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Monday, August 24, 2015

Master the Tempest is Raging

Sometimes being a mom feels like being on a battlefield.

CLEANING
 is the 
WORST
 battle.

Just because we show pigs at the fair doesn't mean I have to raise them as children.  Some days I sure wonder.  Asking my children to clean is like they suddenly have gone deaf.  The response I get to holding them to their jobs is like I am going to cut off one of their limbs.  Possibly two.  And goodness can they scatter when suddenly it's time to unload the dishwasher.  We're talking superhuman speed.

This morning I wandered down to the depths of the basement to the living area shared by Ty and Kenna which is supposed to be a bedroom, but looks more like a war zone.  How is it possible?  How.  Is.  It.  Possible. that such a mess can happen in such a short amount of time?  I'm baffled.  Astounded.  Speechless.  

I opened the door to the closet.  Bad idea.  The following picture is actual documentation of Kenna's side of the closet.  Warning!  The following image may be disturbing to some viewers!  (That is, unless you're a fellow mom.  Then you may be wondering how I got in your house to take this picture because it will look so familiar.)
Really, Kenna?  Really?  You who has a very specific method of how to put on your blankets and tuck you in at night?  THIS is the same girl?  How many times have we reviewed "how to clean your room?"  5642 times (per day) isn't enough?  And to think you threw a fit this morning because you couldn't find your shoes.  

And the battle continues. 

I can only hold out hope for when my children are grown and someday all my incessant attempts at teaching them to clean comes to fruition.  Then, THEN,
 the 
WAR 
will be
WON

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

August...so far.

Well, so sorry July but you are getting the shaft on this one.  Don't get me wrong, you really are a dear friend, not to mention full of plenty of important and noteworthy events.  This year you even included a cruise to Alaska!  Unfortunately we will have to cut our losses on a July blog post and part our ways.  It just ain't gonna happen.

Ain't ain't a word and you ain't s'posed to say it.  Say ain't 5 times and you ain't goin' to heaven.....

Sorry.  I just couldn't help myself.

We'll back up to the first of August.

August = Fair.  Yippee-oh-ki-yay!!  The Cache County Fair!  Can't you just hear the fiddles and banjos in the background?  Stomp them boots y'all, it's time for the county fair!  August 2015 goes down in the history books as our first official year at the fair.  Here's the breakdown:

Ya gotta wash yer hog:
 What?  You don't wash pigs for family home evening?  Weird. 


Next, refine the swine:


Pick you out a prime piece of real estate:


A little TLC doesn't hurt either.  It's a family affair, remember:


Get all gussied up and enter the ring!

Oh the nerves about did me in!  I was so proud of Kenna and Princess!  Yes, this particular pig is named Princess.  This first day was the market show.  Princess wasn't the hottest hog in the show, but was just perfect to give us a year to get our feet wet.

Still, a blue ribbon and $11 is good enough!




Oh thank heavens for a fabulous father!  Thanks to him, Kenna had this great opportunity.  Me, well, I just basically show up and cry.  And snap the photos.


Nothing says fun at the fair quite like finding a used, discarded plastic spoon to play in the dirt with. 
Digging or yoga?  Could be both.....   


Finally the first day of showing was over and we could just kick back and relax a bit.  Ask me just how much I LOVE this picture:


Since the weather was going to be possibly stormy for the next few days, I decided Thursday would be the best day to hit the rides for the kiddos.  With the exception of Ty who decided to not cooperate and lost his chance at the rides.  Darn.  We had to circle the carnival rides a few times until the girls officially decided the two rides they got to go on.  Yes, just two.  I'm not interested in taking out a small loan so my kids can have unlimited rides at the carnival.  Such deprivation!! 

Lexi wasted no time in hopping right up in front of the roller coaster.  You go girl.

The first day of the fair was topped off at the rodeo with some friends.  Giddyup!
 

Day 2 at the fair was Fitting and Showmanship.  This time we had to wait around quite a while before Kenna's group came up.  What a crew!  We just about needed to invest in a tracking device for Ty and Lexi.  Those two could disappear so quick.  Ooooooh those two...... 
No question who Kenna belongs to.  She looks just like her dad here!


Once again Kenna did us proud and rounded herself up a 3rd Place ribbon!  Not bad for a first year!  


Let's not forget the Pee Wee show!  Allie and Ty were excited to hop in and get their share of all the pig- showing excitement.  Not to mention the thrill of pocketing 2 bucks for showing!



 Many thanks to earning a bit of money, Ty lucked out and got a chance to pick out one ride to go on:



I've pretty well decided that Cache County would fall to pieces and cease to exist if it weren't for this gentleman here:
We personally refer to him as Grandpa, but he is sure a talented fella and does a LOT of great things.

Jacob and I got a babysitter for Friday night and went to the rodeo again.  Well, we attempted to go to the rodeo.  It started out with a pretty good rainstorm which put the rodeo back a good half hour or so.  So, we just ventured out to check on the pigs and made it back in time to watch Benson, Lee, and Daniel in the wild cow ride.  Sorry boys, I don't even have a good pic to put up of your adventures!

Saturday at the fair was the sale.  After two days of chasing Ty and Lexi all over, I decided to stay home with the littles and sit this one out.  It ended up being a pretty long day for Kenna and Jacob, and the ending of our first adventure at the fair.  Adios Cache County Fair!  See you next year! 
The last day of the fair also happened to be Allie's 8th birthday!!

It's
GREAT
to be
8!!

The majority of her day was focused on getting the fair all wrapped up, but we tried to get in a little celebrating nonetheless.  Lunch request was McDonald's.  Despite going there to celebrate with Grandma Shelly just two days before since G & G Otte were going to be out of town for the weekend.  Nothing says Happy Birthday like McDonald's!  We made her cake, but ended up saving it until the next day because of all the coming and going.  Cake request was.....a horse!  Miss Allie loves horses.  Just today as I am writing, we finally managed to get a child-size saddle.  "Hey Allie, we finally got a saddle to fit you!  Oh ya, and school starts tomorrow."  Brutal.

Grandma and Grandpa Israelsen stopped by for a birthday visit and gave Allie this AMAZING minky blanket for her birthday.  Kenna also got one on her 8th birthday and they are the most perfect, comfortable blankets!  

 
The first week of August (aside from the fair) was spent in absolute excitement and anticipation for the pending arrival of our newest niece/cousin!  We waited, and waited, and waited.  We hoped for Allie's birthday, but had to wait just a few more days until the sweet new little lady made her debut!  Congrats to Aunt Connie and Uncle Dustin!  We are beyond enamored with this precious little angel! 
Seriously, isn't that just heaven?!  Can't you just tell how much she loves me?!  Oh, fine.  It's the other way around.  Nothing quite like newborn snuggles, I tell you what.
 

A few quick other highlights of our summer adventures:

"Managing" the goat herd:
 No childhood is complete without a round or two of goat head-butting.  Goat people are weird.


Of course the classic summer activity of swimming:



We made it to the Martin Harris Pageant with our friends Maddie and her mom, Chey (they were our rodeo friends too).  Maddie came to play at our house every Thursday this summer and we loved having her: 


Must give honorable mention to fun, games, and mud with irrigation water:




And just to give you something to make you shiver a bit, here is what I found in the garage yesterday that caused me to do a double-take:
 Um, creepy!  Just what part of "put your doll away" was misunderstood?  Never a dull moment.