Do you know what happens when 40 inches of snow melts? You go from snow drifts over your head, to water up to your knees. It's been a hard winter in Iowa, my family has lost 6 cows total, 3 mommas 3 babies, and an unfathomable amount of corn. But even with conditions that leave most depressed, we've still had a lot of good memories this winter.
Being around 16 children under the age of 12 makes me realize I never want children. Ha well, maybe I will reconsider, but I definitely don't want 16.
But the days I have spent around these kids have taught me good babysitting skills.
For Example:
When I was 16 I took my 4 years old twin cousins for a ride on the golf cart on the farm. One was in the front beside me, one was in the back. I got a little bit out of control, ramped it, and sent the twin beside me flying, only to crash land on her neck. Well she didn't respond for a minute, then she just jumped back up in the golf cart, we rode back to the house and she took a little nap....To her mother: I am sorry.
But thankfully, both twins are beautiful and completely alive, not to mention 7 now!!
On tuesday I was watching my little cousin Colton, almost 2. Well he wanted to go feed the cows hay, so after feeding him 4 cupcakes I walked to the screened-in porch with him. He wasn't wearing a coat or shoes but I let him go outside onto the cement sidewalk anyway. He kept saying "lets go lets go (down to the barn)" but I didn't feel like getting dirty so I just kept saying "You go you go". After about 10 minutes I was tired of listening to him holler so I made a quick evaluation and decided he probably wouldn't wander past the front sidewalk so I felt it was safe to leave him. I wandered back into the kitchen only to be greeted by 7 adults "Where's Colton?!" I explained I had carefully observed him and thought he wouldn't leave the front of the house. His mother, Megan, felt differently. She jumped up, ran out there, and came back a few minutes later with a crying baby. Apparently, he ran all the way down to the gate, he didn't even slow down when he crossed the gravel in bare feet. And all the babysitter's are crossing off my phone number. But at least he'll remember me as the cousin who gives him cupcakes and lets him play outside!
I was explaining to Ethan some of the foods we eat in Iowa. The only thing my little cousins eat is buttered noodles. Yeah, as in boiled noodles with a little bit of butter and salt. I love them, they're one of my favorite things to eat (next to fish) but he thinks it's boring. Whatever.
Jack (3) is my "boyfriend." Well, according to him he is. Over Christmas break I had him convinced he wanted to be a haircutter when he grows up. Imagine him running up to his dad saying he wants to be a haircutter! (His dad is working very hard to have a farm ready for him). It got even better this time when he told me he wanted to be a "MEAN FARMER" !! haha! Sometimes I'll tease him and say him and I are on a team and we can be mean to all the other kids, I guess he is taking it seriously.
The highlight of the trip is usually going into town and stopping at the gas station for snacks. This time, I picked up my 12 and 9 yr old cousins from school and told them we were going to do something awesome, that they'd never done before. In the gas station there's a bin of 15cent year old Little Debbie's. Just the kind of thing clueless little kids love. So I grabbed a couple bucks went in there with them and let them have at it. We got a big bag full of nasty cupcakes, donuts, and danishes. When we got back to the truck and opened all the treats the kids quickly realized why they were so cheap. I mean, we had to drive with the windows down the whole way back to the farm they smelled so rank! But, I dared them to eat the danishes, and told them I'd give 3 bucks to eat an oatmeal cream pie. They wouldn't do it.
All in all, it was awesome and I can't wait to go back, Memorial Day!
