Horse Show

Today Tali and I went to the Lewis Road horse show. It was fun. We liked the egg and spoon race, the water race, and the carrot race. We went to Taco Bell for lunch. Another nice mother and daughter day. Tali got jiggy 3/4's of the way through and I knew it was time for her to take a nap in the car.
Kindergarten is going well. Finn has stopped telling us that he doesn't want to go to school. They both come out everyday in very high spirits. Friday is a professional day for K teachers, so Mom is watching them.
Mark seems to be enjoying his second graders, but Cathy and I have our hands full. I would say that the biggest problem is a lack of respect for each other and an unhealthy joy in making fun of others. We have started team building lessons and will add lessons on bullying. They are really mean and love to laugh at others misfortunes. It is sad and a little disheartening. No, a lot. After last year it is a rude and nasty awakening for me. Thankfully Cathy and I are together. I get the impression that Arod thinks that since there are two of us that we should be able to work miracles. I don't think she understands the extent of the nastiness involved.
Anyway, Ruby and I are doing great. Last Wed. Rachel came and we put the saddle back on and she acted like it was no big deal. My lunging was still on the crazy side. She was trying all sorts of new tricks like pulling her head away and turning towards me, but it came together in the end. I was exhausted and sweating like a banshee. Lunging is quite a workout. Yesterday Ruby spent the morning whinnying back and forth with the neighbor horse. The girl down the street was riding him in the small arena on the other side of Dave and Sheila's. They kept neighing to each other and Ruby was running and bucking and kicking all up and down the pasture. She wore herself out and was very pliable when I went to work with her. She lunged really well yesterday.
My hands and wrists have really been hurting from the lunging so last night I was envisioning myself using the dressage whip. After the horse show I worked with Ruby again, this time with the whip. We both did so well! She is starting to learn the words and sounds for "walk" and "trot". I was able to hold both the rope and the whip without wrapping it around my feet or hitting myself in the face, both which I have done in the past. Rachel was talking about getting on her this week. I hope she remembers to bring her helmet because I think that Ruby is ready, and so am I!
I have started to dry up Raisin. Cathy and I were accepted to go to a professional development conference for Science in Columbus. It is for 2 days and Mark is going to have to do the milking. I thought it would be easier for him to only milk Promise. I hope that come October Raisin will be dry. She is only giving about 1/2 a quart a day and my hands are starting to really feel the cold in the mornings, so I thought it would work out to dry her up. I hope that Promise still continues to give us the same amount. She is giving about 1/2 a gallon a day. I am going to attempt to make my first batch of cheese tonight.