Last week was full of big events for us. To start things off, a new year of homeschool! This year, Ezri is in 6th grade,
Alora is in 4th grade,
and Elam started Preschool!
We started the week on a sad note with the loss of Barb, but the excitemen of the upcoming fair helped to distract us some. On Tuesday, the kids each got a special gift in honor of the soon-to-be-starting fair - Chicken shirts!
After school on Wednesday, the kids and I headed down to the fair to drop of the girls' finished exhibits to be checked in and displayed as well as buy our passes for entrance to the fair. That night, we headed to Uncle Don and Aunt Peggy's house to help get the chickens ready for the fair. The girls helped to catch and bathe not only their chickens but also the chickens Peggy and Rod would be bringing to the fair and then cage them up for their trip to the fair the next day.
Thursday, after school, we headed down to the fair to check the girls' chickens in. They had to each prep the cages with bedding, get food and water for their birds and then tuck them into their new homes for the week.
This really set the fair excitement at full power as we settled the birds in, learned how to do the chores and watched other animals checking in as well.
Friday kicked off the start of the Allegan County Fair! After school, we headed down to the fair late afternoon so the girls could do their chores and also to take a little walk around and take in the fully assembled sights, sounds and smells of the fair.
We also made a stop into the exhibit barn to see what awards the girls had earned for their entries.
Ezri earned a blue ribbon for her crocheted doll outfit, A red ribbon for her canned strawberry jam, A red ribbon for her Chocolate Zucchini muffins, A blue ribbon for her canned green beans, a white ribbon for her braided rug, a red ribbon for her creative writing comic book and also exhibited a lego mosaic, a photograph she took of a hummingbird at Great Grandma's feeder and a picture she drew of a horse.
Alora earned a blue ribbon for her Marble Brownies, a white ribbon for the photograph she took of a rooster on Great Grandma's farm, a blue ribbon for her squirrel picnic table, a red ribbon for a cartoon she drew, and a blue ribbon for a story she wrote, and also displayed legos and a painting of a farm
Tierney displayed a Cloverbud Box full of things she made throughout the year, including string art, a painting, a rain stick, a chicken made of feathers from her chicken, a Barbie doll dress she sewed, legos, a drawing, a dot painting and Origami
Saturday morning, we got up early and headed down to the fair to do morning chores, which includes changing out the shavings in the cages, feeding and watering the birds. The girls did this for not only their chickens, but also for Peggy and Rod's chickens and turkeys too. They also had to sweep the barn floor and empty the wheelbarrow of used shavings. Elam was all about helping sweep up the floor, and all the kids were happily working at the chores until finished with smiles (behind their masks).
After returning home to do things around the house, later that day we went back to the fair to do evening chores and wash the girls' birds to get them ready for the show the following day.
Sunday morning, with some very excited girls wide awake early, we anxiously watched the clock tick by slowly as we awaited the time when we would leave for the fair and the chicken show. The kids donned their new chicken shirts in honor of the day.
Finally, it was time to go! We got to the fair, ate some lunch from the 4H Food Booth and then the girls got changed into their black pants and lab coats and waited the last few moments for the show to start.
We had a set of bleachers full of people who had come to support the girls - Opa & Oma, Grandpa & Grandma, Jay, Becci & Henry, Pamaw & Danny, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Pegy & Rod, Great Grandma, and even a few of my cousins filtered in as the show went on. We were sad that Kathy, Travis & Emmett couldn't join us because of illness, but the girls definitely felt the love and support!
As they waited, they also got some advice and encouragement from a senior club member, Jordan, whom the girls have looked up to for rabbits and now chickens.
The Cloverbuds were up to show first. Tierney was nervous, so the other boy showing as a Cloverbud went first.
When it was her turn, she was a bit timid to start, but soon warmed up to the judge and settled into her routine of examining her chicken with growing confidence. She did a fantastic job and Jewels, her chicken, was very compliant as well!
When she was done, she was awarded a participation ribbon and a certificate for free ice cream!
That ribbon had her full attention for quite a while after she finished.
Next up, Ezri and Alora were to show together in the Young Showmanship group for ages 8-12, along with two other boys.
While they watched the first by show, they shared sister some moments.
Ezri was up first, of the girls, and confidently approached the judge and the task.
Her first responsibility, after introducing herself, was to put the chicken into a cage and pose it.
Then, once the chicken was removed from the cage, she began her examination steps.
She did a fabulous job and had a big smile when she finished! Next up, Alora...
Again, starting with putting her chicken into the cage (Dots was less than excited about this and a bit flappy upon being taken out)
And then talking through the examination steps. She handled it like a kid who had been doing it for several years and her personality shone through in her body language as well as the statement she made to the judge about her chicken being "stubborn, just like me"!
When it came to awards being handed out, the judge shared that the point break between first and third was 3 points!
Ezri was awarded first, the top showman for her age group!
Alora was awarded second place in showmanship for her age group!
They couldn't have smiled bigger if they tried! The girls placed just one point apart, it was that close of a call. Clearly all of their hard work and dedication had paid off as they walked away with more than they ever had expected or hoped for!
With her award, Ezri also earned a picture plaque, so she got to have her photo taken by the fair photographer to be placed in her plaque.
Ezri and Alora had to return with their chickens a little later, to the other table this time, for their chickens to be judged against the other female pullets (hens under a year old). Alora talked to the judge about her chicken first,
Then Ezri did.
As they waited for the other showman to have his chicken judged, they shared a smile and a laugh.
The awards were handed out - a first place blue ribbon for Alora's chicken Dots!
and a white third place ribbon for Ezri's chicken Stormie!
More smiles and excitement as the girls returned their birds to the barn.
The final judging for the girls was for Ezri. All of the top showmen from each age group were called up for a top and reserve showman to be chosen. We didn't expect Ezri to place being the youngest in the group, but what an honor to be sitting there with some kids who knew so much and placed so well!
To wrap it all up as the show wound down and the girls had finished their parts, we grabbed some pictures of our award winning girls and their chickens!
It was a wonderful feeling to end the week on such a high note after the previous week's ending. Each of the girls have said they would want to show chickens again! We are so very proud of them, all of their hard work, and their great attitudes.
