Funny Things Kids Say

While driving in the car and discussing babies and who was borned first, Annika says to me "Mommy I wasnt alive when Holly was getting borned because I was still getting Built!!

Achievement Day Clifton 4H

Today was the completion of Taylor's first year of 4H. During the year the members
work on their projects and on Achievement Day they have these projects judged and their projects are completed. They may go on to Exhibition, and some go to ProShow, but after Achievement Day the project is complete.

Taylor took Photography as a non-livestock project. She didnt do a great job of remembering to get photos and keeping track of when and where she had taken them all year, but she did take amazing photos and we managed to pull them together into a complete project. She had to prepare an album with certain photo requirements, as well as 2 other exhibits of her choice off a list, and she chose a framed enlargement of any topic, and a special effects photo.




I dont have photos yet of her completed project, but we will get them back tonight and I can take photos... but this was her framed enlargement :) She's got a knack! There's a tonne of work to the Photography project, the least of which is to go on road trips with the other members and the leader and learn something about taking photos. lol She loved these but didnt actually get to them all which made her sad.

Taylor also took a livestock project, a Dairy calf. It has to be Dairy hehehehe! Scott wont have it any other way :)

There is a lot of work to the calf, from the training to the cleaning and clipping. And learning about them. For judging and other stuff.
The night before the show we can't resist one more walk around the yard. the plan was to wash her but they never did do that.

Taylor giving Scott a lot of attitude. We were ready to quit at this time. Hahahah she's just soooooo rude!

Getting some tips and hints from Daddy. He doesnt always come across as "kind" LOL but he gets the tips to her.

Annika walking her sister's calf. She and Holly cannot wait to be in 4H :)


The day comes all too soon! The calf was washed before dawn and cousin Nathan helped with the topline and took her to the farm for the show :)
We all went to the show and after checking to see that "Best" the calf arrived safe and clean, we went to see the rest of the animals. The girls were just thrilled with these little miniature horses :)
This little fellow's wild hairdo was great to see and play with :):)

We watched the goat showmanship and conformation, then the beef animals went. After them the dogs were judged. And then the dairy class went in.

Taylor was all ready to go and getting a little nervous! She went to get Best ready :)


Relaxing a little bit while Nathan was touching up the topline.

Shined up and ready to go :)


Waiting is hard to do. Its a good time for the calves to settle down :)


Finally the class begins. Junior Showmanship is a class of 2. There are not nearly as many dairy members as there used to be :)

Bring judged. The calf walked a little bit fast, but she set her feet up fast and stopped quickly and Taylor watched the judge well and was always paying attention to his cues.
Pulled up in First PLACE YAY for Junior Showperson! Way to Go Taylor!!! Now you have to hold onto it...dont make mistakes....

And she did!!! Here, hearing the reasons why they were placed as they were, Taylor and Best in first and the other member in second for only a few little things.

The kids in the barn, playing with Kittens. note Annika and Angeline (who's family came to see Achievement Day) in the middle :):)

In the Conformation class, the calf is judged more than the showperson, who only has to make sure the calf looks and stands and walks as well as possible. Taylor's calf was the only March calf so she showed with the December calves.

She was pulled up into third place, and then moved up to second place. She was months younger than the other 2 calves but not so much smaller :)


In second place.

Champion Calf class...the judge picked the 2 coloured breeds and Champion and Reserve, and Taylor's calf was fourth. She looks so stinking SMALL in there lol!


So because Taylor won Junior Showmanship she went in the Champion Showmanship class. This was a riot, she has never shown any of these animals before! lol She had to show a goat. lol

She had to show a Rabbit. No idea how and she didnt want to pull it's ears!!

She had to show a duck as the Waterfowl contribution!


After Taylor let the sheep go and 3 people chased it down and brought it back, she had to show it. Someone helpd the rope while she did. lol

She got to show a dog. Never done that before for sure LOL!


And last, she had to show beef. She was so scared of the beef but ended up with a very calm, albeit large animal. it was hilarious because she could not see the judge, nor could he see her.


Annika and Angeline before dinner time. They were having so much fun!

Holly enjoyed the show a lot. I didnt see a lot of her, she was running with the kids and playing in the barn most of the day :):)



Fast forward to the awards ceremony and potluck dinner. Lots of fun. The dinner was great. Awards better.

Taylor got her completion certificate, gold for Photography and Dairy, Club Contribution, Communications (public speaking) and Judging.



The shock of the night, was when they awarded Top Dairy Group Member. This is the top member of all the dairy projects, junior and senior. Never in a million years expected Taylor to be called for it. They pulled out this big trophy and we had a giggle over it, it was SO huge....and then they said third.... second.... and first place Taylor Masters! Could have knocked us over with a feather. Its an accumulation of scores for showing, records, meetings, judging, etc. and in her first year, Taylor took home the trophy! She has a long reputation to live up to, with many many of her family members taking that trophy before including her father and grandmother.
Accepting the plaque for Junior Showmanship. not a surprise, we knew she won this afternoon.

The shock and joy still show on her face, so pleased she was to have taken home the prize!!

An amazing day for all!

Canada Day 2008

Was a nice quiet low-key event here.
Last year was really the best. We had too much fun. This year I kinda feel a little in a funk and wanted to completely avoid the crowds so we did.
To begin with, the kids had a sleepover with Nanny the night before so the day started slowly. It was hot tho and that tends to drive one outta bed. lol We got up and had some breakfast and I was doing a few chores and we were thinking about getting the kids when this FELLOW shows up at the door ;)
Scott had asked his friend to give a quote on how much it would cost to replace the fascia boards on the house and poof he's here with primed boards all ready to go up :) Um ok if you wanna work on Canada Day, feel free; we arent going to be here right?
Well Scott starts puttering around outside while I go get a shower and I come out and he has asked his mother to bring the kids in lol

We had options of going to the pond we visited last year, or going to the beach which I kinda had my heart set on but I figured we could do both. Scott was getting cranky putting the bikes on the car so we could go to the pond, it was getting late, things were just getting too hard....

So we tossed into the car and tossed off the bikes and went to the beach.



We got there sometime after 3 and the tide was way way way out. Way. Out. Millions of hermit crabs, the girls were very happy collecting them up into pools.


They searched and we spent loads of time watching them walking backwards and fighting and making walls that kept being washed away by the tides coming back in. Holly would pick up all these hermit crabs in her hands but she didnt like the brine shrimp in the water popping around her feet. Wuss.


OK I cant bear them either! But Holly put on her crocs later and went in the water and she was ok then lol so she got to do some swimming and water exploring. Wish we had thought of the boogie boards. They would have loved those.





We played in the sand and I read my book on the blanket for awhile while Scott went up to start the BBQ and make some burgers. LOL We got up to the car about 20 minutes later to see the BBQ was not starting lol and no supper was cooking up :)
While the kiddies waited for us to get it going, they ate the watermelon we had for dessert hehehe






Even Shelley got to come to the beach and have some watermelon. She totally stayed on the blanke while Annika was swimming tho :)Shelley the Turtle doesnt swim. Ironic yes!


While the burgers cooked the kids played Bocci. Annika threw the white ball very well :)

No spatula but it works.


Scott took a break to help Holly with her golf swing :)

Annika was totally annoyed that she didnt have a pink ball. Taylor did find her one eventually LOL but all this fuss over a ball colour annoys me HAHAH!


Finally time to eat the burgers!! ;) Everyone cheered up about the food :)

Dessert was Frozen Yogurt Tubes lol nice and cool ;)
After we ate we cleaned up and left, it was getting late and we had to be back for Fireworks. We didnt make it to the pond thanks to the really slow BBQ lighting. Darned Briquets. We saw 3 deer including this one who thought we were pretty fascinating too :)



We drove back to town and met Brian and Emily at his parents house to watch the fireworks. Good front row view :)
While waiting for them to start the kids had sparlers and I think they liked these almost as much as the fireworks!!



The Fireworks display was very nice and loud and bright. Some of those explosions were so colourful and I gotta wonder how they manage to make shapes in the sky. The kids LOVED them. :)





After the fireworks and sparklers were all finished, there was one tired crew of kids who were still very excited about all the lights and noise.

By the time we got home only one was awake LOL!