Tough training day.

Sprout had a rough day yesterday.  The LovelyTrainer and FarmBoy were with her working with one of her steers and he decided he just wasn't going to cooperate and was going to go for his own stroll.  Unfortunately he took her with him when he did it.  She didn't let go and got drug quite a ways and through some gravel.  Today is not a good day for her, but I'm still proud she hung on and didn't let him get loose into a field.  I'm pretty sure he was headed that way, but because she still had a hold of him when everyone else got to him, he was easier to get back under control.  He is going to have to be tied up much more.  FarmBoy is contemplating what to do.  Tying them up makes them more docile and if you tie them up to where you take them water they get to where they know that have to behave for that person to get a drink.  We just don't have a really good spot to do that so that he is separated from everything else.  We can't have Sprout hurt again.  

FarmBoy started his new position, at the company he works for, today.  It's in maintenance and not production.  He'd rather be in maintenance so I'm happy for him.  It's another bump in pay and that's good all the way around.  I'm excited to see how today went.  He has been an industrial maintenance man most of his career but when he took the job at this company you have to work your way into maintenance no matter what your skills are.  He's made it there faster than most so that is a good sign.  

I just have this feeling that the weekend is going to be a bit long and I'm not really sure why.  It's going to start raining tonight and it's been overcast and just not real nice outside so maybe that's why my mood is in a funk.  I'm hoping to get the basement organized a bit more and get out some summer clothes and put away winter things.  I plan on sorting some stuff out for donation while I work.  If I can get it all done then I will feel like I accomplished something.   I need to get it more organized for when the chimney comes out.  It's getting taken out soon.  Since we moved the water softner it's not used and has leeks occasionally so we will be glad to have it gone.  Thankfully we had some leftover plywood and don't have to buy any.  Wow the price of lumber is crazy.  We really need to put a new roof on, but we were planning on changing the shape of the roof when we did it.  Since costs have risen so dramatically we decided to patch one more summer and hope things come down.  

Trying to get organized.

 One of the things I'm trying to do before I exit my full time job is get organized at home.  Frankly since I work full time it's easy to say oh well x can just be let go because I work and I just don't have time to do it.  Well what happens when I do actually have time to do it?  I've started looking at different home management binders and trying to determine what will work for me and our house.  

My cleaning schedule is a little relaxed and frankly the house isn't as clean as I would like it to be, but I have prioritized Sprout more than keeping a pristine house.  I know schedules will help until I get into a good routine.  The first of the schedules is going to be the semi annual deep clean of our tiny house.  Decluttering will be a big part at first.  I don't plan on having a garage sale, but I do plan on donating to two separate groups that have garage sale fund raisers.  I don't mind hanging on to somethings if they go to good causes.

The office is my husband's domain, but this is his weakness so I'm probably going to take it back over.  A new filing system needs created to help out with this one.  

There are many more sections that I'm still deciding if they are good for me.  Meal planning is one of those that sometimes works at our house and sometimes not depending on if FarmBoy is on nights or not.  I'll definitely be cooking at home way more than before.  I'm working on recipes that we use now and will be adding more to the list.

Holidays are my thing so this one will be a bit more extensive than most people would do.  I love to decorate and cook and celebrate most major holidays in a big way.  I'd like to catalog the decorations and other items so it definitely will have a large inventory section.

There will be some sort of freezer and pantry inventory sections, but in our house they are important since I hateeeeee carrying in groceries in the winter.  I calculate extensively so all I have to do is the bare minimum when the weather is nasty.

I'm sure there are more things I'm leaving out and for me important documents, etc are going to be a whole separate binder.  In my opinion it should be all together where I can just grab it in an emergency.  Also so anyone in the house can find the important stuff if I'm not able to provide it to them.

Proud Mom!

 We have a family friend that works with Sprout and the big cows.  I didn't show cattle and I'm just not confident enough to do this with her.  FarmBoy does work with her some, but she listens to the friend much better.  She was a 10 year 4H member and knows all the ins and outs from Sprout's perspective.  Well she hasn't had much time to work with her yet this year, but yesterday afternoon they finally got the time to get together.  Sunny her feeder from last year hasn't been outside the working pen at all this year and it was not a really hot day so he was a bit fiesty.  Sprout kept her composure and didn't panic and just kept working with him.  Her maturity in handling him is really starting to show.  It is amazing the difference between last year and this year.  I really thought she was going to want to drop out after this year.  She just hasn't wanted to be in the barn at all until school got out.  It was like a switch went off and since she can now stay at home on her own she has really stepped up her game.  She gets up in the morning and walks pigs and sheep.  I'm hoping she adds the little calves this week to the routine since they got one of them out yesterday and it went smoothly.  

Now to get the second big guy out this week.  He wasn't a show calf last year so he's going to need a bunch more work, but I believe she can handle it.  She's grown so much in the last year and I'm so proud.  

Longggg break between posts.

Wow I took a really long break between blogs and so much has happened.  Sprout is in public school and I'm planning on "retiring" next June.  It's more than a pipe dream this time.  Where to start....

In the fall of 2019 Sprout asked about switching schools at Christmas.  She wasn't meshing with her teacher and since we were planning on switching her the next fall she asked if she could just go early.  If I knew then what was about to happen I'm not sure I would have said yes, but it all worked out just as God wanted it to.  She was in class for two months with a great teacher that really seemed to get her and then the virus happened.  Her new school was already digital and they did most work on laptops so it really wasn't a hard transition to being at home.  Zoom classes and lots of help from Mom and we got through.  From March 2020 to June 2020 I worked at home full time.  I went into the office only if it was absolutely necessary.  It was fantastic actually.  In June I went back to the office when I could.  There was no option of drop in daycare anywhere close to where we live and she needed to be working with livestock on FarmBoy's days off.  We still had hopes of an in person fair then.  I was at home when he was on shift and at the office when he wasn't.  I didn't go back full time everyday until late fall when Sprout went back full time to school.  

Our fair got converted to virtual at the last minute and I mean last minute.  We were supposed to load in on Friday and Thursday night they cancelled the in person portion.  The kids were all very upset since the counties around us had been having fairs, but modified.  It was not a good end to summer.  School started on time, but on a hybrid schedule with Sprout going every other day and every other Friday.  She was just glad to be out of the house.  She signed up for cheer leading and made the squad for Football.  I attended most games and had a good time at being out of the house too.  The school year went on pretty much as usual with a few changes, but they eventually went back full time and life has pretty much settled into a routine.  She did swim and do the musical this year in addition to FFA so it was a pretty full year.  Her grades were okay considering all the changes. 

In the midst of all of this we paid the house off.  Yep I said it we are mortgage free.  FarmBoy sold enough grain bin stuff over the last couple of years to pay off the mortgage.  He has also moved up at the steel mill he works for and that has helped the bottom line considerably.  We hope to have enough tucked back to make it possible for me to step away from a full time job.  I'd like to find something part time so I don't lose my edge, but I want to be around more while Sprout is in high school.  She is really liking her new friends and still keeps in touch with some of her old friends as well.  I'm hoping when things quit being so crazy she can have a big party with all her friends.

I think Sprout moving schools when she did was really good.  Things were not normal for any of them so it wasn't such a big deal that she was the new girl.  She has a good group of friends who are for the most part christian and protective of her.  Mostly boys, but she says most girls are just too much drama for her.  She knows almost everyone in her grade, but chooses who is in her inner circle carefully.  I'm proud of her for that.  Yes boys have entered the picture too.  The current one I know his family and he's really sweet so I'm okay with it.  He too is protective of her and treats her like she should be treated.  No dating yet because we have an age limit on that one, but they talk on the phone, group watch tv shows and share a spotify list.  So you know for them it is serious.  

I'm sure there are a ton of things I'm missing, but this will do for now.  There will be a post of what in the world I'm going to do with this blog coming up.  Hint Sprout has wanted to do a vlog for a while now and I might give in soon.  Maybe.......