My Best Parenting Ideas are Stolen

When my kids were really little, one of my farmer BFFs offered this piece of perspective-changing wisdom: Everyone parents differently.  It doesn't mean that their way is right or wrong, it's just different.

And thank God they do!  I've learned and stolen so much from my parent friends.

Like the Look of Death.  Before our neighbors were our friends, they were our parenting role models.  We sat behind them in church for several years and watched them teach their three small children how to sit still and be quiet.  We learned that with just one look, a look that says, "If I have to take you out, there will be trouble," you can change behavior. 

I also learned about Do Overs from my loyal fan.  When my son was around four, I found that there were some transgressions that didn't warrant discipline, but did need correction.  Do Overs were such a great alternative.  We would do whatever it was over until he got it right. 

Recently, I learned about The Pigs from Holly.

Manners are important to me.  Manners differentiate people.  When used, they make others feel at ease in your presence.  And just like any good behavior, I think it's important indoctrinate your kids from the start.

More often than not, we eat dinner as a family.  When my farmer is busy in the field, it's just three of us, but we still sit down and eat together.  Recently, I've been seeing a lot of bad habits forming  - inappropriate conversation, not eating with forks, chewing with mouths open, and talking with full mouths.

I'm not sure how we got on this topic in Chicago last month, but Holly was having similar issues and told me about her intervention - The Pigs.  They have a pig that sits on the table at meals.  When someone demonstrates bad manners, the pig is moved in front of their plate.  Whoever ends up with the pig at the end of the meal has to cleanup.  The pig often moves several times during the meal, even to parents.

What a BRILLIANT idea!

Our own set of pigs, courtesy of Grandma Millie's salt and pepper shaker collection, joined us at meals this week.  It was kind of tough because we had tacos three of five nights, but it made everyone more aware of our topics of conversation, talking, and chewing issues.

Thanks for letting me steal your idea, Holly!  I'm hoping to see big improvements! 

New Uses for Bad Books

For the past four days I’ve been home with sick kids. Normally I’d be climbing the walls by day two. Normally, I’d be thinking about all the work not being completed at the office.

Instead, I was a little relieved not to send them to school. Instead, I’ve relished the cuddle time with my sickies. The horrific tragedy in Connecticut certainly put things in perspective.

My time at home also provided a chance to work on a couple projects that keep getting put off. On a recent shopping trip, my friend Dawn and I saw all sorts of lovely crafts made from old books. In the past couple weeks we scheduled and cancelled two girls’ craft days due to sickness and the craziness of December.
Sunday, when I was supposed to be crafting with Dawn but couldn't leave the house, I decided to craft with my daughter. We made these from a copy of Wuthering Heights that I started and stopped before the end of the first chapter.

After she lost interest, I made this.

I’m sure there are directions online somewhere for my wreath. This is patterned after one I saw at Cracker Jax and a picture I think I remember seeing (and probably pinned) on Pinterest. I’m not big on directions. I like to look at something and figure it out for myself. I’m a problem solver like that.

In case you like directions and would like to make one, here's what I did:
Materials:
An old book
Styrofoam wreath
Pins short enough to not go all the way through the Styrofoam
Glitter spray
This particular copy of Wuthering Heights was perfect for my wreath. It was old enough to have yellowing, vintage-looking pages and it was a perfect size. I didn’t have to cut the pages to avoid having a really big wreath. I tore out about 30 pages to start.

My Styrofoam wreath had a curved front and flat back. I’m not sure if the shape of the Styrofoam is important. It’s just what I had in my craft box.  When you live in the sticks, you make due with what's on hand.

Start by making a circle with your left index finger and thumb. Place the middle of a page over the circle. With your right index finger, poke the middle of the page through the circle forming a messy cone.  You want each one to look a bit different.

Next, bend the pointy end of the cone up and pierce with a pin.

You need the pin to go through several layers of the page, otherwise it will just rip through the single layer of paper. You could put a bit of glue on the bottom of the paper that will come in contact with the Styrofoam to reinforce the bond. I didn’t. My wreath isn’t in a high traffic area so I’m not worried about people brushing up against it.
Then start poking the coned, pinned pages into the Styrofoam. I started in the middle of the ring and worked out. I found it hard to pin pages in holes later, so try to get the pages to the thickness you want before moving out.

Finally, I sprayed my wreath with a clear glitter spray. I’m not sure if I had a bad can, but when I went back in the morning to spray my ornaments the spray nozzle was all gummed up. If you are doing multiple projects, consider spraying them all at once. They spray is fairly pricey for what you get and I’m pretty ticked that I only used about an eighth of the can one time before pitching it.

So there you go.  Next time you don’t like a book, don’t throw it away.  Save it for when you are quarantined with your sickies and need something, anything to do. Next time, we’re making trees!

Day 30: My farmer.

A few days into my 30 day blogging adventure a friend asked if I had planned out my posts for the month.  Hmmm.  That would have been a good idea.

I've been flying by the seat of pants each day with each post.  Looking back, I'm kind of glad.  By not planning it all out it advance, I got to reflect each day about what really matters and what I love most about my farmer, our small town, our farm, and raising our kids out here.  The few days I was grumpy with my farmer were hard. I had to dig deep, but there was always something.  It always came back to him.

I used to drive my college friends crazy by saying, "I have the best boyfriend in the whole world."  And I did.  

After we got married, I never made the transition to "I have the best husband in the whole world."  But I do.

He married me even though I was landless.  He puts up with my silly city girl questions and ways.  He moved me to a caring community.  He gave me my babies and a second Grandma Millie.

I hate to think about what my life would be like without him.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me these 30 days.  I now need to take a short break from blogging.  I have a fifteen page research paper due next week and I am really behind.  Did I mention that I really don't like writing?

My 30 day series was part of a larger blogging project.  Check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts
Day 26: Finding common ground
Day 27: The FFA
Day 28: The future of our operation
Day 29: My athlete

Day 29: My athlete

He's my number two guy.  The second most important man in my life, only behind my farmer.

He wants to play football and basketball for Illinois then move to the NFL, NBA, or Major League Baseball.  He would prefer to play for a Chicago team so he can come home and help dad farm when he's not playing.

We talk a lot about having a plan B.  You know, in case he has a career ending injury.

If professional sports don't work out, my farmer and I would love for him to come home to farm after college.  Our challenge is finding an area of the operation that he's passionate about.

He's never been a typical farm boy.  He's not obsessed with farming the carpet with his toy tractors.  He's never liked being dirty.  He's not all that curious about how things work.  If there's one area he gravitates toward, it's technology.  And with the lightening fast pace technology is changing, we're going to need all the help we can get.

Tonight my football team is playing in the MAC championship.  On a normal day, my son makes fun of my team.  He says we play in the Cupcake Conference.  Not today.  Today he's wearing Red and Black and cheering for the best college football team in Illinois.  He looks better in Red and Black, even if his blood runs Orange and Blue.

My athlete - One of the (most important of the) 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the final thing I love about my life on the farm and final thing that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts
Day 26: Finding common ground
Day 27: The FFA
Day 28: The future of our operation

Day 28: The future of our operation

The innocent looking creature below is the future of our family farming operation.  

We think she has what it takes.

She knows where she's going to ag school.

  She prefers red over green and looks great in a Carhartt.

She knows which brand of seed to plant and she has work boots.

She rocks skinny jeans and cowboy boots.

And most importantly, she's stubborn, smart, loud, and confident enough to hold her own with her dad and grandpa.  That's my girl!

The future of our operation - One of the (most important of the) 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 2 other things I love about my life on the farm and 2 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts
Day 26: Finding common ground
Day 27: The FFA

Day 27: The FFA

Yesterday I wrote about being an introvert who learned how to be an extrovert.

I have the FFA to thank for those important lessons.

And for the two lifelong friends I got to enjoy a meal with last Friday (who will probably kill me for publishing this:).

And for my winding career path.

And for my farmer.

I got involved in FFA through my high school horticulture classes.  I learned how to and how not to be a leader.  I learned that I would not melt into the floor when I spoke in front of a group.  I learned how to identify different plants and trees, to show sheep at the fair, to judge the quality of eggs, to identify weed seeds, and to tie a bow.  I got to travel, a lot.  I learned lots of games to play with my fellow travelers, some of which I now play during road trips with my kids. 

The FFA exposed me to the diversity and opportunities the agriculture industry has to offer.  And even though I switched to higher education, I use the leadership, citizenship, teamwork, and speaking skills I learned through the FFA every day.

My senior year of high school I was elected Section 6 President.  In FFA world, this was a pretty big deal.  My first day on the job, I met my farmer.  He was the Section 2 President.  We quickly became friends.  There was just something about him.  I had to be near him.  After a year and a half I finally accepted it.  He was the one.

Our small town starts offering agriculture classes and FFA in middle school.  The ag teacher has been targeting my son with candy bars since kindergarten.  If that's what it takes to get him interested in one of the best youth organizations in the world, I'll take it.

The FFA - One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 3 other things I love about my life on the farm and 3 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts
Day 26: Finding common ground

Day 26: Finding common ground

I'm an introvert.  Really.

When I was a kid I was really shy.  In high school and college, once my self-confidence caught up, I learned to act like an extrovert.  It takes effort and I do a pretty good job, I think.  I can work a room.  I've gotten comfortable being in the spotlight.  I've discovered that it can be fun, but I also find it exhausting. 

In order to recharge, I need quiet alone time.  That may be one reason I love my 45 minute daily commute so much.  After being 'on' all day, I get some time by myself to think and reflect.  The older I get, the more I need this.

My farmer, on the other hand, he thrives in groups and he loves to talk, especially about farming.  It may be because he spends large parts of his days alone.  It's definitely because he loves what he does.  Regardless, we make a good team.

In 2011, I starting working with a business school in Spain.  My farmer tagged along on my initial site visit.  We spent the first day with my client contact doing some site seeing.  We drove about an hour to the Mediterranean Sea.

My farmer and my client talked the entire time - there and back.  He learned all about my client's family apricot farm, the Spanish economy, and the region's agriculture. 

I enjoyed listening.  I learned a lot about my client and it took the pressure off of me.

I was thankful that through his love of farming, people, and talking, he was able to find common ground with a new friend half way around the world.

Finding common ground- One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 4 other things I love about my life on the farm and 4 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts