It's coming around fast!

It hit me like a train today. This time next week, we will have the cows in at the show. Bloody hell. I feel a tad out of control with it all...I have a feeling deep down that something isn't done, that I should be better prepared. But everything seems to be coming along nicely. Let's hope it stays that way.

I got a phone call today from Carl Moon - who is the guy from northern Victoria who basically gets the cows looking 100%+ for the show - who tells me that he is judging the Warrnambool show this weekend. Seeing as he is in the neighbourhood, he is going to call in and check out the girls a few days early. This is such good news, because if I have to do anything to get them better prepared, I may be able to squeeze it all in. Carl will be back down our way next Thursday to start clipping cows.

Maybe I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about the show because Mark is not going to be there with us. He is taking off to Queensland next Friday to play baseball in the Australian Masters. He will be gone for about 11 days. And so, just so he doesn't miss out on the experience of taking a cow to the show, I entered the 3yo (Craiglands Luckystrike 3111) in the Noorat show as well!!! Yeah, I'm sure it was words of thanks he was mummbling under his breath. LOL.

As far as what's going on here, we are in full swing of silage making. A number of paddocks have been mown and tedder raked, ready for final raking for the contractors to come in and pick it all up and put it into the silage stacks. It is a very demanding and tense time for everyone here....stuff it up at this point and future fodder for the summer period is potentially ruined. As I write this (at about 11.45pm), Mark is still out on the tractor raking paddocks, trying to work the evening moisture into the grass that got a bit dry over the day today. The forecast is for some hot days ahead of us (up to 30 c) so I reckon everyone is going to be on tenterhooks for a while.

Family-wise, I took Bridie to the maternal health nurse on Thursday for a weigh. After last month's good weight gain, she has again slipped back and has not gained very much at all. She is once again teetering close to falling off the bottom of the growth charts. In the past month she only put on 10 grams, and at almost 10 months weighs 7.1kg. But she eats like a horse (much more that Tom does), is healthy, happy and alert. I admit that I started to get concerned the last time she went through a period of slow weight gain, but we know that she can put on the weight, so I think it is more of a metabolism thing. She is possibly going to be one of those lucky girls that can eat anything and not put on weight. Obviously, she does not get this from my side!

Rex is having some teething issues fitting into our family. LITERALLY. The damn dog chews anything and everything. Must be a terrier thing. The other day it did a poo (!) and there were remenants of a peg in there. Honestly. Tom is very rough with the pup and Rex is very rough back. I have reservations about how this relationship is going to progress.....both are as bad as one another and I'm not really sure who is the worst influence.

On a positive note, Tom has begun toilet training in earnest. Since Thursday, he has been wearing undies for the majority of the time and been going to the potty. This has always been at my prompting, but tonight, in the midst of playing with a friend and Rex, he stopped, ran over to Mark and said he needed to wee. Progress. Today we also had the first poo-in-the-pants episode. I'm pleased to say, that instead of sitting around in them (like he would a nappy), he took himself into his bedroom, climbed up on the change table, took off his trackypants and poo laden undies and then yelled for me to come and fix it up!

Now some of you may balk, wince or even dry retch at the thought of this, but for those of you out there (especially mums) that have gone through the whole toilet training saga, I'm sure you'll agree with me that whilst it really is one of the more disgusting aspects of parenting, these things do make you happy in your heart because you realise that your kids are growing up and developing.

But may I say....I can't wait for it to be over!

And our thoughts turn to.......

barbequeing!!!

Yes, that's right. It's BBQ season. Actually, we BBQ most of the year round, but during spring and summer, we cook a hell of a lot on the hotplate. Our BBQ also has a spit attachment so there is also rotisseire beef, pork and chooks to be had in addition to the usual fare. Yesterday was the first real hot day of the spring season (got to about 31 C) so the notion of cooking meat outside, eating salads and drinking a couple of cold ones just got too much for me! Ahhhhhhh, I love it. And this time of year is perfect, because the flies haven't managed to breed up too much yet. In another month or so, we won't be able to get out the back door for fear of being bombarded by enormous blowflies. The damn flies are constantly going while the sun is up and then when they decide enough is enough, the rotten mozzies start up! Argghhhhhhhh. It's enough to drive you to drink. And it usually does.

So, whilst we have this period of nice weather and low bug numbers, I am going to sit on the verandah, let the kid and dog tear up the garden and enjoy a glass or two of wine while watching hubby tackle the traditional role of BBQ cooker.

Bliss.

Introducing Weraireds Craiglands Rex

He's here! And ain't he just soooooooo cute? We've been getting reports about his progress over the past couple of weeks from the stud owner and also the vet, whom we both use, and both have told us how much of a big boofer Rex is. Apparently he turned out to be the most aggressive of the litter and would only let the other pups eat after he was finished. I was imaging that he was going to be ENORMOUS but really, he is soooooo small. I guess my perspective of animal sizes is a little different seeing as our "babies" (the calves) are so much bigger.

Tom has been waiting for Rex to arrive and actually started to get a bit teary about the fact he wasn't with us yet. 4 weeks is a long time to wait for a 3yo, which was the last time Tom saw him. He was the one that eventually named the dog Rex (oh, ok.....I 'helped' a bit) and with his slight lisp, it sounds quite funny coming out of Tom's mouth.

But he is here now, tearing up the place and battling the overgrown lawn. He is initially allowed to sleep in the laundry until he is a bit older and has acclimatised to the outside a bit more (he has lived all his life in a laundry so far), but I am keen to get him outdoors 100% of the time. And after last night, when he whimpered most of the night, my resolve is now set in cemet!



He is going to be really good for Tom. Tom has never been much of an animal kid, which is strange considering how many we have around here. The most affection he has shown to any of them was our duck (RIP duck). I thought that he was a bit apprehensive about the dogs because our other two (Tottie and Blue, both kelpie X) are quite big in comparison to Tom's size. But even with little dogs - and particuarly those that rush at you - he is VERY wary. And of course, Rex is just so excitable and leaps about. But over the past 24 hours, Tom has started to warm to the pup. So much so, that he has to be supervised lest he loves it to death.

A day of mixed emotions

Yesterday I attended the funeral of our young friend. Yes, of course it was very sad, and it was extremely hard to see that tiny coffin. However, nothing can change the fact that he is no longer with us, and I guess that whilst we must allow oursleves to grieve over the tragic loss of someone so young, we must also move on and be grateful that he came into our lives.

As I mentioned on another website recently, because of Tom's age, he will not remember all of this upset. Beyond the first few swimming lessons when he will no doubt ask where Rueben is, I doubt very much whether he will even give it all another thought. But I will. And I will try to use the whole experience to make me a better person....a better mum. At times, I am too quick to chastise Tom, I sometimes forget that he is in fact only 3yo and cannot be expected to remember everything I say and all the rules we impose. If I've learnt anything from Rueben's death, it is that life is so very precious and it really can be taken away in an instant.

So I am going to enjoy my kids. Be more accepting of their faults. Sure, I'm not going to let them run rings around me and rest assured, there will be a measure of discipline in our house, but I am going to get off his back a bit more. I'm positive that there will come a time in his life when I will find myself chastising him on a regular basis (ie teenage years)........I don't need to be doing it now.

On a brighter note, this week we were judged in the Semex-Holstein Australia on farm challenge. This is where you nominate a number of cows to be judged based on conformation and other physical traits. We submitted 2 cows per class (2yo, 3yo, 4yo, 5yo & mature class). One of our 3yo cows - Craiglands Luckystrike 3111 - came third in her class. This is a great acheivement as the 2 and 3yo classes were very competitive.

When we selected her, and then on the day of judging, she was looking to be a standout cow - one that we would potentially be able to take to the show. This made me inwardly groan as she is a predominately white cow. Lordy.....the washing that is in front of me!!!

Craiglands Luckystrike 3111

A huge thanks goes to Mike Huth of BOS Trading who spent a couple of days with us selecting cows for the on farm challenge. The bugger of it all (for him), is that it was an ABS cow that got up on the day, rather than a BOS one!! We'll see how we go in the Colac on farm challenge in a few weeks time with a BOS PT daughter!

Also this week, Bridie had another trip to the maternal & child health nurse for a weighing. Again, she has put on weight - 210gms - which is great. She now weighs a whopping (not) 7.1kg at 9 months of age. LOL. Yes, she is going to be a petite little thing.

Tragedy and heartbreak

It is with an extremely heavy heart and great sadness that I write this post. Yesterday we received some terrible news - news that no parent wants to get.

A young friend of Thomas' - a kid in our swimming class - died on Saturday afternoon. And it was in the most tragic of circumstances. His mum put him down for a nap in the afternoon and instead of going to sleep, he got himself into a chest that was being used as a toy box in his room. The lid closed and he couldn't get out. He suffocated. He was 3.5yo.

I am trying my best not to think about it, but as a mother of a similar aged boy, it is damn hard not to. I look at Thomas and I just want to hold him close. I have to say, that my sharp tongue retorts towards him and my often short fuse have been held in check over the past 24 hours.

Tom and Rueben spent almost every Tuesday morning together for more than the past 2 years, initially getting used to the water and in latter months, enjoying the beginnings of actual swimming. I have watched this little boy develop from a baby into an active toddler, and I simply cannot fathom that he will no longer be there.

I cannot imagine what the family must be going through and my most deepest sympathies go to his mum and dad and their extended families.

RIP Rueben and may the angels always watch out for you and keep you in their care.

I am now off to hug my kids and tell them how much I love them. Once again, I am reminded of how precious life is.

The milestones continue

At just over 8.5 months of age, Bridie has decided to roll over from back to front! This means that assertion of her independance has been taken to another level and my life with her has changed once again. In the next few days, I imagine that she will become more and more proficient at rolling around and no longer will she remain where I place her. Of course, the frustration that she has encountered in recent months will also largely alleviate as she is able to move herself to where she wants to go, so that is a good thing in my books. And the other benefit is that she will be more mobile to escape her brother who still finds her the ideal target of his often rough affections!

Colac, Colac hear us roar.......

Colac Braves - B Grade Premiers 2008

After a nailbiting and at times sloppy game, the Colac Braves pulled off the clincher of the season by winning the baseball grand final 13 runs to 12 against Ballarat Mounties on Saturday. At the bottom of the 1st dig, the score was 6 to 4 (Ballarat's way)...amazing score seeing as some of the games throughout the season didn't total that much in NINE innings!!! The Braves trailed the whole game and then deep in the 7th innings, when down by 1 run, they managed to bring it all together and score 2 runs to take the lead. I am also happy to say that it was Mark who crossed the plate to take them to the lead.

Unfortunately the seconds did not have such a great outing and they lost their grand final game by 1 run against Corio (11 runs to 10), so there are mixed feelings at the club about the weekend.

Mark however, had a fabulous weekend. Not only did his side win the grand final, but he was also presented with life membership for the Colac Braves. He has been playing with the Braves since their inception and prior to that, with the Colac Demons (which merged with Colac Tigers to become the Braves). This year he also enjoyed his 300th game with the Braves (more games played if you count the Demons' games), so this capped off a great season for him. He didn't however, fair too well on the injury count for the weekend. A bad back due to being cleaned up at home plate while attempting to tag a player out, a badly bruised knee and a large purple/black bruise on his side courtesy of some dodgy pitching, and the usual miriad of scrapes and cuts that go with playing baseball. But to be honest, he doesn't really feel them. He is still just so happy.

Colac Braves' newest life member

"Colac, Colac hear us roar

Colac, Colac watch us
score

We love our women

And we love our beer

Colac, Colac. It's our
year!"