From the other side of life............

Muff is headed to Louisville, KY this week.  It's National FFA Convention time!

Here's a little ditty that I think many of you can relate to.   I'm gonna tweak this for the dog people :)

You might be an FFA member if.....

• Some people have a green thumb, but you have a Greenhand.
• Your jacket is your formal wear.   
• You own more pairs of panty hoses than Walmart can make.   "Another hole, seriously?"
• You've contemplated buying those spray on panty hose.
• During opening ceremonies  you say all of the lines with the officers and don't pause at during the first line of the pledge.
• Your fellow FFA members are more than just teammates or friends, they are family.
• You go to National Convention with judt a few things, but come back with bags and bags of goodies.  
• You spend hours in a vehicle traveling.
• You can sleep anywhere and in any position.
• You have to correct people when they call you the Future Farmers of America and then you have to give them an FFA history lesson.
• You spend more time with your Ag Teacher than you spend with some of your family members.
• You get excited when you see FFA members from other states.  It's not license plate bingo, it's FFA jacket bingo.
• Your jacket is your hidey hole.  Phone, purse, last night's dinner, a ribbon from a year ago and FFA manual.
• You amaze everyone with how many pockets your jacket has.   Pull a rabbit out of your pocket!
• You bleed blue and gold.
• Your calendar is full of different events and competitions--see me when I'm free in January.
• You think a scarf and tie are the most classy thing you own.
• You use FFA pick up lines, "Hey you are as beautiful as the rising sun."
• You can run on hardly no sleep, early mornings and late nights are no big deal.
• You can do a week's worth of make up home work in the van on the way to convention.
• You pack an iron for every trip.
• National Convention is like a vacation to you.  

Have a great time at Convention!!!   Oh and I need some new pens, can you work on that for me?

Later gators....
C

Be careful when responding to a request

Oscar still hasn't figured it out.   When the kid calls your name, wiggles her finger at you..............run! If possible, in the opposite direction as fast as you can.

Typically that request is followed by something foolish, such as this...........

Silly Oscar, you just don't get it yet.

Later gators....

C

Observations from a tired parent

So this weekend was all about the kids.  At this point, it's the youngest one who still is in school.  And I'm exhausted.  It's tiring being an involved parent.

Saturday we, okay, I spent the day at the Armed Forces Reserve Center while Muff did her pt/future soldier training.  It really was a great day learning about what they will be going through in boot camp, what to expect out of the armed forces and what opportunities are ahead of them.  Dad gets to go next month as he was manning the vet visits and arena dragging.  

We watched them do various tasks such as litter carries, gas masks, simulated weapons firing(cool simulator too), lift, throw and carry huge telephone poles.  We all got served lunch, yep, MRE's.  The history, the taste, the bartering between people for goodies.

Seriously, it was a blast.   I did a lot of sitting, but I learned so much and Muff at the end of the day was still smiling and ready for the next month's challenge.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.   The rain earlier in the week had everyone on edge.   Seriously.  But thanks to Dad, the show went pretty darn perfectly.   He dragged the arena on Saturday and again on Sunday.  Just one little muddy spot that we had to avoid.   Horses washed, clipped, blankets on.  Rio and his trailer loading issues-it's getting faster, he's just stubborn.

I sort of lost a little bet with the kid and that meant I rode!   Not too bad.  Decent placing in english walk trot.  Extremely respectable placing in english equitation(one of my favorite classes) and we gamed it a little.   Too much fun!  Torey and I are getting in our groove, heck we won the Jumping Figure 8, the one class I figured the jerk would forget where he rear feet were.  

It was totally enjoyable being around like minded people, having fun, joking.  Small show, but big on heart.

I think the most memorable part of the weekend is seeing the parents actively involved.  We not only offered logistics, ie, getting the horse to the show, but set a great example of how to be a horse person.  Riding with the kids, sometimes getting beat by them!  Giving tips, joking around and once again, showing them what we expect of them.

What I don't get, and no offense meant, is the parent who doesn't play the part.   Granted it's hard for me to get into running a mile on ruined knees, or forcing myself to do sit ups, pull ups or push ups, but darn it I'm going to try.   What gets me is the pony parents, but I know you see them in every sport-the drop them off, go sit and read a book parents.   For me it's the ones walking around the horses, trying to avoid the "piles" in their flip flops and tanks tops.  Seriously, what type of roll model are you for your children?  You demand a helmet when your kid rides, but let them sit under the horse to clip?   You don't stress the safety on a day to day basis because you don't know, so figure it out!  If the kid sees you in flip flops and swim tops, what makes them remember about boots and well fitting protective clothing?

I'm vested in my child.  Such that I make every attempt to provide a good roll model, actively participate in their activities and cheer, cry, sweat and encourage.  I don't do a task for them just because I do it better, how will they learn and perfect?   My job as a parent is not just to give them an activity to keep them quiet, but to get them involved in something that we can do together.   That's why I'm on the kennel club board, why I am a committee leader/volunteer for 4-H, extension council, fair board, saddle club, etc.  

I know a lot of parents can't, but it's the ones in their chair sitting their lawn chairs, reading the book, thumbing on their phone, or just plain sitting in their truck doing work.  Sorry if you're overloaded but seriously, your kid values more than your money at these events.

Off my soap box once again,

Just sayin.....

C

The Backfire Effect

We all hate change.  Don't argue with me that you love it when your life suddenly changes and you are thrown into the black pit of what to now! This said as I stare at my accounting software and go what the fffffff??  We did a software upgrade yesterday and it's not going well.

I've been reading in some of my Facebook groups where someone presents an opinion as a truth, though through research and studies, they are proven wrong and yet the original poster is so set in their ways that they still stand by their post.  I see it more in the teenagers and younger adults than those of us oldies.   I'm willing to hear out your reasoning, prove it to me and honestly, I'm good at changing my mind for the better.  But seeing the way our younger generation reacts is unreal to me.   I mean where are the manners?  Where are is the reasoning?   What are we raising?

It's called the back fire effect.   Here's a good read on it.

The Backfire Effect

I think that the best part of it resonates with what I said about this attitude being more prevalent in our youth, because it shows that you aren't that smart after all.

Now don't get me wrong, there are some awesome kids out there with great heads on their shoulders. I commend those parents for raising children that do question, that do research, that don't always take the word of their idols as fact and truth over anything else.  Those kids are the ones I want running our government, choosing my nursing home and well, willing to engage in a well thought out conversation where they can and do have the ability to change.

Goodness knows I'm not perfect and yes, I'm stuck in my ways.  But present me with logic, research and facts, I'm willing to sit down and reconsider.    But honestly folks, I learned at a very young age to agree to disagree but always have an open mind.  And to listen and respect your elders.  Man that's another topic I don't even want to get started on.

Just sayin'....

C

14 years seems like yesterday

It's official..I'm having panic attacks now.

So what did your baby do today?  Mine?  She officially signed her Army Reserve papers.  Count down begins....362 days till boot camp.

Just sayin'

C

Happy birthday to the Castle kids!

Quick shout out to the repeats...aka the Castle litter.  Wow, two years old??? Where did the time go?

Hoping your humans love you just as much as I still do...well, depends on what Kevin has decided to eat on a particular day.

Mr Ruggedly Handsome, Duffy.
The girls:  Ms Martha, Lanie, Jenny(Rose) and Alexis(Allie)

And our little minion....Kevin.

Good Lord, everyone knows Kevin.  He's got a life all his own-poking the ring stewards legs during figure 8's, eating fan cords...and lots of other things along the way, plus totally loving life with his kid.  I don't think anyone has ever watched him in the show ring and said he hates it.  Far from it...tail wagging so hard that his butt bounces.  Not sure how he's gonna handle 6 mos with out his girl while she's off playing soldier.

Have an extra cookie on me!

Later gators,
C