Adventures on the Farm - Day 1

Last weekend, the whole family took a trip to Mitchell, South Dakota to meet up with some of Craig's family and spend some time on his great-uncle's farm. The kids and I have been to the farm a few times in the past few years, but this was Craig's first time back since he was much younger. Craig has plenty of farm stories that should have been enough motivation for me to keep my kids way far away from this farm. But there's just something about this place that feels exciting and new and familiar and comfortable all at the same time.

Within moments of arriving, all 4 kids were following Uncle Duane around as though he was the Pied Piper. My daughter, having been to the farm the most, knows that, if you want to have an adventure, he's the one to stick by. He took them to see the cows and told them about how they feed and care for these animals.

Fence sitters...and the exception.

After checking out the cattle, Duane took the kids to the old dairy barn. It hasn't been used in years, which is clear by its appearance and only adds to the adventure.

Who can tell what mysteries await them inside the barn?

Uncle Duane and the four cousins head into the dairy barn.
Not pictured: The Pied Piper's flute

A hole in the roof of the dairy barn.

Duane lifts Aidan up to see what's in the nest.
"Yeah. That's a dead bird," he states, matter-of-factly.

To the kids' surprise, the bird was not actually dead but was very much alive
and had a lot to say about being removed from his nest.

Connor was the only one of the four that would touch the bird.
I wonder if this further changed his view on having one as a pet.

At home, I tell my kids not to pick up bird feathers because of the diseases that could be on them. At the farm, my children touch WHOLE BIRDS! While I do not consider myself a helicopter mom, I am protective. In some ways, I am sure my protectiveness has sheltered my kids in ways that aren't always positive. But on the farm, that all melts away.