DIRT ON THE'RE BOOTS

Austin are you going to be a basketball player when you get older Blake asked? No (he laughs) I'm gonna be a farmer. Me too or maybe I can be the vet for the farm says Savannah. Yup ill be a farmer boy and you will be the farmer girl. This was the conversation between my husband daughter and nephew this weekend. Like a lot of kids there age to them there dads have really cool jobs. As I sat down to write this the two of them show up at the front door jeans wet and muddy up to the knees and somehow there feet that were now bare also covered in mud. What were you two doing, I asked. Well we found a puddle to wash our boots off in they explained as Austin dumps the water out of his boots. Our daughter was the first of the grandchildren born into the farm followed by my nephew. They both spent several days a week in the barn from the time they were infants till now as did the two that followed. let me just say milking while 39 weeks pregnant is somewhat hilarious to watch. There are several grandchildren older and younger on my husbands side thirteen total and I have one little nephew on my side and I love them all SO much! If you stop in at my house especially during the summer there is a good chance my kids will be dirty. Not because I don't make them wash there hands or keep clean clothes in there rooms but because there always outside. I was raised by a mom who while particular about her house being clean and yard looking nice had no problems letting us kids get dirty. I credit her for the fact that when those two showed up at the door covered in mud I could laugh and love the fact that they knew they could show up at my door all dirty and it would make me smile. Studies have shown that farm kids can often have better immune systems than those not raised on farms. I know this is not always the case but it often can be. It makes sense to me! I have on more than one occasion had to say stop sharing your animal crackers with the cows as my 2 year old was eating out of her snack cup then letting a cow eat one out of her hand, her response" but mom I sharing".  In my opinion my kids are blessed to grown up on a farm. They learn some of life's hard lessons at a young age and are shown daily examples of what it means to work hard. I asked my daughter what her favorite thing is about living on a farm and she did not hesitate for a second, just said helping with stuff. I wasn't surprised by her response. She will often come home from school and want to go help Blake fix something in the shop or on weekends tag along to feed the cows in the morning. I think its fair to say not every 5 year old would say helping is one of there favorite things also safe to say if I asked her again I may get a totally different answer. Because my husband farms with two of  his siblings and his parents they also get time with uncles and grandparents and some of there cousins more than most kids. There is really no need to explain where babies come from which lucky for Blake and I will make that future conversation a little less awkward. Soon after our second child was born Savannah who had just turned 3 was sitting beside me on the sofa, looks up at me and this is how the conversation went.
Savannah: mom I hope I can have surgery when I get big.
Me: Why? I hope you never need surgery.
Savannah: Because I want a baby.
Me: I laugh oh Savannah not all moms have surgery when they have a baby (I had c sections)
Savannah : Oh most mommies have babies like a cow?
Me: yup you got it
 Savannah:(she looks at me half frustrated) Well mom why didn't you just tell the doctor to get the cranky thing and put it around Taylee's legs to pull her out.
I laughed so hard and called Blake right away to tell him about our conversation.
Just like doctors use forceps or other tools in human deliveries If a cow in having a long or difficult labor there are tools used to help which is what my then 3 year old was referring to. These kids have been blessed with the opportunity to be around animals and run around in the fresh air which lets be honest at times is a little to fresh. I can still see my adorable oldest niece pinching her nose because it smelled bad at grandmas.To the other nieces and nephews helping feed a calf or stopping in to see the peeps is special and exciting because its not what they see everyday. Neighbors helping each other out is just another thing they get to see. No matter how busy you may be if a neighbor is in need of help or there is an emergency you can bet another farmer will be there to help. It can be something as simple as we got two feet of snow and someone needs to get to work and cant get out of their driveway so a farmer clears the snow for them or if there is a sudden death people will show up and milk your cows for you. I still remember as a kid one year during harvest my dad was recovering from surgery and the Amish neighbors were out helping with there horses right alongside the tractors. These are just a few examples myself or my kids have seen, and in todays world it could be pretty easy to just worry about yourself so I love knowing that my kids get to see this first hand. I could go on and on about the funny things they say or conversations that happen because of things that happen on the farm. I am sure my husband or brother-in-laws could share things the kids have said while riding in the tractor with them also but I gotta stop somewhere 😊