OOOOOZING with Talent!!!

I just have to laugh at this one.

Caib got signed up for the talent show by one of his teachers......You should hear him complain and groan about THAT.

But it may just have paid off. You see, he was signed up to do a cowboy poem. He'd just finished up with a poetry unit in English and his teacher called me yesterday to let me know that Caib hadn't turned in his Poems that he was supposed to have written. I knew that he'd written some that were really good because we'd been working on them so I told her that he would get his packet done and turn it in to her. I took it with me to the Talent show this morning to give to her. I told her I had it in the pick-up She said "oh great". "But," says I " I think he must have missed the day that you explained what exactly to do to finish it up because he's missing 2 or 3 poems."
"I'll look at it and let you know" She says.

So there I sat at the Talent show watching a numerous amount of Interesting talents and getting more and more anxious because Chance and Oaklee were tired and bored. Finally Caibs turn Came up. He got up and recited the poem "Mis Raices estan Aqui" (My Roots are Burried Here)
I sat filming Caib and watching his English teacher as she reacted to his Poem. (She wasn't quite in tears, but just about.) It's a very serious poem and very touching and I love the way Caib delivers it.

So...... When Caib finished his poem,I decided that it was time to take my two little distractions and head home. Caibs teacher leaned back to me when she noticed I was leaving and Said I could just bring it in later I told her I'd just run get it. She Said something like Oh, I'm sure it's just fine Don't worry about it. I did run get it and handed it to her and she kept assurring me that it wasn't a problem with the three poems missing and she was sure it was beautiful and I thought "Hmmm, Way to knock 'em senseless Caib" I somehow got the impression that at least the English teacher recognized that Caib was the last person she had to worry about when it came to writing and understanding poetry. Here's an example of a couple of the poems he wrote.

Yellow

Yellow is the summer when the sun comes out,
A dandelion field where the children run and shout.
Yellow is the sound of horses clomping hoofs
Yellow is a puppy with little yipping woofs.
When you're happy and you're smiling, you are yellow.
And you are loved and enjoyed by every fellow.
It's the warm glowing sun at the end of the day.
It's the start of the morning and scares dark away.
Yellow is the wood from a ponderosa pine.
Yellow will never, ever, ever start to whine.

-Caib Brian-

And this is his Quatrain:

Big ol' Cow
Chewing cud
Walking through
the dirt and mud.

Making noise
from your snout
And I start
To yell and shout.

For I am riding
Close behind
On a mountain
Path we wind.

Swishing tail,
walking slow.
Down to the water
we will go.

Journey's done
We're home now
In the pasture
Big ol'cow.
-Caib Brian-

Inundated with birthdays, Mothers day, cows and sheep.

It all started with Caibs Birthday on April 29th We woke up early and Caib opened his presents. I Made him a carrot Cake and We had Cake and Sang him Happy Birthday. Then Our designated party chairman, Aubree decided that a week later we would have a surprise party for Dad. She made all the arrangements and even provided the decorations and Ice cream.

While Braden, Chance and Dad went to feed cows Aubree Caib and Oaklee decorated.
It turned out very nice

Dad was very surprised. Allow me now, to throw in a chattering from Chance. While Dad was at work Chance decided he needed to make him a birthday card, I was outside planting my Mothers day gift, a Northern Red Oak. The phone rang, and since I was outside Chance answered it. It was Roger. He talked to Dad for a few minutes dad told him, after their conversation, that he was on his way home. Chance came running outside to tell me.

Chance: Mom I just talked to dad on the telephone.

Me: What did he say?"

Chance:(with a bit of a guilty look) "He asked me what I was doing. I had to tell him I was drawing a picture of you for mother's day. Really I was drawing a picture of him for his birthday. After I hung up the phone I said to myself "Whew!!!!That was close."

Me: Whew, That was close!!!

So.....I planted my Red Oak tree. I'm extremely excited about my tree. It was kind of funny because Roger was in Richfield the Saturday before Mothers day and Called to ask me what kind of tree was planted in the front yard that was growing so well. I smiled to myself because I knew immediately what my mothers day gift was going to be so I told him It's a flowering Cherry but I'd really like a birch tree if that's what your going to get me.

"Well, There goes that surprise" he said

But, He did look all over town for a Birch tree and couldn't find one so I got the Northern Red Oak. I hope it survives. Then a week later he calls and says "I found a surprise for you for your birthday. Which was the fourteenth. He'd found two birch trees in another town and made a special trip to get them for me. Having thrown out my back planting my Oak tree I sent the kids out to plant my Birch trees. When I went out to check on their progress this is what I found.

Oaklee digging the hole, Caib Laying there watching

And then Aubree took over the shovel. Notice who's in the background playing with his dog.

Sigh...

Oh, alright, I'm teasing. Caib did most of the work on this one but we still had two more trees to plant after this one, my other Birch tree and a plum tree that we got for my mother for mothers day.

Braden and Caib both finished planting the tree's for me. They really are the best boys a mother could have!!

We then had Aubree's Birthday on the 16th. She got to open Birthday presents three times. in the morning, right after school, and then we had a surprise party for her that night for FHE.

And finally, Today we took the cows out. Yes it was snowing there was 4-5 inches of snow when they got them out there and it was a muddy mess!!! I drove the pick-up out and nearly slid off the road two or three times. Tomorrow the sheep go out!!! hopefully it will be a little warmer and not so muddy and wet. It'll sure be nice to have the animals out so we can get started on the farming.

I just reposted this and deleted the last one. See if you can pick out any differences.

What a real Cowboy is

I want to be a real cowboy
Living on the open land
In my mind I've got a picture
Of something really grand.

And whether or not it's true
or just something in the past
I let myself have faith
that we haven't seen the last.

It's a picture of a horse
With the reins in the dust
and a cowboy standing near
with clothes worn and caked in crust.

He's been living on the range
all alone for many a day
As he's gathering the cattle,
for the boss, to earn his pay.

And that cowboy stands alone
With his horse there near his side
And faithfully he contemplates
His long and weary ride.

The sun is hanging low
As he stands there strait and tall
And he hears the cows a settling
While coyotes yip and call.

He knows he'll be up late
As he rides around the herd.
He don't take lightly his promise
When he gave the boss his word.

Though something in that yipping
caused the cowboys heart to yearn,
And long for things at home
But though he wants to return

He knows the cows need tending,
And he just continues on,
Not knowing that too soon
his way of life will be gone.

He throws out his blanket
Beneath a cedar tree,
And he builds a little fire ,
To help chase away the lonely.

After night has settled in,
And he's caught a couple winks.
He rolls out of his covers
And he pulls on boots and chinks.

And out he rides a checking
On the safety of his calves.
Remembering the yipping coyotes,
sounds of a predators laughs.

"Now why," says I, to me,
Do I long for open land.
And the yipping of a coyote,
And the riding for a brand.

Must be something deep with in me,
must be the lessons I can learn
From a lonely cowboy
Who allows his heart to yearn.

A real cowboy who doesn't quit
If there's one thing left to do.
One who's completely honest,
When he's alone he's good and true.

He don't allow himself to quit.
It ain't even in his thought.
When he's got a job to do,
Why He's "Johnny on the spot."

Now there are a lot of men
Who claim to wear that hat.
But It's almost as if lately
It's just a lot of chat.

No, I want to be a real cowboy.
One who proves his worth.
One who shows integrity,
As he trails across the earth.

One who finishes the job,
though the boss is back at home.
I want to be a real Cowboy
No matter where I roam.

-Cathy Brian-

I reposted this because I couldn't get the last post to take up less room. Thanks to all who commented on it. Feel free to comment again:)

Caibs Birthday and Coin Art?

First off I want no comments on the awesome photography!! But be sure to comment:)

Yes, you did read right, it's Caib's Birthday not Oaklee's. If you look close you can see 13 candles. This was the second time they'd lit the candles. I kept missing the "blow out" shot. So this time Dad let Oaklee help. We'd just finished up with Sunday dinner and Dad had to go back up to the church so we hurried and did the Birthday cake so he could be there. Dinner hadn't gotten cleaned up from, yet.

How do you spend your Sunday afternoons? Chance used to have an obsession a couple of years ago, he would line things up almost compulsively. I used to go find Chance because he was so quiet and he would be in another room lining up all his toy cars or the money from the monopoly game or whatever he could find. He would also creatively use the couch cushions to actually make things instead of just pulling them off of the couch to jump on them. Sooo...Today he spent a lot of time lining up his money to count, but after getting started he decided to make it in to a picture. and "voila" he made this beautiful unicorn. He's so proud of it that I may be stepping over it for a day or two.