Spring Break

We've been trying to keep busy. We started out by going to my parents small farm on Monday.


Then Tuesday the kids went to Curt's parents (while I went food shopping in peace)and they dyed Easter eggs. After that we went to the Library. Wednesday we went to "Touch a Truck" but it was a small gathering of trucks and we didn't stay long because kids kept beeping and honking the truck horns. Tyler and Emily and several other kids walked around with their hands over their ears. Thursday (today) we went to my sisters house and while there we went to her big mall for the Lego store and to look for skinny jeans for Emily. (It's the only thing she wants to wear now! No other jeans will do.) They also have a two story carousel in the mall.


Then from there we went to Van Saun Park/zoo in Paramus. It was so crowed, and mainly with Orthodox Jews. So of course there were questions. Tyler mainly wanted to know why they all were wearing black because it looked hot! We had to wait on a long line for the train and half the zoo was empty! Oh well, it was a day out. Tomorrow we have no plans and maybe we'll just stay home. Saturday we have an egg hunt and cartoon at church and then Sunday is Easter!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that one night they made a "spider web"! They actually
made it together and got along great, so what ever keeps the peace!

Another sad goodbye.

Today we lost another equine friend. This is a big down side to having retired horses, but you have to take the bad with the good. We knew of Rafiki when he was showing under Chris Kappler and then he came to stay with us. Rafiki was a boarder but he was still part of our family. He came to us in 2003 for stall rest after a stifle injury and then he made it back to the ring briefly before it started up again. The next time we saw him was after he was trying to get back to work and then developed EPM. He was at another farm and having a hard time, so his owners (Liz and Greg Obrecht) called us to see if we would take him again. That was in 2005.
When he first came back to us he was having episodes of laying down and not being able to get back up. We would have to crack a lunge whip (not touch him at all, just the sound was enough) to encourage him to get up. But in time he got stronger and he no longer had any trouble getting up and down. The EPM and stifle injury took it's toll and his hind end, it was weak and he didn't exactly move like a normal horse but over all he was happy and healthy and was able to enjoy retirement like anyone else. He still knew he was a stallion and he was still very head strong. But he was always gentle and kind to my kids. Even when Tyler gave him a haircut when I wasn't looking!!!!
Look up " Haircut! June 17, 2010" on here, I can't figure out how to link it.
The last few weeks his front end gave out and then the added stress to his weak hind end didn't give him any where to rest. He refused to lay down to get off his legs and then his EPM seemed to be effecting him again as well. He started having a difficult time and it was a tough choice to say goodbye but his body just couldn't take much more. He was euthanized today. We gave him loads of carrots the last two days and told him we loved him. Tyler took it pretty hard but Emily was more upbeat saying he was getting to go see Casino, Artos and God. It was a hard day and I just keep trying to think like Emily.

The results are in...

Emily's first school picture. Pretty cute, her hair stayed in place, good smile and you can see Hello Kitty! LOL (But this was her Hello Kitty dress, not the same old shirt!)

Story from a few days ago.

So on Thursday while Emily was in school it was just me and Tyler doing the barn. Well, me doing the barn and Tyler playing in the run-off creek that runs along our path to the ring. In case you don't know we live in black bear country (Sussex county NJ) and we have occasionally seen bears in our yard. So being the beginning of spring is here and bears are about again I called down to Tyler to be on the look out for bears. Well not 2 minutes later I hear him screaming like something is really wrong. So I drop what I am doing and run to where he is (he is still screaming so I can't even ask what is wrong until I get to him) but I am imagining a bear of course! Turns out he stepped on a huge nail from an old fence board and it went through his winter boots and into his foot. I think it nearly went all the way through! There was a little blood, which upset him as much as the pain, I think. So we cleaned it out and put medicine and a bandage on it. Then he just sat while I finished the barn. We called the doctor but they said his tetanus was up to date so just keep it clean and keep and eye on it. Luckily on Friday he only had a half a day so there wasn't gym class (his favorite which he wouldn't have wanted to miss). So far so good, it looks to be healing fine and it seems to be hurting him less and less. It always something....

Like two peas in a pod.

Sometimes Tyler and Emily are a lot alike and sometimes they are like oil and water. Tonight they are getting along very well and both are quietly playing on the computers.

When they go to bed at night, Tyler makes a huge pile of stuffed animals, pillow pets and pillows.

And now Emily is starting to copy him.

I don't know how they can sleep like that!

Mall day today...

even though it was a nice day today. Our farm is very wet and muddy so I wanted to get the kids out of the house (after the barn work) and Tyler had a gift card for Build-a-Bear from his birthday. It worked out really well because I got two emails from Build-a-Bear. One had a $5 off coupon for Tyler's Birthday and the second one was for a FREE stuffed animal this weekend! So Tyler picked out a Jack Russell and a leash and Emily got a pink terrier. And I only had to spend $7! (The dog Emily wanted was more then the Free animals, but it was $12 off instead). They are both very happy with their dogs.

Update

So whats been happening? First Emily told me she wanted to dye her hair purple and on the day before Tyler's birthday we went shopping. I let the kids take some money from their piggy banks to cash in and Tyler had a $3 gift card from the ToysRus Birthday club. I made them leave some money in their banks and I just gave Emily a random amount. Cindy counted out money for Tyler so he'd have $10 total. We took it to the bank coin machine and Emily's came to $6.66!!! The sign of the Devil! The bank teller was like, "OH!" We just laughed and said, "Well, she is a devil child at times!" So while we were out shopping Cindy picked up some purple streaks for Emily to clip in her hair. She loved it!

Curt was fooled for a moment and thought we actually dyed her hair. His eye went huge and he was about to get mad when he realized it was fake! She even wore it to church! But the fad wore off already she only wore it those two days and seems to have forgotten it.

Sunday was Tyler's 7th birthday and we had a nice family party for him.


Next year I think we'll let him have a kid party, he asked me to do it this year but I didn't have enough time when he asked to get it together in time to invite hi class. Tyler got somethings he really wanted, like Legos, a feller buncher (a kind of logging tractor) and a shop vac! Yes, a shop vac! He wanted his very own vacuum cleaner and he wanted one he could use inside and outside! At least he'll be able to keep my car clean!