First Parent-Teacher-Conference

The last few weeks have been kinda slow .  It did start out with another unexpected vet bill with Bandit. He found mice bait and eat the whole package, we did catch him right away and made him throw it all up.  We had to take him in the next morning to get vitamin K pills for him to take for 3 weeks. Bandit is doing good and is almost done with the pills, he really likes taking them. I'm not expecting it to be that easy on Tuesday.  He goes in to get neutered and if he has pills to take, I'm sure that they will taste different then these ones.

The kids have been doing great in school and love it! We had our first parent teacher conference this past week. Jacqueline does really well in school following rules and asking for help if she needs it and interacts well with other students.  It did take her a little bit to interact with others but is doing well with that.  They have this test with sounds, reading vocabulary, and they take it monthly. From September to October, she has improved. The grading is kinda weird and in tiers (like a triangle tier 3 is the base (lowest) Tier 2 is the middle (ok) and tier 1 (Best)). The score in September was in tier 3 with a score of 156, the October score she moved up to tier 2 with a score of 179! Over all she is doing great in school.  Her teacher said that she has an eagerness to learn and she likes seeing that in Jacqueline! She needs help with reading and her comprehension is still low and we are working on that.  She comes home with homework almost every night with a book to read and she is now coming home with vocabulary words.  With vocabulary words, we give her clues and she has to tell us the word.  Like with the word 'mitten' the clues were: I am like gloves and keep your hands warm after a snowstorm. Nathaniel is also doing great in school. He can count to 13 and recognizes almost all of the letter.  He doesn't really follow directions all that well, but his teacher has said that he is really improving on that (even here at home he is improving) Sharing, playing with others, and working problems out without the teachers help, he does really good with that! Nathaniel is going to start learning the sounds of all the letter.  Their speech therapist even gave a good report that they both are doing great and improving since the beginning of the year. I'm looking forward to the next 9 weeks for the next report card to see even more improvements!

We moved Kelo to Nathan and Sandy's place and introduce him to Sandy's 2 horses.  Kelo is not in the same pen as them yet but he will be soon.  Kevin walked him on the road from where he was to Nathan and Sandy's.  Kelo did so well with that, he only spooked once and that was my fault. I was following in the truck and I think that I got a little close. Kevin led him into the barn and it took him a bit to get into the barn, but was fine once he got in.  After we brushed him we were waiting for Nathan to come to see where we are to put Kelo.  Kevin was wanting to see if he had anything on his back before.

We started with the saddle pad, and it didn't seem to faze him that he had anything on his back.

So we went for the saddle, just setting on his back. Again didn't seem to faze him.

Kevin tied the saddle and put the bridle on (he didn't quite like the bit) and he seem fine with it all.

Kevin put some weight in the stirrup and nothing.  

Kevin was so happy that he was able to get all the tack on.  

We know that Kelo has gotten this far with training before we had him and he may have had someone riding him (we think). Kevin plans doing this a few more times and lounging him with the saddle on ( he has lost some of his training) before he plans on getting on him. We do have an appointment set for April for him to be worked with with a trainer, 30 rides, but we hope that he wont need it.

Today is Halloween and we still aren't sure what we are going to do about trick-or-treating.  The kids each came home from school with little pumpkins that we haven't decorated yet.  We will decorated them tonight with paint and glue ribbon on them, I think that they will have fun with that and top the night off with making caramel popcorn.

Monday starts the first time the kids will be going everyday.  A part of me is not ready for them to be gone everyday and the other part cant wait for them to go everyday. I know that they are ready for it, they are already wanting to go to school everyday!  I am excited for them and cant wait for them to tell all about new friends that they are going to meet!

I hope that everyone has a great day!

I belong here!

Its been a while since I wrote last and a lot has happened in that time, mainly being busy! It has been great, because I actually have been busy helping with the cows! I know it might not seem like much but it really means a lot to me! Before, my help was never wanted and I didn't get to help with anything. Now, my help is wanted and needed and I feel wonderful.  I feel like I'm on cloud nine being able to help with the cows and get to be in all the action! I really do feel like I belong here and apart of this farm and ranch!
The first time working with the cows, I really didn't do anything.  They trailed the cows from the spring/summer pasture to the fall/winter pasture.  They did it on horseback (and one four-wheeler) and looked like so much fun!! Watching them trail the cows was exciting and fun to watch! I am really hoping that next fall Kelo will be ready and I can ride him and be in on the trailing!

Kevin on one of Sandy's horses, Ruby. At the beginning

Somewhere in the middle, after this point the truck and trailer and me met them at a different spot.

Where we met them, almost to the end!

Cow at their new home for the winter!

Trailing the cows from the first pasture to the winter pasture took about 2 hours. The next time we moved cows was a week later and colder, and we were in hats, coats and gloves! I didn't help with this one either but the kids were in on the action! They were on the four-wheelers, one with Nathan and one with Jeremy (Nathan's brother). This set we didn't trail as it was going to take all day, but loaded them up in the trailer and moved them to where the first set are. The kids really did have a blast helping with this and seeing their smiles made my day!

The next day we moved another set of cows and got things ready for the vet visit the next day.  I was really excited about this one! I watched all the kids and followed them in the truck and trailer, I drove a truck and trailer for the first time that day!! It was exciting!! It wasn't just pulling the trailer for the first time either, there was a blind cow in the back!! I drove her home! That was cool!

Nathan and Sandy's youngest, Bo, watching his mom move cows out the gate!

The blind cow was trailed for a while, she was really slow!

There was some excitement, 2 bulls were putting on a show almost the whole way home!

They were still fighting when they were put in the bull pasture.

Driving truck and trailer!! There were sprinkles! 

I was sure glad to be watching the kids and staying nice and dry and warm!! For the vet visit, I was really in on the action!! I was manning the gates while Kevin and Sandy sorted the cows from the calves! It was chilly and it was raining. It was fun! While the vet preg checked the cows, I was up front writing down what the vet said: early, 90+ or late.  It was raining decent and I had a hard time keeping the papers dry, but got it all written down! We packed everything up and then headed to where we moved the first 2 sets of cows and preg checked those.  We did those last so that I can watch for the bus and get the kids when they came home.  All the cows were preg checked and we were just starting to do the vaccines for the calves when I headed home to get the kids! Everyone was soaked after the last set of calves were vaccinated back at Nathan and Sandy's place. That day was a lot of fun.  There is another day of moving cows, but that is not until Kevin is done hauling hay and a few fields of flax are harvested and then all the cows at Nathan and Sandy's will be moved to where the first 2 sets of cows are.  There is 2 more truck loads of hay to haul and it will be a bit before the flax is harvested, they are chopping corn for the next few days.

We had an exciting day the other day, Bandit and Chena chased a porcupine and Bandit tried to bit (I'm assuming). He had quills in his mouth.  I had to take him to the vet to get them out. He is better now.  I hope no more porcupines!!

Jacqueline had her first experience with the loss of a pet.  One of the outside kittens died and she found him.  She brought him to the house in tears last night.  I knew it was going to go and was waiting for it to happen.  The dogs had it one day and I found him ( I was glad the kids were at school) and got him better. A few days after that he was sick and slow.  I knew it was a matter of time after that.  

School is going great for the kids.  Jacqueline brings home books to read as homework.  She is not really reading them as they are mostly memorized but she follows her finger underneath the words as she reads them to us.  She is pretty proud of herself for reading them! I am working with her to sound out the words, it will take a little bit, but we will get there.  I am hoping that by the time November comes, I can have her reading some words.  She really recognizes what some words are. A homework paper she had a few days ago, she had to color in apples with the color that the apples said.  She went at it right away without any help.  She did do that same paper in school a week before, but she did really well and all yellow apples were yellow, red were red, and green were green! Nathaniel is starting to write his name and is proud of himself for that!!

Between the first set of cows and the last was my Golden Birthday!! We didn't do anything, I had a lazy day of watching cartoons with the kids and it was fun! A few days before that I had a craft day and crafted all day, a gift to myself!! I wanted to craft so bad and really wanted to make myself something with wine bottles and burlap and I finally did!! I was already not going to do anything that day as it was going to be a girls day with Sandy, but we postponed it as one of her kids was sick and will have it after harvest is all done!! I'm looking forward to that!!

This is the first on I did, I was hoping that I had 3 bottles this shape and color but only had 1.

This is the set I made for myself!! I was wanting to make something that said 'me' and I think that it came out that way too!!

I hope that everyone has a great day, going to enjoy the rest of the day with the kids as they don't have school today!