LETS GO, LETS GO!

Last night, I took Sophia to the barn with me to take care of our goats, despite the rain.

That child thinks that rain means that she gets to have even MORE fun at the barn because she can get even dirtier! She wore black tights, her "ballerina" pink dress, and her ladybug raincoat and pink boots. It was hard not to splash in the mud puddles with her becuase she really was having a blast.

While Sophia was splishing and splashing, I was half-heartedly chasing down a sopping wet goat to milk, while trying to ignore the bleating calls for love/food from the stall wherein the BAYBAY Goats lay dry and warm.

LETS GO PHOENIX! LETS GO! Phoenix doesn't usually run from me, but she seemed to have an idea that I had grain for BAYBAY Goats as well as for her. I could see her brain scheming to heck, why not try to make me fall down into the mud so she could eat the grain without the bother of getting in the milking stand??

After remembering that Phoenix would ultimately follow me out to the milking stand since I did indeed still hold the grain (DUH), LETS GO, I marched out of the paddock with her close at my heels.

Once I got her head locked into the stand and her udders completely sanitized, I realized, of course, I didn't have my dang milking bucket!!! I remembered that I had a glass milk container in the tack room, so I ran around like a mad woman trying to get into the room and back out before Phoenix finished her grain. Once she finishes eating, she starts kicking like crazy to get me off her udders. And it is not pretty or fun, and I am totally out of bribing peppermints.

In order to use the glass bottle as a container, I literally milked one udder at a time aiming (most) of the milk into the bottle. This alone was making me laugh until it started raining, pouring actually, and then I was starting to sound a little hysterical. Sophia abandoned me for the drier option of the baby chicks stall.

I finally got Phoenix all milked out and we both bolted for the barn, completely soaked. I dumped some of the milk into a container for the chicks, and then started the begging to my daughter to LETS GO LETS GO so we could start our journey home.

LETS GO LETS GO in Sophia's mind means saying goodbye to and touching each one of her favorite animals (Stanley the Megahorse, RubyRube, CandyCandyWhyYouBuggin', Chilly Willy, all three goats, and about 14 out of the 30 chicks). I actually enjoy this part of the night because I too get to love on all these awesome animals that make our lives pretty darn special.

LETS GO LETS GO LETS GO - finally headed home, we sang "Need You Now" and "Forever Young." I got out of the car to unsnap Sophia from the car seat, and I dropped the glass bottle of milk onto the driveway and of course it went UNDER my car!

Fabulous! Not only was I now without the stinkin' milk I carefully got into the bottle one udder at a time, but now there were GLASS SHARDS all over my driveway.

My lovely husband did come out to help me clean up the damage IN THE RAIN no less, so I couldn't really complain.

This morning, more rain.

Phoenix and the BAYBAY goats were in the stall overnight to avoid getting wet, so the routine went quickly. I actually remembered my milking bucket but forgot to bring plastic wrap to put over the top so that the milk wouldn't slosh out from under the lid when I was driving.

Got the milk home, only wearing half of it all over my jacket.

Live and learn, Devine.