Franching: Warm Fun

I just can’t get over how warm it’s been the last week.  Such a nice bonus to the past Thanksgiving vacation. 
My older sister rolled into town on Tuesday and the party got started.  My parents’ house might have gotten shaken off the foundation in the past several days.  The kids have a good time running around the house. 
On Thanksgiving Day the weather was certainly better than what we asked.  After doing some exploring the kids all got together and played a big game of soccer. 
The next day the cousins banded together and made a fort.  After dragging out many tumble weeds they had a pretty big space.  They took some other tree branches and made a wall.  Then they convinced their uncle to load up some old junk to take back the fort. 
It was nice not having any basketball games to go to, however Addie did have one 6:30 in the morning practice. 
Allie is quite pleased that she is now the first chair in her trombone section.  She did spend time practicing and it paid off.
Weston told me that he did not want to go back to school.  I think that the break got him out of his usual schedule. 
Luke and the kids spent part of Friday making a Christmas star decoration for the  windmill at our house.   It took two strands of lights that I bought.  I had to go back and buy another section of lights.   The girls zip-tied the cord on and now the star is complete.

Franching: Sunday Trail

Earlier this week Weston informed me that he had a long Christmas list, and I might not have enough money to buy everything.  I think he might be right!  He will get a little gift this week since his cousins are coming in from Illinois and we will be doing the cousin Christmas exchange.  Nerf guns are at the top of his current list.  I think he and another boy cousin are getting the same thing.  I am always nervous that I am not going to get them something they want.
Addie had a full week.  She had two basketball games and a music concert.  On Saturday she and Weston got to help their dad move cows.  Allie was invited over to a friend’s house and I am sure she stayed up late.
On Sunday we rode horses.  It takes us a while to get all the horses caught and tacked up.  Maybe if the kids would quit asking me for help with different things, I might not be the last one in the saddle.  Goldie has been at our place for around ten years.  In that time, she has never really let me down.  She has a choppy stride, but she is always needs to be in the lead.  Addie and Luke rode Blondie, which is impressive since she basically has not training, she is just incredibly tame, calm and goes with the flow.
The kids only need to get through two days of school this week then the well deserved vacation time will begin.

Franching: Cotton must wait

Every morning when I get up it is so dark out, and I wonder if it is really time to get up.  However, it was nice to put the kids on the bus when it is not so dark outside.   Hope you moved your clocks back.
My horses are complete pigs, they have been consuming a whole bale of grass in just a few days.  I made Luke move a second bale feeder into their pen because two of the “outside” mares don’t seem to get the same amount of bunk space.  Poor Blondie always gets picked on.  I call her Blondie, not just because she is a palomino but because she is prone to knicks, scrapes, and not always very street smart, or should I say pasture smart.
Finally, we are approaching the end of soybean season.  We got done with ours a few weeks ago, but then we have stopped and cut beans for a few neighbors.  One guy had several fields to cut so he took the longest.  Another guy has been patiently waiting, but he only has 50 acres.  So, once they get moved it shouldn’t take long.  I have spent a few days this week helping move them around from field to field.
Many people have asked when the cotton will be picked. The cotton may take a while to get picked, or stripped.  We certainly are not set up to pick cotton in any shape or form.  We will get in line for our field to be picked.  The bowl opener has been sprayed on the cotton.  This is our first year to plant cotton, and yes, it is a bit of a risk.  We really have no experience, and the costs associated with production are high. There are only a few of the new round bale pickers in the area, but they are sure to be busy.  A new one costs $800,000 plus net wrap.  Seems reasonable. (Ok that was me being sarcastic.)
However, this is one crop that seems to be making producers money.  West of Pratt near the cotton gin. nearly every inch of ground is planted to cotton!  I took a picture of Weston out in the cotton, he was pretending to sing a song much like the “Peterson Farm Bros.”
 Addie has started basketball season.  It’s not her favorite sport, but she does enjoy the running around and hanging out with friends during the season.  The season should last until the second week of January.  She has three games next week, isn’t that crazy? Allie will want to play rec basketball again I am sure. Weston told me he wants to do sports, that is scary since he is the most competitive of the three kids.  Just playing a board game can be a major event for him.
Addie is also on the end of a project she has been working on for Veteran’s Day.  She interviewed my grandpa, and did learn many things about him and the Navy.  She has been complaining that other kid’s parents are writing their papers, and doing their project boards.  I just tried to assure her that someday that will catch up to them.
Allie has been working very hard on her piano pieces for Christmas.  I am surprised how much she has practiced being honest.  Weston like to bother her while she plays.  He also loves to try and play her trombone.   She got to spend the night with a friend for her birthday.  They went roller skating and she now insists she wants roller blades for Christmas.
Weston had his cousin Levi over and they seemed to enjoy going and playing in the girls’ big closet upstairs.  Both girls were mad the boys had been in there, but come on, they had not even opened that closet for months.

First of the last (teeth)

By Tammie Hoeme
The other day I realized that 2 boxes of Mac and cheese would not be enough to fill up my kid’s tummies.  Addie commented – I can eat a box all by myself.  Great, their dad will want to eat something to eat also.   Groceries are SO expensive.  I don’t like going to the store, and especially not with my kids.  Thankfully we do have a freezer full of meat.  We had two extra 4-H pigs that are now a regular part of our breakfast and sometimes supper.
It finally happened, Weston lost his FIRST tooth.   Such a big boy.  This will really change his looks from being a little boy into growing up into more of a big kid.   We go to parent teacher conferences this week.  I cheated and have already seen his grades online.  He seems to be doing well at school, but it might be interesting to hear it from the teacher.  Sometimes he tells me that he needs a day off.
We went to a football game a few weeks ago and sat with the other team. I knew the parents of one of the players from the other team.  Since they live in Western Kansas we don’t get to see them very often.  Weston and I sat down and began visiting with our friends. It did not take him very long to see that we were sitting on the wrong side.  This was very upsetting for him.  But he went and played with his cousins, so he had fun.
Allie has rolled thru 6th grade with few problems at this point.  In fact, her grades make me wonder if 6th grade is too easy.  I know that some things have been a challenge for her but her grades don’t reflect any problems at this point.  A boy was bugging her at a carnival we went to and Weston was ready to take care of the situation.  To be honest the kid is in her class, and one of her buddies.   But it was funny to see him want to protect the sister he enjoys fighting with. 
Addie has gotten through the cross-country season.  She was complaining about her knee right before the final meet, but then she said it wasn’t hurting at the meet.  That is good because her team won the league meet.  That was the first time the girls had won the title.  Ok the boys won too.  It was exciting for them.

Franching: VETERAN’S DAY

You know many people spend a lot of time bashing the public schools.  Some schools even allow children to opt out of the Pledge of Allegiance.   That is why I am thankful my kids have gotten the chance to learn about Veteran’s Day.  In the elementary school the students have an assembly that honors any local veteran who would like to attend.  At the middle school the 8th graders are assigned a large project for Veteran’s Day.  Addie has worked on her project for about 6 weeks. 
She didn’t have too look to far to find someone to interview.  Her great-grandfather is a Navy veteran.  Addie and I went over to his place so she could interview him.  She was asking him some big questions, such as “What where some of the lessons you learned.”  Keep in mind this was many years ago.  So her 92 year old grandfather replied, “I learned to follow orders, and do what I was told.” 
On Friday the middle school had a come and go reception at the school. All of the projects were on display.
We played Monopoly this weekend.  Weston really likes playing the game for about the first 30 minutes, then the game gets longer.  Then I am reminded my husband is a risk taker and a control freak.  I am left wondering, has Monopoly actually brought families together, or just caused fights.
Recently I noticed that the TV remote was hidden in the crown molding above a doorway in our house.  Luke has been putting it there so the kids won’t lose it.
I have decided to call my column Franching.  What is franching you ask, it is a word that represents people who both farm and ranch. I know lots of farmers who do not want to mess with cattle, but most cattlemen dabble a little bit in farming.  Did I mention that my grandpa came home from the Navy and spent the next 50 plus years franching. On of his favorite things he did was to build terraces.
As Christmas approaches keep in mind that BILLIONS of dollars are spent on advertising.  Keep in mind that all of the images also can plant a seed of discontentment in our hearts.