The Things a Mother Learns - Years AFTER!!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mothers out there!

 Four Generations, my mother, myself, #2 Son and #1 Granddaughter

I have several stories to tell about mothers - first my own mother and my favorite memory of her.   My mom was a great mom, a real 'fifties' stay at home mom, but she was not outdoors-y or a horse woman.  Not at all, not even a little.  And she did not know what to do with me, her only daughter who got her first pony at age seven and literally LIVED with horses after that.  I think she despaired I would ever marry (but look WHO I married and where I live now!).  The spring I was twelve, I broke my first young horse by myself.  Things went along smoothly until one wet spring day as I was climbing up bareback on my pony, a cat ran under her belly and she spooked.  Well I came off into that wet sloppy goop manure-y dirt around the barn and as luck would have, landed in the deepest part of it.  I went under--completely UNDER.  The only thing left white on me when I came up for air was my eyeballs.  Well I knew I couldn't go into the house like that, so I rang the doorbell.  And the look on my mother's face when she saw me, well it was Priceless! I can still see that look all these years later. (She made me strip naked on the porch and we lived in town!!!!)  Happy Mom's Day, Mom!  I haven't been THAT dirty since!

 

A few years later, with first pony, first son, and Hubby.

Now for a warning for all you young mothers out there.  Take a good look at that sweet little innocent face, because you are going to find out things that were not sweet nor innocent as you get older about your children.  It's just going to come up casually in the course of conversation about 'remember when'!! Trust me, it's gonna happen.  Like why did Number 1 Son come home with no eyebrows one summer night right after he graduated (Answer: because in his drunken stupor he had BURNED them off trying to eat a flaming roasted marshmellow).  YIKES!!

 

#2 Son on the tractor about the time of THEE pizza delivery episode.

And then we have #2 Son, the model citizen (not!), who recently revealed they had gotten the pizza delivery guy drunk one night in college when he delivered the pizza.  And of course, subsequently, the poor guy got fired!  Holy Cow!  Somewhere out there is a 30 something homeless dude living under a house constructed of Domino Pizza Boxes.  

I'm sooooooo proud.  And darn glad you both are PAST your teen-age years and Dad & I survived! Whoo Hoo!

MOM

Mamas Don't Raise Your Babies to be Cowboys! #2 Son

Not having learned my Lesson with #1 Son -- #2 Son followed the same path.

 

#2 Son when he was six years old getting on Freckles by himself!!

It was something to see and this horse was THEE BEST HORSE IN THE WORLD!

Gads, do we miss him.

#2 Son put himself through college with some help from us but also by breaking colts and working for his dad's contracting outfit on weekends and Summers.  This was my favorite photo from 2003 which I called "The Consultants".  He was breaking all these horses (all Morgans) that summer and they would watch each other in the round pen like they were giving tips to #2 Son on his technique!

 

#2 son breaking Melody, who is his Dad's horse now.

And drumroll..............................

#2 receiving his Juris Doctorate in May, 2009 with his wife and daughter.

Bet his Rugby House roommates would NEVER had seen this in his Future!!!    So Willie -- sometimes it does work out okay!                                                                                                           Proud Mom