|
Columbia City, Indiana | My son is 4 and 100% farmboy. He will tell anyone who listens that he lives on a farm and we have cows and John Deere tractors, etc. We visited my Grandpa (his great) a while back and were having lunch when one of the aides (Granpda is in assisted living) came over to the table. Granpda pointed at Ethan and said "This boy here is gonna be a farmer." Ethan replied very seriously "I AM a farmer."
This was my oldest daughter's first year in 4-H. One of her pigs was big enough to show but not quite big enough to sell, so we decided to bring it home and put more weight on it for a few weeks, then put it in the freezer. My daughter was totally on board with this plan. Our kids learn from a young age (too young according to my wife) why we raise animals and what they are for. Anyway, one day we were feeding the pig, and I could tell Alia was thinking about something. Pretty soon she said "Dad, why don't we just tell them to make this WHOLE pig into bacon?" We got a good laugh out of that, and if it was possible that is exactly what we would've done. She was quite proud the first time we had supper from "her" pig.
This past spring I had a couple of seed deliveries to make, so my dad came and planted some corn while I did them. My son LOVES riding in the tractor, but usually he just sleeps or looks back at the planter when I'm driving. But after a few rounds with my dad, he said "Papa, I can drive this thing." So my dad let him steer, telling him to keep his hood emblem on the mark. They started across the field and Ethan said "When we get to the other end, I gotta get out and take a leak." I was quite proud that he knew they had to get to the other end before stopping!
Last summer a friend stopped to see me about something and he saw chickens in the yard. Ethan began telling him how we have cows, chickens, etc. He jokingly asked Ethan (3 at the time, still too young to get sarcasm) if we milked the chickens. Ethan gave him a look that said "What are you, the biggest idiot ever?" and said "No, we don't milk chickens. When asked why not, Ethan in an exasperated tone said "Chickens don't have udders!"
After two older girls, and coming from a family of all girls, my wife was unsure of what to tell Ethan to call his you-know-what. He often goes with me to check the cattle, and at some point he must've asked about the anatomy of the bull, and I probably told him "That's his bull thing" to get him to stop talking about it. A week or so later my wife was letting Ethan take a shower for the first time when she peaked in and noticed him paying special attention to getting his front clean. She asked what he was doing, and he told her "Washing my bull thing." And that's what he's called it ever since. | |
|
What farm kids can come up with
