Feed, check! Blowers, check! Tack box fully loaded, check! Trailer bedded down, check!
The ever important mental checklist as dad loads the trailer. The trailer he bought specifically to haul his kids and their show stock down the road each weekend to chase banners. He’s spent many late nights and even earlier mornings in the barn, feeding stock with his kids, and working hard to make sure they’re at their peak at the right time.
He’s lost track of the tons of feed he’s ordered just this spring. All he knows is that he’s got another order coming in tonight after work. He looks at his watch, 6:24. The calves are done eating and it’s time to go wake the kids after a late night in the gym for their basketball game the night before. Then off to the shop to start tearing into the combine to get it ready for harvest.
Pick up shirts and jeans from the dry cleaner, check! Pack clothes for kids, check! Snacks, check! Throw another load of laundry in the washer, she’ll do that when she gets home…
The list for mom as she drives, probably a little too fast, in her Suburban as she heads in to pick up the kids from practice.
She’s already done eight loads of laundry this week and it’s only Thursday. They’re leaving right after the kids get out of school Friday for the district show that weekend. The house isn’t a mess, but there may or may not be a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, a pile of bills that need to be paid before leaving for the weekend, and you probably shouldn’t use the five-second rule and eat anything that hits the kitchen floor because it has been a week since she had a chance to mop.
Her phone rings, it’s her husband, “Hey, I need you to pick up a bucket of supplement for the calves, a few bales of shavings and oh, by the way, the sprockets and bearings I ordered for the combine came in today. Can you swing by and pick those up? Josh should have them ready for ya.”
She adds that to her checklist, all while trying not to be late to get the kids. Meanwhile she decides ordering a pizza is the way to go for dinner tonight. She looks at the clock on her dash, 4:47.
Pulling in the driveway, they drive straight to the barn, the kids pile out and go help dad with chores. Just as they get the calves eating, the feed truck pulls up and it’s all hands on deck to get the bins filled. The feed truck pulls out, the calves are done eating so it’s time to turn ‘em loose, hop back in the car and head to the house, 7:34.
Everyone grabs a slice of pizza, says a quick prayer and scarfs down dinner. The homework comes out and mom and dad both sit down and try to wrap their head around the fact that math somehow “changed?!” With homework finally done, the kids are showered and brushing their teeth just as mom remembers that she forgot to throw that load of laundry in the washer. The kids make it to bed, 9:13.
Time to pay the bills, finish the laundry, start the dishwasher, calculate tomorrow’s feed ration for the herd, check out YouTube to figure out how to get the feeder off the combine tomorrow, and at long-last, it’s time for bed, 11:32.
Fast forward to the weekend. Sunday night, dad at the wheel, mom riding shotgun with the three tuckered out kids in the back seat, one sporting a new oversized belt buckle,all with smiles on their faces. Mom and dad give each other that knowing smile and know they’re ready to do it all again next weekend.
Memories made, check!