I started reading the article, "Kids' Firsts" which went through suggested ages that children should be expected to do certain activities. For example, the expected age to start reading is 4-7 years old. Fine. That makes sense. Staying home alone? 8-11. Okay, that's a little young...but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Then I came to this one.
Getting a cell phone? 5-13 years old.
Come again?
A 5 year old with a cell phone? Are you kidding me?! Can you think of ONE single reason a 5 year old should have a cell phone? Is Cole going to call me from preschool if he wets his pants? Call his Dad when his toy tractor breaks down? Oh wait...I've got it. He can text his imaginary friend, Johnny, from China to come over and play. Good Lord.
I cringe every time I hear some of my 5th graders mention their cell phones. Where is a 10 year old going without parents? More importantly...where are they going where there is no telephone?! I just don't get it.
And a 5 year old? No. Just no.
Does your child have a cell phone? What age do you think is appropriate? Please don't say 5.
5. Cat food
Cole was a good baby, despite a few weeks of colic. He had adorable blonde, spikey hair and big blue eyes. He was pretty easy-going and not too demanding. He loved his bouncy seat and his blue blankey....still does. He loved watching Baby Beethoven and eating sweet potatoes.
Cole's first birthday involved 3 different clothing changes. He started the day in a tux looking like a gentleman farmer. He changed into his new John Deere overalls complete with tool belt. Finally, he changed into his birthday suit for the eating of the cake. He has loved tractors since...forever. He crawled for the first time to get to Daddy's special tractor. His first words were dada and tractor. He was even obsessed with toilet paper "bales" at one. Still is...
Cole never went through the terrible twos. He was happy to have tractors and the occasional John Deere movie. His second birthday pictures looked like something out of a Ralph Lauren catalog. So handsome in his sports coat and jeans.
By age 3, Cole's tractor obsession was growing stronger. He had a one year old baby sister who he loved and adored. He has always been so caring and loving toward Claire...until she got old enough to cause trouble. Cole started speech a few months before turning 3 and has been involved in speech in some way since. In May he was put on consultation only for making such great progress in the 2 1/2 years he has been in a speech program.
By age 4, Cole became a little more interested in his birthday party attire. Suits and ties were out of the question. T-shirts and jeans are much more his style now. By 4, he knew more about tractors and equipment than many adults...certainly more than his momma. 
My sweet boy is now 5. Five years old. It truly seems like yesterday I was holding him against my chest, rocking him to sleep. I can remember every detail of my hospital visit, every moment of his birth. Now he is in preschool. He is doing awesome with learning how to write his letters and spell simple words. He brings home a new project or art piece every day and is so proud to show us what he's done in school. Of course, he is still tractor obsessed. He is getting old enough to go more with daddy to do "real" farming. He comes home with such a smug little hard-working attitude. He is my sensitive one...my crier. He likes to follow the rules and does what he's told. He's cautious and afraid of everything. He is a wonderful, sound sleeper. He loves to play in the dirt. He fights with Claire much more than I ever imagined two kids could fight. She always starts it. Every fight goes like this: Cole has a toy. Claire takes the toy. Cole cries. Claire laughs. 
6.
I hate the round toe shoes that are so popular these days. I just don't think they are very attractive, especially for a fancy dress. They look so little girl and clunky. I wanted something patent and sexy. I was so excited when I found these shoes at 
Imagine my disappointment when I opened the box that my friendly UPS delivery man brought to me this morning to find these.
That is so NOT what I had in mind. Look how round and short the toe is! It doesn't look anything like the shoe in the picture. At least not to me. And they look even worse on.
They have a pumpkin launcher that they run every 30 minutes in the fall. They put a small pumpkin (about 8 inch diameter), set it off, and the pumpkin is OUT OF THERE at 400 mph. The pumpkins we saw went way beyond the row of trees you see in the distance. If you look close you can see an old beat up car in front of the bald gentleman that got in my shot. They lower the cannon and shoot the pumpkin (still at 400 mph) at the car. The pumpkin hits the side of the car and EXPLODES! It's crazy!
We took Jose, also known as THE MOST SPOILED DOG IN THE WORLD, with us last weekend to Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was a little cool out but he was begging to stick his head out the window. He thinks he's such a badass farm dog.
But then he started shivering beyond belief and fluffed Cole's blankie right over him. How badass are you feeling right now, Jose? Or should I call you Josefina?
This picture has no point other than I was making a funny sound to get Jackie the Cow's attention and she did that sideways head turn that dogs do but I swear I thought she was gonna rotate her head all the way around. It was hysterical!
No fair. 