This morning was the goat show. All three of our youngest girls showed their goats, and Evie showed a goat as well. These girls showed up, worked hard, and did their best. All of them make me proud! Our goats were good goats. They were not the biggest or the most muscled goats in the show. Will they ever be? I doubt it. Mostly because I am not sure that we will ever put in the time, energy, effort or money to have the best goats in the arena. It doesn't mean my kids learned less, or had less fun, or even that they didn't work as hard. 4-H is a weird organization. It can be amazing. It can teach kids so much stuff - life skills, things they will actually use in their adult lives. I think of the things I learned that I actually use in my life - things like work ethic, how to run a meeting, how to give a presentation, how to take your project and market it in a way that makes the best product for what it is. It can also teach them other lessons if you let it. Things like how to spend thousands on an animal, how to lose money on feeding, how to put all your effort into winning a trophy, even though you have never once attended a 4-H meeting, or helped with a single, solitary fundraiser, community service project, clean up day, or other event. And no, I am not in a bad mood, I just happen to think that my kids are getting more out of it than that. That being said, we had red ribbon goats (except for Evie - whose goat won the 4-9 month old breeding goat open class show and got a purple ribbon).
I even have a little story to back up my point. Harper and Quincy were in the same showmanship class. Admittedly, we have not worked with these goats as much as we should have, and they are a little bit on the "unfriendly" side. During showmanship, Harper's goat was acting like a giant a$$, and at one point somehow jumped and got out of her choke chain. She was contained in the fenced arena, but Harper had a look of complete angst. Without a second thought, Quincy took the chain out of Harper's hand, gave her the goat she was showing, and took off after the loose goat. She caught it, put the chain back on and then finished the show with the 'badly behaving' goat. I got choked up. I love how she takes care of her little sisters. This is Quincy's last fair. She isn't a person who really cares about winning - but the class she showed today, and the caring she exhibited makes her a winner in my book. I know she is going to do fine in life. She has the ability to care about others, jump in without being asked, or even thinking about it, and help where needed. She has grown up to be such an amazing girl! I am so proud of her - I am proud of all of them!
I did get tickled at Evie - she was so excited today to show her goat. We took Chizzy in for her because Chiz is the sweetest little baby goat ever! Evie and I talked about questions the judge might ask - she knew the goat's birthday, what it eats, and that it was a bottle kid. She knew how to handle walking it, and stopping, and listening for the judge's directions. The judge and her had a fairly lengthy conversation. I felt confident that she knew all the answers to all the typical questions. The judge then talked about Evie's goat - and he said I have a 5 year old and she also loves to talk! :)
Good job Evie and Chiz!
My God the time went fast for these 2 girls growing up! We were laughing before the show - about the crazy stuff they used to do. Jim mowed and weed wacked behind the chicken barn before the fair - I jokingly said where are Quincy and Landrie going to get dressed now? Flashing back to them proudly telling us "we didn't have to wait for the bathroom to open - we got dressed behind the weeds!" They also found wild garlic in the weeds - and ate it! They also saw a kid steal the ribbon off of another child's exhibit and tried to fix it....the problem was that they didn't want anyone to get in trouble, or to tell on someone, so they snuck into the fair office and stole a ribbon. I caught them stealing it, and ripped their buns, but didn't find out why for years. They have the best hearts of any kids you will meet. I know Dusty and I both shed a lot of tears this morning.
They hate my need to take photos, but I don't care. Today is just a lesson in the fact that time goes too fast, and I want all the pictures.
Love me some county fair pictures.
And now, we must run....there are a few more memories yet to make.
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