Party on the Range

Little sad this morning, that I didn't have a camera for my middle son 7th birthday party. But I think I was a little too busy to even take photos.

Saturday we had ten 7 year olds out to the homestead. Not counting how many older kids and adults. As I mentioned we had a cowboy theme. It was raining off and on all day, but it didn't stop us from hosting this thing outside. The kids arrived and milled around the campfire my husband was tending, and I was giving horse rides to many of them. The only girl invited over (sorry already asked. She is not the middle son's girlfriend. Too bad, I like her) loved the horse ride. She wanted to round up the Dexters. One of the little boys got on Sunny, and went about 2 feet, then calmly told me that he was scared and wished to get off.

Next on the agenda, was target shooting with the BB gun. Once again the little girl was front and center. She was so excited about it. She told me she had never shot a gun before. I set up the balloons on some hay bales, and walked her 10 paces back, Each child was given 3 shots. I showed them how to set the safety after each shot, before they hand it over for a reload. That little girl loved it! She shot 3 times, hitting 1 balloon. Then all the boys went, the young ones had their turns then ran off to the campfire, but not her. So I gave her one more turn before the older boys were allowed to take over. She got 1 more balloon.

Next was the chicken racing. I knew this would take a little bit of time. We had the chickens waiting. The little girl freaked out over the birds. Under no uncertain terms was she going to touch one of them. But after a short while, she was brave enough to kind of hold a banny, and line up with the boys. I walk down 10 feet, and told everyone that when I said go they had to let go of their bird, and chase it down past me to win. I said go, and their was chickens and children everywhere. I thought the adults where going to fall over in laughter. The kids tried their hardest to get their birds down to me, only my middle son who had a polish hen, made it down. He would simply pat the bird's rear, she would take 4 or 5 steps, the would sit down. After the race, I found the little girl that was terrified of the birds, sitting on a bale by the campfire, with a chicken in her lap.

We roasted hot dogs in the rain over the fire. This was not the down time it usually is. One would think that these kids never get to do such a thing. All the kids were glowing Happily, chattering and eating more hot dogs than I could stomach. I also had some marshmallow available. We opened presents, sang happy birthday and ate some cake. My s-i-l is a cake designer, she made my son a very cool cowboy cake, while her teen daughter really wanted to pet Urth's Umbra (the dexter calf) but was terrified of it.

Parents arrived and dragged their kids off as the kids talked the parents ears off. All in all I think it was a great party. The old fashioned root beer was my only big expense (glass bottles, pop off caps). And I still have 4 Dexters wondering around my front yard.