I will deny ever having said this. I have bad feelings towards 4H.
Well, maybe that's a bit too strong. I have mixed feelings towards 4H. I like the summer classes. Every month we get a flier in the mail with different classes that the kids can take. These are the classes I can remember my kids taking: geocaching, rocketry, crochet (by Brigham, funnily), cooking, cake decorating, bicycling, paper crafts, archery, and scrapbooking. They were good classes taught by dedicated teachers. I can't imagine volunteering to teach a group of ten children a skill. Horror.
But I have some other feelings as well. I think most of them stem from Hayes's experiences with his bucket calves and Ellie's with her lamb last year. Craig has always been of the opinion that if our kids want to raise an animal for 4H, that's fine, but they're going to have to take care of it and feed it and walk it by themselves. And if they fail to do it, he's not going to take up the slack. Which I agree with in theory. But then it comes down to showing an underweight, sickly calf who didn't get fed half the time and it gets a white ribbon and the calf buyer refuses to buy any white ribbon animals (and it was the only calf who didn't get a red or blue ribbon so it's the only calf who doesn't get sold) and so your kid feels terrible and Mom feels terrible. That's what happens.
And none of that is the fault of the 4H program, but somehow I have made it theirs.
So today was the day Ellie had to make her cake to take to the fair. She took cake decorating from Carol Beutler this summer. I always like it when the kids are in Carol Beutler's cooking class. Until it comes time for the fair and it's time to do a project. Then I wish I could go back to the beginning of summer and refuse to let them join.
Last night I realized that the next day was the day to turn in cakes so I made a special trip to the store for a cake mix. And then I made the cake and froze it so it would be ready to decorate today. This morning Ellie and I went to Carol Beutler's to borrow her cake decorating tips and bags and food coloring. Then I made the frosting. Two different kinds. Then we colored it three different colors. Then Ellie frosted her cake. Then she threw an uncharacteristic fit because she couldn't get it right. Then I helped her get it right. Then Mac and Josh wanted to frost their own cupcakes. Then Josh threw a fit because he put too much green food coloring on his white frosting and there was no more white frosting. Then Ellie said the frosting I made was too runny. Then I pretended to not be having a nervous breakdown. Then Aunt Heather called and asked me to watch her five kids and I said why not, join the chaos. Then I watched them and they weren't too bad and Hannah helped Ellie finish her cake. Then Heather came back and offered to bring Ellie to the fair to turn in her cake. Then they left. Then I sat on my recliner to blog and complain.
Ah, 4H. Thank you for the opportunities to develop patience. I so appreciate it.
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