5.15.18 Dancing through life

These guys have so much energy and fun together. I take lots of pictures becuase they or the older kids say mom you've gotta catch that. As I mentioned previously the new phone had been inhibiting me from posting so a lot today. 

It's so fortunate we have teams of dancers here. Rarely is anyone really left out. Livy is in the more advanced stage of dipping but Bruce is fast learning his moves as well. 

 And the saga of sick animals continued. Last week Addie nonchalantly threw out that one of the pigs wasn't eating much or moving around. We went out to find this. A sick little piggy. 4-H leaders were consulted, an expensive trip to the vet was run (I just got medicine). A kind friend came and gave shots while I held the screaming pig ( I like cows better because they don't scream!). And we waited and got busy. It did not perk right up it continued to languish. We changed game plans got more medicine and began trying to force feed it from a mustard bottle...moved it to a warm stall and hoped it would get better. It would escape from that pen so we had hope.

But this morning the kids found a dead pig and began digging a hole. So we are 1-1 here. One calf saved 1 pig dead. All part of the animal experience. I'm thankful it's dead instead of just languishing. It's time to move on. The other 7 look really good. I think our pens are sufficient and shaded enough although we may build one more shelter. Hopefully we are to the easy part of pigs.

I think we have reached the threshold where everyone that was just sitting inside reading or dinging around now has an outside responsibility and thus life is fair... or not. However, they are all getting a taste of responsibility. And that is an important lesson to learn. Personal accountability and consequences like having to go out in the dark and do the chores you skipped are great lessons. Although it drives me crazy to have to inforce that rule again and again and again! I have to remember we are raising responsible, kind, well adjusted adults here not necessarily profits, or enjoying easy going parenting -but the end results will be good, I hope.
And thank goodness the high school kids leave later than the elementary kids. Harold finished the burial after Reed and Addie had dug the hole. Big brothers are the best!