Category Archives: Twists and Turns

Rodeo Day!

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For some reason, I woke up before the 6:30 alarm went off. I spent a few minutes taking dogs out, feeding cats and reading a chapter over a cup of coffee. I had been anticipating rodeo day, so maybe that’s why I was earlier than the clock.

Since I was at the fair grounds by 7:40, I had time to observe some of the preparations. There were a lot of riders in the arenas warming up. One big space had been divided in half to be able to have two events going on at once. Goats, horses and steers were unloaded and penned for the events. I had time to roam around and snap some pictures. There were plenty of beautiful horses on the premises, that’s for sure.

Sometime after 8, someone in the crow’s nest started the country music blaring. I could almost feel a subtle change in the atmosphere as the riders (and horses) made the mental shift from warming up to competing. The power of music is amazing.

Crow's nest

Crow’s nest

I was all set to work one of the gates for goat tying. Things started close to on time at 8:30. Girls were making good time on their runs—some of them at least. If I tried to dismount while the horse was still running, I’d end up flat on my face. Kudos to these talented, determined kids!

Storm brewing!

Storm brewing!

Rain was starting to fall, but the show went on for a bit. As soon as the lightning started getting serious, the announcer told us all to take cover. I didn’t need to hear it twice; people scattered and put their horses in the trailers to wait out the storm. Many were ready for rain—yellow-clad people were all over the place! Even saddled horses had rain slickers on because, as my friend Laura said, “Nobody wants a wet bum!” After about an hour, the rodeo events started again. The goat tying event had 37 girls lined up to compete, but it went by quickly. My gate time was up before I knew it.

Rain slickers were everywhere!

Rain slickers were everywhere!

The Chicken Chick

Homeschool Possibilities

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Homeschooling can be accomplished in many ways. Some families unschool, others use boxed curriculum, many use an eclectic mix of materials. The possible combinations are endless. That’s the beauty of it, in my humble opinion. One curriculum doesn’t have to fit all.

I was brainstorming recently, and I came up with some things that might fit my child’s learning style. In the past we used Saxon Math. She loved it, and so did I. Math is my weak area, so a tutor might be a wonderful resource as well. For other subjects, she could take some dual credit classes either online or on campus at the local community college. There are science videos, tutorials on YouTube and some cool science websites that have great ideas for projects and experiments. Reading lists are available for classics to study for English; some can double as outside readings in history. Virtual tours and Google Earth can provide hours of learning time. Local museums are often overlooked as learning resources, too. In some communities, professional artists (potters, musicians, dancers, etc.) are available and willing to give lessons under the right circumstances. It is common for homeschooling families to trade off some teaching duties. My specialty is Spanish, so I could teach someone else’s kids Spanish while another parent expert taught mine astronomy, for example.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that parents don’t have to break the bank to teach kids at home. Once you start looking, you’ll be amazed at what you find!

Travel, Anyone?

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I don’t mind working to make a living, but I feel a bout of “itchy feet” coming. If I can’t travel every now and again, what’s the point of working so hard? Anyway, I want to see the world. On my list so far: Spain, Ireland, Australia. I will jump at the chance to go to Mexico anytime since there are people I love and miss there. I often joke that I can be packed in 10 minutes, ready to go! I’m only half-joking.

The reality is that I am almost irreplaceable at home. There are pets to feed and water, so I must plan carefully for their care. It’s difficult to trust someone to take care of them like I do. I can send the dogs to daycare. Fortunately, in my town there’s a pet boarding business. I’m so thankful for a place like Koko’s Palace. I know my babies will be cared for and loved. My jobs require coverage as well. Prime travel time for me is summer, but the catch is I work more hours in the summer at my part-time job. The good news is that I can arrange time off when I need it.

Anyone else have a burning desire to see some castles and experience other cultures?

Dreams

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We all have dreams, right? My daughter wants to audition for The Voice (as mentioned in a previous post). I look for ways to support her. I take heat sometimes because not everyone agrees with how we roll at my house. We travel whenever possible, and I try to give her every opportunity. I don’t want her to look back on these teen years and think I didn’t support her. I don’t want to be that mom. You know what I mean.

I caught myself going down the dream spoiler path two or three years ago. Bela was still receiving her Pony Packs. Each shipment included a magazine with some horse-related contests. Bela found the answer to one of the questions, mailed her reply and hoped her name would be drawn out of the bucket of correct answers. I tried to prepare her for not winning. I mentioned the odds—lots of kids got the Pony Packs, so I was sure there would be hundreds of correct answers. The prize was a horse clock that neighed on the hour. After my warnings about not getting her hopes up too high, she said, “Somebody’s going to win—why not me?” I shut up and realized what I had done. I wanted to protect her from disappointment, but I could have killed her optimistic spirit. Yikes!

A few weeks later, Ysabela had mail—a box from Pony! Yep, you guessed it. Her entry was chosen for a clock! Every day the neighing reminds me to let her dream.

Relax

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Yesterday was pretty amazing. A sweet dog was picked up to go to a new home, so that was the best part of my day. After that, anything else was like toppings on ice cream. Ysabela and I were invited down to have a burger off the grill. As I have mentioned, I don’t do a lot of voluntary socializing, but I always have a nice time with Stacey and Glenn. It makes it even better that our girls are great friends.

I had a blast just relaxing for a change. I’m usually high-stress; it’s easy to forget how nice it feels to sit back and relax with friends. Glenn was so funny my stomach hurt from laughing. I took a few “stealth” pictures with my cell phone and sent them to Stacey’s cell. I almost got whacked with a spatula for my trouble! Glenn doesn’t like his picture taken! I don’t care what he says, I’m posting the best one from yesterday. Stacey, this one’s for you!

Glenn in his natural habitat.

Glenn in his natural habitat.

The Voice

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I have a special announcement at the end of this post, so keep reading. I know many of my Facebook friends read the first few lines of a blog post and comment there because it’s easy. I love that friends are reading my posts, but make sure to click on the post and go to the actual blog site or you might miss important information! You don’t have to comment on the blog if it’s a pain. I know I hate to sign in to leave a comment!

Ysabela loves to sing!

Ysabela loves to sing!

My friends already know that my Ysabela loves to sing—any time, any place. It’s what she does. Many of you do not know that I made her an account with The Voice. A few weeks ago I received an email “heads up” about coming auditions and the cities where people can go to try out. The producer will be making selections for call backs since the judges won’t be there. I discovered the closest place to us is Denver at Magness Arena. Ysabela will be trying out in June!

I have been pushing her to select her two songs and practice, practice, practice! (Nag, nag!) I don’t mean to nag, but I want her as ready as possible to do her very best. This is pretty much a one shot deal. If you would like to say a prayer for her, go right ahead. We’ll never turn those down. If you prefer to send warm fuzzy thoughts, we welcome those too!