Commence the "Ooh"-ing and "Aw"-ing

Jamie has started on a project working with Holstein steers. The project entails working with newborn calves. New ones (like born within the last 24 hrs) are arriving at the farm each weekday now. Have a look at what he deals with on a daily basis.

Only a few days old and still clean.

Misses his mommy, but he's also hungry.

When you have nearly fifty calves now and another 50 expected, all willing hands are accepted. Even Mommy and the girls help Daddy with the bottles.

Who knew training calves to bottle-feed could be so hard. The stronger ones bully the weak ones, the hungry ones try to nurse off the workers, and Jamie has to wear camouflage to avoid getting a headbutt to the groin. Camo doesn't work, other than for wiping milky slobber off his hands.

After helping Daddy with the calves, a little R&R with the 350 lb sow is pleasant.

We two kings and princesses four . . .

Who wants to hear about our latest? (Little man in the back room yells in a forced and weakened voice,"I do! Somebody change my diaper!" The Allen grandparents came for almost a week to play with the kids and introduce themselves to Gabe. We had lots of fun and took a trip to the Sonoran Desert museum (live animals and cacti, yippee). Hadley is finally opening up to the idea that getting out of bed each school day does not include a half hour of yelling at Mom or Dad to get out of her room. Avery . . . Avery is Avery: a girl you can't help but smile at every time she isn't throwing a fit. Then there is Lulu. Mommy gave her a trim this past week. Look at her cute haircut. Daddy got a trim from his Mommy, too, but he wasn't very cute to begin with. So he usually just wears a hat. Gabe likes to sleep, eat, poop, and cry. That's how the man of the house should live. Hey, if you couldn't speak, walk, or control bodily functions and it was your goal in life to sleep, eat, poop, and cry, wouldn't you be fulfilled? Oh, and Mommy is keeping pace with the children and Daddy is keeping a slower pace to Mommy. The End.

That's right, Papa. Everybody has had a chance to snuggle a sleeping Gabe but you. This kid will sleep on anybody's shoulder or chest. Now what are you going to do about it?

"I'm cute," the little girl said while trying to draw attention away from her evil lurking daddy. "That's right, my precious," the daddy cooed while contemplating whether he should get out of the camera shot or not.

The contest begins. Who will sleep the longest without needing to have his diaper changed? Stay tuned. My bet's on Jamie. Because he's potty-trained! At least, for the most part.