1st Day of School!

New lunch box is definitely the highlight
of starting kindergarten

 It's finally here....W's first day of kindergarten!  To ease me into him being gone for longer bits of time, his school had a parent orientation the first day of class which lasted for 4 hours instead of the full day that they will be going.  The school the kids go to has a kind of crazy kindergarten schedule so W goes two days one week and two and a half days the next week.  Due to getting in the required number of days W actually started school the day before the rest of the school started.  SOOOO....this not only meant I would be with W on his first day of school, it meant his class would be the only kids in the entire school for their first day of kindergarten.  Talk about a nice way to transition into learning your way around a new building.  And to that...well, this isn't really even a new building for W.  He has been going into the building for the past two years on a very regular basis since G1 goes to school there.  He knew his teacher pretty well, he knew where the bathrooms were, he knows the teacher across the hall from his class (G1's 1st/2nd teacher), he knows where to line up, and he knows where the lunch room is located.  I am not sure we could have made things much more comfortable for him and it majorly showed.  He was so ready to start school.

 My kids are so lucky because they have an amazing Dad.  I've known this for awhile now but it becomes more apparent the longer he is a Dad.  He took of the day so he could be with W on his first day of school and attend the orientation with us. Honestly, he probably did this to be more of a support for me!  Things went well.  W did great.  He kept saying he couldn't wait for his "REAL" first day of school without Mom and Dad there. 

1st day of 3rd grade!

 The next day was G1's first day of school!  She has had the same teacher for the past two years (it's the way the school is set up) so she was anxiously awaiting getting to be in her new classroom.  We had heard amazing things about her teacher so we were really happy G1 was placed in her class.  Another big excitement for G1...some uniform policy changes and she is now allowed to wear a few different colored shirts and they have a new option for pants as well. 

1st day together!

Because of the funky schedule, G1 & W didn't have their official first day of school together until it was G1's third day of school.  And it was picture day (already!) for W (G1's pic day was the day before! Crazy!) and on this day, the kids are allowed to wear a non-uniform top.  W's fav color is yellow so he still opted for a yellow uniform polo but he threw on a sweater to fancy things up a bit for his pic.  G1 was so excited to have W at school with her.  She has been so great helping him out and making sure he is in the right place. I think it kind of annoys him a bit because he wants to do things by himself and she is hovering around checking on him!  But it makes me feel so much better knowing she is there to keep an eye on him.  As the school year starts, I am once again so thankful for our school and it's awesome teachers.  We are all looking forward to another great year of learning and adventure!!!

Jess and the Rabbit

So my BFF travelled a full day 3/4 of the way across the country and this is the only picture I have of her long weekend visit.  WHAT?!?!?  I  guess it was very important to me to get a pic of her with her great-nephew.  Apparently we were having too good of a time to get the camera out.  The kiddos, who hadn't seen each other in two years, had a blast playing together and we tried our best to keep them busy with hiking, yogurt eating, a trip to the water park, and some mini golfing.  They all played so well together, especially the younger three and we were able to have some adult conversation.  My way awesome hubby also made much of our "let's ignore our kids and just sit here and talk" behavior possible as he kept an eye on them while they were outside and played a ton with all four of them.  Thanks Jess for coming out to visit!!!!   I always love getting to see you in person....totally needed you to cheer me up since I've been feeling a little bit glum lately!! And hey, next time, let's get a pic together!

It's Show time!



For two months, we have been caring for Baby Kozmo going to his stall at least two times a day....with many times the kids and I stopping by an extra time in the afternoons to make sure our calf and his stall mate had enough water on the hot summer days. Plus, we were never quite as rushed after our morning activities were over and we could spend more time brushing and taking him on a short walk. And now finally, the big day had arrived---the Bucket Calf show!!!!!

 

Kozmo after his bath.  All I could think was "please don't step in poop because
I just spent a lot of time cleaning your hoofs with some steel toothbrush contraption!





The mohawked tail.  We did this to show the straightline of his back (i think!) 
Koz also is sporting some hair gel to maintain the look.
Never thought I would style a cow mohawk!

 We woke up early so we could get Kozmo ready because we also had to get BunBun ready for his rabbit show!  Then we zipped back home to get out little cowgirl ready. 

My cowgirl

Then we raced back to the fairgrounds and thankfully, there was no poop on the hooves!  So far, so good! 

Feeding and watering Kozmo before the show.
This little guy doesn't like to go too long without food. 
He's a growing Holstein!

G1 participated in the rabbit show, which went a little long and was stressing me out, then we rushed back to Baby Kozmo and led him over to the show ring.  G1 was in the last group during the first show so she had to patiently wait while the other kids were being judged on their showmanship.  I understood this to be the judge looking at how well the kids controlled their cow and presented themselves.  Even if the cow was misbehaving, a kiddo could still potentially win if they kept their cool and acted confident.  G1 did a great job and Kozmo behaved really well.  G1 received a yellow ribbon (what I understand is that you can receive Gold, Bronze, or silver in this category) so she received the highest level award in this area, as did all the kids in her 4-H club.  And seriously, they all deserved it because they all did a fantastic job.

Getting ready to show Baby Kozmo

The judge went around and talked to each kiddo.  I really wish he would have been mic'd so we could hear his questions and the kid's responses.

Talking to the judge during
showmanship part of cow show

Next the kids were grouped into categories based on the weight of the calves.  G1 was again in the last category because Kozmo weighed in at 245 lbs which put him in the largest weight class (remember he started out at 104lbs...he gained the most weight in the entire 4-H club!!!) As far as I understand, the cow's were judge based upon their physical appearances and the qualities you look for in a "handsome" cow.  We knew Kozmo had grown a lot and we also knew he was a good looking cow.  Partly luck of the draw?  Most definitely yes.  But G1 had also put in a lot of work this summer making trips to the cow stall to make sure her cow had food.  She has brushed him a TON.  And she showered him with love.  You cannot tell me that didn't help him grow and flourish into such a good looking little guy.  And seriously, all the kids who were in the final running for this award were the kiddos who for the most part put in the most time with their animals.  It was not a coincidence in my opinion that these kiddos were doing so well.  We knew Kozmo had a good shot at winning the overall award for a "quality" cow because some people who knew about cows told us he was good looking!

Waiting for the "quality" part of the cow show

G1 went into the ring and the competition was tough.  Many of the kids had done such a good job caring for their cows and there were some sharp looking little heifers.  But in the end....Baby Kozmo was crowned the Grand Champion Bucket Calf in the quality division.

Grand Champion Bucket Calf
in the Quality division!

Congrats G1!!!!  We are so proud of all the hard work you put in this summer!  You gained so much confidence with working with your calf which I think has spilled over to other areas of your life.  You have also learned the value of working with and pitching in to help others, you listened to the suggestions of the older 4-H members who were helping you out, and you learned how to care for another animal and fill in and be his "mom." 

Grand Champion Bucket calf awards: a purple ribbon, a belt buckle, and a beer mug with a calf on it.

 

Fair Week

 A couple of the girls in our cow 4-H group were very knowledgeable about rabbits and they encouraged us to bring BunBun to the fair to show him in the open rabbit show.  Plus, since we were spending 10 hours a day (not exaggerating here!) at the fair, we would actually get to spend a lot more time with Bun then if we left him at home.  So, on Wednesday afternoon, we crated up the bunny and took him down to the fair grounds to spend a few days on public display.

 Before BunBun arrived, I had signed him up in the division for small rabbits.  When we brought him in, the people were like "um, no. he is not a small rabbit." so I had to weigh him!  He was a heft 6.9lbs!  But when I went back and looked at what his "adult" weight was supposed to be, it said 6-8 lbs so he is right in the middle....or perfect in our opinion! :)  But it did mean that we had to change his division to "large" rabbit! 

 The older girl we knew was so helpful to us with BunBun.  She trimmed his nails for us (I'm no good at trimming dog or rabbit nails!) and she showed G1 the proper ways to give her bunny a bath.  This was like a spa week for BunBun: Mani/Pedi and a hair treatment. 

 The day of the show G1 had to place BunBun on a carpet square and the judge came around and looked at his quality.  The judge's consensus is that Bun is a nice looking little man but he "needs more muscle tone."  G1 was curious how to attain this and is thinking about putting him on an exercise program.  G1 also needs to learn how to handle BunBun a bit better.  We are now working on this at home and are holding him more each night before bed.  In the end, BunBun received a blue ribbon (in the 4-H world, from what I understand, this is the highest award you can get.  Each kid is awarded either a blue, red, or white ribbon for your display so if you meet the standards you will receive a blue.)  G1 was pretty excited to have BunBun at the fair although he did come home each night to sleep with her in her room.  I do not think this is standard fair protocol but when you are at the barn as much as we were and as late as we were....they don't really notice when you remove your animal last thing at night and then bring him back in the morning right away:) 

Having fun with Kozmo during fair week

 We had a great time at our little county fair.  The boys and G1 got some wristbands and were able to jump on the jumphouses for one full day.  And there were little games in one barn for the kids to play throughout the day as well.  The bonus---the kid barn was right next door to the cow and rabbit barn so we had stuff to do all day long.  Along with the sorta lame shows offered, we kept super busy and really did enjoy ourselves.  It helped a ton that our friends were at the fair everyday so the kids really enjoyed getting to hang out with their friends.  We also got to go on a wagon ride which all the kids thoroughly enjoyed. 

This is how Kozmo was displayed at the fair for all to view his handsome-ness

 I seriously think the highlight of the week for G1 was having Baby Kozmo meet BunBun.  She had been talking about doing this all summer.  She really wanted the two "brothers" to meet and had asked several times if we could take BunBun down to the stall at night.  She was so proud of her animals on display.  I loved it!   And I loved the time I got to spend with my kids just hanging out doing family activities.  What a great way to end our summer!

City golf league

G1 was involved in a golf league again this summer through the city that consisted of two group lessons followed by three golf tournaments. Each tourney was a bit different format (best ball and then two individual competitions). Due to our schedules, we were able to participate both of the 5 week sessions so G1 was able to get out and hit golf balls at least once a week (the two previous years we have only been able to swing one session due to travel plans). The first session took place on the city golf course G1 had never played before and she did really well but on the big tourney day, she just had one of those bad golf days and did not do so hot. At. All. She had won 2nd place in her younger age division the two previous years so I was hoping that receiving absolute last place wouldn't spoil the game for her. She was still having fun, had a great attitude about the game and was still looking forward to the next session out at the golf course she is more familiar with. Brad tried to take her out on occasion to putt or hit range balls and give her additional tips as well to keep her interested.

2nd place City golf league
8-10 year old girls

G1 had been having some really great golf days over the past few weeks but last week, even though she was chipping and putting well, was struggling with hitting off the tee.  So, last night, Brad took her out to hit some range balls and help her tweak what was going on with her swing, etc.....stuff I really cannot help her with at all even though I am with her on the course the majority of the time.  Today was the big tournament of the second session.  Her age group plays 6 holes.  She started off her first hole pretty depressing.  Bad tee shot, not a great chip, and lots of strokes on the putting.  She got upset and we had to have a little talk about her mental game.  I always tell her that is the best thing about golf is that even though you may have one bad shot or one bad hole, you get to start over with your next hit...time and time again (so I need to tell myself this!!!).  She changed her attitude and everything came together for her.  She did awesome on the next 5 holes.  She had some amazing chip shots and her putting was pretty good for the 8-10 year old set too.  When the scores were tallied....G1 was tied for 2nd place.  She was so excited!  Off to a putt off she went.  The girl she was tied with was much better at hitting off the tee's but had struggled on her close game this morning so I knew if G1 could just be her steady self, she could do well.  The girls tied on the first round of the putt off.  Then they tied on the second round of the putt off.  On the third round, the other girl made a small error.  G1 took the opportunity and won by 2 putts after a grueling putt off!!!!  The absolute best part about it was.....both girls were just so excited to win.  The girl who took 3rd place was so thrilled to have gotten a trophy and was such a great sport.  And I was so proud of G1 because immediately after the putt off she went over, shook the girls hand, and told her great game and great job.  It was truly sportsmanship at its best.  So proud of you today G1!!!!!! 

Having fun at the stalls.....

G1 and Baby Kozmo practicing posing for the fair.
She has learned how to square up his feet. 
Hopefully he will want to cooperate on the big day!

 Fair week is coming up here which means Baby Kozmo will soon be returning to his Mama (that's what we call it around here to make it sound better than selling him back to the dairy farmer).....to say we are sad is an understatement.  I got a little teary eyed the other day just thinking about it. 

W&G2 are always finding new ways to entertain themselves

 Baby Kozmo is one of the more stubborn cows down at the stalls.  This is a typical look for him and G1.  She is tugging at him and he is refusing to move. 

 Having friends come and visit Baby Kozmo has been one of the highlights for all the kids.  During bottle feeding, G1 would explain to the kiddos how she had to weigh and mix the milk and then she would let the kids help her feed Kozmo.  This was a huge hit although not many of them liked the after slobber!

Boys enjoying some farm life by fence climbing

 Baby Kozmo is an affectionate little cow.  He loves to look up at you with his big brown eyes.....he will also lick you and try to eat your clothes.  If you are sweaty, let's say because you just went on a run, you are an instant favorite due to the salt!

 I asked the lady who is our "cow expert" if she thinks the cows remember us from day to day.  She said she normally doesn't work with cows one on one so closely like we are doing so she isn't for sure....but my opinion is that yes, the cows know which kids they belong to and who is giving them their grain and water each day.

Don't pick your nose Baby Kozmo!

                                                   What a nice looking little Holstein!!

Baby Kozmo right after a bath.  Seems the cold water has left him feeling very alert!

Baby Kozmo Update

 To say that Baby Kozmo has been the center of our summer would be a pretty accurate statement.  We spend 2-3 hours a day down at his stall doing our cow chores and playing with him.  Each morning he gets a bath and some evenings when things have been especially moving in the bowel department, he gets another one.  It's been so hot here that I like to think he enjoys getting a refreshing cool down every day. 

 Kozmo has been such a great experience for G1.  Quite honestly, getting her to get excited about the cow barns in the mornings towards the end of the summer has been a bit more difficult.  It's hot there and the sun is blaring down on us relentlessly.  The heat makes the cows a bit unagreeable and the flies can get a bit thick.  But at night, she loves going down to the stall.  The mountain air is always cooler and our East facing stall is much more comfortable.  The kids are more relaxed and not rushed to get to their daily activities and the pace of the stalls is just a lot more fun.

 G1 has met some pretty cool kids from this 4-H cow experience.  One thing I really like about our group is that it is mixed ages, from 8 years old to 17 years old.  The older kids are always so willing to help out the younger kids with walking their cows or giving them advice on how to do something in a way that might make things easier.  G1 loves walking Kozmo around when there is a group of kids down at the stalls.  They run their cows, lead them around the show arena, and practice lining up their calves feet the way they will for their 4-H show during the fair. 

 And the other families are really nice too.  I enjoy talking to the other parents.  It seems like we get to do a majority of the stall beautification while the kids are out having fun with their cows, but no one seems to mind that much.  It's really not as horrible as it sounds having to clean out a stall.   And G1's stall partner's family and us have been pretty diligent about cleaning the stall every day so ours does not really have a stench that some of the others are starting to develop.

 W LOVES to go down to the cows each night.  He loves the animals, the people, the whole atmosphere down at the stalls.  I think he would love living on a farm.  G2 was having a VERY bad attitude about the whole cow thing for awhile but now he is loving it too.  After I do the major stall cleaning, I let them use the pitchforks to clean up any of the tiny dry manure chunks that may have been missed.  They LOVE this job.  Who could've guessed!  W loves to drive the wheel barrow over to where we dump it after we are done cleaning.

Even the hubby loves coming to visit Baby Kozmo!  I'm not really sure if I have said this before or not, but raising Baby Kozmo has been such a confidence builder for G1.  She was pretty timid about her calf at the beginning of the summer.  And although she has been much slower to come around than the other kids, she is now not as jumpy around her cow.  When he bucks around, she doesn't freak out.  There are still aspects of the experience she does not enjoy at all (anything that may get her gross or dirty!!!) but she can lead around an almost 200lb cow and not be nervous like she was just 2 months ago.  I'm so glad we were able to experience this Urban Cow project this summer.  It has been a TON of time but truly an awesome experience!