobber from a rambunctious calf.  

Kenyon is a solid worker and he always keeps the tub and alley way filled with calves.  He loves to talk numbers when we finish and recount how many were bulls, steers, etc.  

The husband runs his side of the chute and I run mine.  We don't talk unless I ask him to pause so I can refill a vaccine gun.  It seems like the wind is normally out of the totally wrong direction and the smoke from his branding iron fills my nostrils for several seconds with each calf.  We never argue during this time.  Processing calves is the one thing that we can do really well together and I always look forward to it.  

We don't have time (or a desire) for things like Saturday college football games or weekends at sporting tournaments which I've seen many families on social media document.  I'm glad they've found their niche in life.  This is definitely ours.  

This is a terrible attempt to photograph smoke in bright backlight.
My apologies. 

Teeny, Tiny People

When the babies were little, they were constantly attached to me.  I was often holding them on my hip or chest so they were RIGHTINMYFACE and BREATHINGMYAIR most all day, every day.  Which is the wonderful part about having babies, don't get me wrong.  Even for their small size, they were huge in my eyes due to their proximity. 

Now the babies are getting older and.... smaller.  They no longer breathe my air.  The are rarely right in my face, unless they are showing me the latest bump, scrape, bruise, turtle, blackbird or the like to impress me.  These days I mostly see them from a distance, which is becoming increasingly alright with me.  A friend told me once that raising kiddos never gets easier, it just gets different.  Each day I am becoming more aware of just what he meant.  

See what I mean?  I wasn't joking.  Blackbird.  In my face.  He was so proud of himself for catching it.  Still not sure how he managed that one. 

We spent a few days last week hauling hay.  Kenyon LOVES to drive the pickup and flipper trailer through the fields so I can load him with the tractor.  Once I get him loaded he dutifully slides over and lets me drive down the road to the hay yard to unload.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  Load after load. 

Not only can he do the manly chores like haul hay, but he's great at walking home to make sandwiches for everyone as well!  He really wanted to keep loading hay while I went home to make sandwiches, but he definitely lost that argument. 

We had to wait nearly 10 minutes for the men to switch fields and bring us a tractor, which is approximately 10,000 eternities in young man years.  He sat on the tail end of the flipper trailer and nearly died of boredom.  

"Seriously, Mom.  I think they forgot about us.  There is no way it should be taking this long.  We should just go find them."

I love picking up these tiny hitchhikers I find alongside the road.  All the kids love to take turns riding in the swather and baler with their grandpa and dad.  After spending many long hours bouncing around in the cab I drive to the appropriate middle-of-nowhere location and find the tiny dot standing at the side of a field that is hopefully my child. 

I loved stumbling upon this scene a few days ago.  The kids found the best vantage point (the top of the ground load trailer) and watched their dad go back and forth with the tractor and baler.  I believe if you click on the individual photos you can enlarge them.

Nearly every Saturday morning while the rest of the world is watching cartoons, we have our kiddos out working a load of calves that arrive to our place the night before.  I run one side of the chute- giving shots, worming and putting in ear tags while my husband works the other side.  He runs the hydraulics of the chute to catch each calf, gives other shots and implants as well as brands each calf with a hot iron.  We both keep an eye on the kiddos as they push calves up the alleyway or simply see how much dirt they can possibly cover themselves in.  Not to brag or anything, but they could earn a gold medal in the filthy kid category.  Hands down.  

The boys have to practice their penmanship skills when they number all the ear tags and vials for BVD testing that I then run in the afternoons.  

This new, different chapter is difficult for me to process at times but I'm slowly adapting.  I never dreamed it would be this enjoyable to watch the children grow bigger physically but become teeny-tiny in my eyes as they become more independent. 

Spring has Sprung

We had a little cold spell come through a few weeks ago and there were nearly two weeks that the temperature never rose above freezing - a rarity for our area.  

The very first day that the mercury rose above 32 in the thermometer my husband turned to me and said that spring had officially sprung.  I replied back that I'd see him in May.  

Neither of us were joking.

Calving has started for us, there is ground to work, cattle to be turned out to pasture, then calves to work, then planting... We are fortunate to be surrounded by men in our lives that put in an honest day's work.  We're in that stage of life where we help out meagerly when and where we can. 

Oftentimes the baby likes to stand at the screen door and watch the world unfold in front of her.  From here she has a perfect view of the chickens, cattle, men driving up and down the road, siblings playing tag in the yard... It's not too shabby of a vantage point. 

Now that the temps are above freezing I can get back to some projects in my wood shop.  Each day I've been sneaking away for 15-20 minutes and applying stain to cabinet doors.  At this rate I'll be done in approximately 20 years. 

BVD snap tests take up the majority of my 'free time'.  I run tests for hours each afternoon while the baby naps for ourselves and several friends.  It's a very cost effective management tool that I wish would catch on for more that run calves.  

On days when the wind is NOT blowing 40+mph we try to walk a few miles.  I love these walks.  This is perfect homeschool time when we cover a plethora of subjects. 

• deer tracks vs. cattle tracks vs. horse tracks vs. raccoon tracks
• pasture management so we don't have invasive weeds like sericia
• how God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh
• genetics and breeding and why some calves are born with a bald face and some are solid colors
• calf life cycles
• rumen nutrition and microbes that live in cattle tummies (we mix and match our scientific levels)

I realize they won't absorb all, or maybe even half, of what we cover during these walks, but it sure is fun to see what their take away message was.  

On ridiculously windy days we often spend some time indoors coloring or creating with Playdough.  This little girl obviously spent more than a few moments in the fresh air that day. 

We divide and conquer when we can with parenting and often times it is not pretty.  This particular day I dropped off kiddo #2 at the side of a field with a sandwich, fresh chocolate chip cookies and a water bottle and wished him the best of luck.  His dad drove by eventually with the tractor, picked him up and they worked ground for several hours while I took everyone else to a 4-H meeting.  We rushed away as soon as the meeting was finished, swung by the field to pick up one of several verrrry sleepy kiddos and tucked them all into bed.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  Day after day. 

Spring days are tough for school-aged kiddos.  Our oldest suddenly felt very ill this morning when truck after truck lined up in our yard and made just enough room for the school bus to pull in and pick him up.  He was so happy last year when school was cancelled due to the pandemic and it meant he was able to help work cattle every day.  This year will be rather traumatic for him and probably result in years of therapy.  Poor dear. 

I love this little life.  Glamorous it most certainly is not, but fulfilling it most certainly is. 

Luckiest Boy in the Whole World

We try fairly hard to keep our kiddos grounded, with varying degrees of success at times.  But lately I've been super impressed with kid #2, John.  

He had a special afternoon with his dad this week and was lucky enough to sit in the salebarn for hours on end with no toys, save for the pen and salebarn card that his dad gave him.  John came home that evening, proudly showed his wares to us all and proclaimed time and time again "I'm the luckiest boy in the world!". 

He found an old horseshoe at the barn yesterday.  He beamed from ear to ear as he carried it back to the house, all the while proclaiming "I'm the luckiest boy in the whole world!".

This morning I unpacked my lab supplies from two large cardboard boxes.  John's eyes sparkled when I agreed to let him have them.  He instantly turned to his sister, "Can you believe it, Kathryn?  I'm the luckiest boy in the world!".  They've now been playing together contently outside in 45 degree weather for the past hour and I have no idea how I'll ever tear them away from their box fort in the yard to make them eat lunch.  

We definitely have terrible, trying days in this family, but at this very moment I feel like the luckiest mom in the world.  

One Thing

Do you ever have a day where you'd like to accomplish ONE TASK from start to finish within a reasonable time frame?  This is becoming one of my loftier goals in life these days it seems.

Yesterday morning I had the kids loaded up in the car and driving to town 30 miles away at a fairly early hour.  We drove 10 miles down the road before John decided to throw up all over himself and the car seat.  This caused us to turn around and drive back home.  I called into the meeting on my phone, turned on the speakerphone (and most importantly the MUTE button) and proceeded to shower my child and tear his car seat apart all while listening to great ideas from the group during their meeting.

Later that morning I walked outside to check on my other kids to realize I had a pile of puke-covered clothes lying in the driveway that I hadn't touched yet. Anther chore to get to.  While trying to carry those into the house very gingerly my phone rang... a neighbor needed me to run BVD snap tests on some new cattle he just got in.  No problem, we'll add that to the list.  I went into my super-duper fancy lab (aka utility room) to set up my supplies but remembered that I can't run snap tests until I switch around loads of laundry.  You see, the top of my washing machine also doubles as my lab workspace.  Not a problem.  I set down the puke covered clothes in a pile on the floor while the first load of laundry finished and moved onto another task.

I moved into my office area and started calling businesses and ordering supplies.  I called the vet supply man and ordered things I needed for next week.  Called the vet clinic and asked for health papers to be written so the men could ship cattle first thing the next morning.  Sent off all needed info to the clinic and waited.  While the fax machine was ringing and the health papers were being sent through I heard a knock on the door... the neighbor with the snap tests.  I bounded through the house, answered the door and spoke with the neighbor for a whopping 30 seconds while he laughed at the hot mess he had encountered.  Boys wrestling (how do they have energy after being sick?!), my daughter riding her trike right through the middle of them, and everyone yelling at the top of their lungs.

I took the snap tests inside to run.... only to be hit with an awful stench of puke covered clothes that needed to be washed.  I had to switch around laundry before I could do anything else.  Added the clean clothes to a mountain that was already on my bed.  I like to put my laundry there as it FORCES me to actually fold it and not just let it lie on the couch for 1-3 business days.  So I got the laundry switched around and just started to lay out supplies for the snap tests.  A child came into the house to complain about being hungry.  I looked down at my watch and, sure enough, time for lunch.... or 30 minutes past the normal time.  Whoops!  I made lunch for them and an extra bologna sandwich for myself.  While they ate at the kitchen table I ran snap tests at my washing machine and occasionally leaned over to grab a bite of sandwich off the plate sitting on the dryer.

My husband walked in the house and needed a ride out to the field to get a baler and tractor.  No problem.  I got the kids loaded up, grabbed the last of my tests that needed to finish 'cooking', and proceeded to drive everyone to the field.  I looked down at the console of my vehicle to check the tests and, sure enough, one was positive.  While my husband and one kid loaded up in the tractor I stayed behind in the field momentarily to text two neighbors about the sick calf I had just discovered through the test.

We got home in time to strip everyone down to their underwear - my daughter so she could take her afternoon nap and the boys so they could play with waterguns outside.  I spent the next nearly two hours trying to play catchup.  Cleaning up after lunch, folding laundry, paying a bill or two, scrubbing the curdled milk mess off the straps of the carseat, etc.  My husband walked in the house when there was still 30 precious minutes of naptime to be had.

"Let's go haul hay before it starts to rain."

Yes, let's.  That sounds like fun.  I had a list of sarcastic comments running through my head but kept my mouth shut. I filled a water bottle, grabbed a bag of animal crackers and threw clothes on all three kids in a hurry.

For the next nearly 2 hours I drove a pickup and hay trailer around, chasing my husband on the tractor who kept giving me bales.  The boys and I would drop them off at the hay yard and drive back to Wesley and Kathryn who would then load us up again.  John was tired as he was the kid who had been sick that morning.  Bouncing around in the field got the best of him and he proceeded to fall asleep with his head on my lap.  His drool was warm and uncomfortable on my leg but I could tell his little body appreciated the respite.

We arrived back home a bit after our normal supper time.  I quickly heated up some chicken nuggets, threw some fruits and veggies on the plate and called it a sufficient meal.  Then jammies, prayers and off to sleep.

*****

A few weeks ago I complained to my husband that I felt like I had cinder blocks on my feet.  By the end of the day I physically was unable to move any more and I had diagnosed myself (courtesy of WebMD) as having low thyroid levels.

I called the doctor's office and spoke with the nurse who agreed perhaps we should test my blood levels and 'oh by the way did you know you haven't been to the doctor since you had your last baby over two years ago'.  Whoops, my bad.

As I sat on the edge of the exam table in my little dressing gown the next week I explained to the doc that day how I was so tired these days and what was wrong with my body?  She knows our family pretty well at this point, and she giggled.  "That's life with three kids that are always with you and a husband and a farm.  I'm guessing your thyroid is fine."  Touché.

Not all days are quite so hectic, but days like that certainly make me thankful for mornings like this one where I can listen to a thunderstorm outside while sipping my coffee and letting the kids sleep in an extra ten minutes.  Today, my goals are simple.  Today, I would like to accomplish just one thing from start to finish in a reasonable amount of time.  Wish me luck.

The Good Stuff

It's been a week, a month, a year.  I could think we've had it bad, but it could always be worse.  We try to keep that in mind.  Things could always be worse. 

Therefore, let's focus on the good stuff that we've experienced this week. 

Sunday morning Wesley asked us to help him work cattle after church.  I woke up early to pack everyone baloney sandwiches.  When the kids woke up I gave everyone baths, the kids and I went to church and then drove back to the chute where we had a picnic lunch and then processed calves.  As long as I kept the tub loaded, the boys could push them up the alleyway while Wesley and I gave shots, wormed, implanted, dehorned, banded, branded and tagged them all.  We got done processing in time to get the littles to bed at naptime and then I could run the BVD snap tests on all the calves while they slept.  I love days like that.  Days where we are scheduled to within an inch of our lives and everything runs smoothly. 

Another day the men weaned calves and we brought lunch to them.  Sure, one kid hit her head on a rock and one almost got taken out by a VERY maternal cow, but we had a great time. 

And then there was the afternoon we decorated pumpkins...

And we can't forget about the day with friends when we carved pumpkins, rode power wheels down steep hills and ate chili over a campfire.  

I got a nice note from a friend at church yesterday that made me tear up with her sweet words.  Words that not only made me tear up but inspired me to be more.  

So when bad days happen I feel that I'm able to take them all in stride.  When one of the kids breaks a bone I'm better able to load up the one year old on my right hip, the three year old on my left hip and march on ahead.  (Literally.  All the way to our car so I could drive like mad to the emergency room.)  

I'm getting better at finding the good stuff and clinging like hell to it.  

Not All Bad Days

We've had a run of bad luck lately in our household regarding sick kiddos.  My husband and I try to keep it in perspective though, as there are many who have it much, much worse.  RSV, colds, flu, pinkeye; the list goes on and on.  

There have been some peaks amidst all these valleys, however.  Not every day has been a bad day.  

During one of the many cold spells/ice storms I let the boys watch a kid's yoga video.  I highly recommend something like this to combat cabin fever.  The boys loved it. 

It doesn't matter if the temperature is only 30 degrees, if there is no wind and your dad asks you go help him clean a pond, you help him clean a pond.  

Seeing these PVC pipes that Wes was going to place in the pond dam brought back a flood of memories for me.  My dad had some PVC pipes down at our barn for a horse waterer that he was installing.  Somehow, my older sister convinced me to stuff myself in one of the pipes and she stood on top and started to run.  During this unfortunate log rolling incident several of my fingers were rolled on and as a result I lost some fingernails and then we had to make up some elaborate lie to tell my mother.  I believe the best elaborate lie we could muster was "I fell." (Really?  You tripped and fell and that's why your fingernails are purple and bleeding?  I believe her response was something like that.  We totally fooled her.)

Although my heart skipped a beat when I saw John standing next to these pipes, we are safe thus far as the next generation cannot yet read about this log rolling incident and have the seed of mischief planted in their brains.  Probably next year. 

We read quite a few books at our house.  It's one of my favorite 'go-to' parenting strategies.  (Right up there with 'go outside'.)  Look bored?  Read a book.  Don't feel good?  Sit on the couch and read a book.  Hungry?  Read a book to pass the time until supper. 

Sometimes the stars align and all the kids play nicely together.  These little five minute chunks of peace and contentment are the highlight of my days.  

Just woke up and Mom refuses to turn on cartoons?  Read a book. 

Same story, different pajamas.  Wake up, read books. 

Waiting on Mom to serve lunch?  Read a book.  (I wasn't kidding folks.) 

Improvisation at it's finest.  I HAD to run some snap tests for Wesley, pronto.  Kathryn refused to nap and felt the need to be near me the majority of this day.  Therefore my sidekick had to settle for sitting in her highchair with toys, watching me work away. 

Speaking of snap tests, my helper is absolutely DEVASTATED when I deny him the chance to help his mom with work.  I admire that about him and hope he keeps that attitude up.  

Not every day of our winter has been terrible.  Occasionally there has been a sunshiny day where we can open up the shop doors and have a picnic for lunch with the men.  We live for those days.  There are few things in life better than fine dining on a milk crate table. 

On some of these rare, wonderful, sunshine filled days we've played outside every waking moment while the cattle looked on at our construction site.  Dozers, backhoes, dumptrucks... these boys accomplish some pretty substantial work while playing.  

Okay, this one was a bad day.  It is never enjoyable when your child is hospitalized.  On the bright side; however, this was also the day when our child was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and proper treatment could begin.  It was the best, bad day possible.  

We're ready for a spring filled with our best, great days possible!