:: County Fair Week ::

This week has been our local County Fair Week & we are almost to the end.

This is the boys' 2nd year in 4H. The first year I let them choose one general project each. Meaning they choose a category (Chase did baking & Coe did Forestry) & they make a poster about what they learn. Well needless to say, after watching their friends show animals last year they were dead set on showing their own this year.
But, I still insisted they submit a few general projects because I think it's an important part of the 4H & Fair experience.
The Fair kicked off Monday with the general project judging. Chase chose to do an Animal Science Display about how we hatched our own chicks this year.

Coe chose Animal Science which he shared how we butcher our meat chickens,

as well as Forests of Fun & Vegetable Garden Display.

Coe's Sprouting Sweet Potato poster (which also doubled as his Science Fair project this last school year) won a State qualifying ribbon.

His Farm to Table entry and Chase's Hatching Chicken Eggs were both awarded State Alternate ribbons. 

Both boys were super excited and proud!

Tuesday (Day 2) brought a bit more craziness. It was Poultry & Rabbit Show Day!

The alarm went off at 5:45 and we were up and getting the birds & rabbits loaded.

We had organized most everything the night before, but a few loose chickens and crabby moments lead to a not so perfect morning. Hell, to put it lightly we were all stressed to the max by the time we pulled the truck out of the driveway at 7:10.
We wheeled into the fair with fake smiles & good behavior death threats. To my relief the other parents seemed to be wearing that same "we almost had a knock down drag out before we got into the truck" look. Oh thank goodness. We were normal!!!

The Poultry show came first & the boys were exhibiting a few of our chickens, turkeys, & a dozen eggs each.

 They learned SO much from the judge & had a great time with friends.

The Egg judging was so interesting and everyone learned a lot about what to look for in a good egg. They were all concentrating pretty hard on this one, even Grandpa.

The rabbit show left the boys & myself hoping to expand on our rabbit breeds for next year. Now, how do I go about telling Aaron we need to add onto the rabbit hutches? That might have to wait awhile.

Wednesday (Day 3) was a just for fun day hanging out with friends.

We watched a few of the kids' friends show their bucket calves in the morning and did pedal tractor pulls in the afternoon.

We walked around and watched the rides

 (mommy is too cheap to buy the wrist bands on kids day),

but Coe got to have his first Elephant Ear,

 & Ella got to play one game;

which resulted in a $5. plastic ice-cream cone that we got to carry around for the rest of the day. She was so proud so it was worth it ( I guess).

The afternoon ended with one of my favorite Fair week activities called AG Olympics. It's put on by the Illinois Extension office; it's free (again, cheap mom here), and the kids have an absolute blast!

It started with an egg toss & a lot of yolk on kids' clothes.

 It was a chilly day in the 60s for this years fair games, but it didn't stop the kids from participating in the water races.

 Sack races in the Show Ring are always hysterical to watch.

 And watching rough and tumble farm kids shake it with their hula-hoops is just priceless.

Thursday (Day 4) was Goat Show Day. 

Chase was all about showing goats & he did fantastic!

With a lot of help from some friends of ours we got our goats ready and to the show on Thursday morning. 

When I was a kid  I wanted sheep or any kind of animal I could show at the fair. I remember being so jealous of my cousin who got to wear the cool button up shirts & rope belts & she even got to sleep in her camper at the fair ALL week! Every once in awhile I got to help wash a sheep and lead it back to it's holding pin. Oh how I longed to be one of the "fair kids". 

Coe had no interest in showing goats this year, but did get a chance to help a friend show a hog. And now he is hooked and begging for hogs for next year. I of course say, okay!

Again, when to tell Aaron we need a hog pen...

Tonight is the 4H Livestock Auction and then the Truck & Tractor Pulls followed by the Demo Derby tomorrow night. We've almost made it! What a week!

:: Shop Talk | The Go-Cart Project ::

Last winter, Coe salvaged a motor off of an old power washer that was heading to the scrap pile. 

Thanks to a neighbor, they got it running with just a few pulls.

And so began the "Can we build a go-cart Dad!?!"

Well a few months later, lots of calling to friends & neighbors for bits, pieces, and parts here it is today. Still a work in progress, but it's starting to take shape.

Oh, what a project it's been so far! I have to say I am SO proud of Coe. He has been working hard to earn money so he can pay for the parts he needs.

He is so anxious to have it completed but like Aaron & our neighbor keep telling him : It's all about the build, the learning, and the spending time with your dad.
I love that Aaron is so willing to take the time to teach the kids skills.

Coe reminds me of his daddy more and more every day. Right down to the cute little curly mullet he's starting to grow.

:: It was a Yard Campin, Fire Crackin, Patriotic kind of Weekend ::

We spent this beautiful Independence Day Weekend at home; camping, grilling, swimming, watching fireworks, and shooting off a few of our own. Friday night some friends joined us for supper and to watch fireworks. We are lucky enough to be able to see the show from little town close to us from the back of our property. So in style we rode out on the trailer once the sun began to set.

Sadly I didn't get my camera out Friday night and now I wished I would have. The kids had a ball shooting off some fire crackers and there was a pretty good little dance with some glow sticks that may or may not have involved me. Okay, so now I'm glad the camera was put away. But, in my defense someone had to show the little girls how it's done. LOL!

Saturday morning I read a book ya'all! It might not have been a deeply intellectual book but it was a funny quick read that I got to sit and read from cover to cover while drinking my morning coffee. That pretty much defines relaxing right there. 

The rest of Saturday was spent laying in the sun, swimming, eating watermelon, working on Coe's go-cart (more on that in another post), and then shooting off more fireworks, eating hamburgers & s'mores around the evening campfire, & one last night in the tent. 

Ella's favorite was the chicken that was supposed to look like it was laying an egg.

 And this was Chase's. It's completely inappropriate but the laughter from the kids was hilarious.

Thanks to the massive amount of mosquitos we've had lately we camped in the yard rather than at our  normal campground. Which worked out well and was less of a mess to clean up in the end. 

 It was a fantastic weekend. Now the clean up begins ...

Happy Independence Day & God Bless America.