Movie Making With Kids

I've mentioned the fact before (I think?) that my Dad, Sis#2, and the kids are making a movie this summer.  It started out with just a couple scenes and wound up a short film.   Hoss, Woody, and Buzz are the main characters.  Little Joe, Rowdy, Snort, and Jessie Jane have small parts.  Dad and Sis#2 are the director/cinematographer/wardrobe/location scouts/crafts services/transpo/kid wranglers/horse wranglers/etc. 

Just to give you a little insight to working with kids I'll tell you what happened last night. 

I got home about 6 from my job watching Ruby.  Soon as I walked into my folks house I could tell things were happening.  The camera was set up in the dining room which is being used as Buzz's office.  Everything had to be set up just like a scene they shot a few weeks ago.  It was decided to add Jessie Jane to the cast. 

Let me tell you about Jessie Jane.  She will be 3 on August 27th.  She doesn't like to have barrettes or bows in her hair.  However, she loves to wear dresses!  And the fluffier the better.  I think she might want to wear those square dancing dresses when she grows up!!  But trying to get a big pink bow in her hair for the scene wasn't exactly a picnic!  Sis#2 had been trying to make the bow when I got home.  Somehow this got turned over to me.  Probably because she needed to get 4 boys wardrobed and ready to go.  Anyway, I worked on it for about 10 minutes and thought I had it perfect.  I then went to show the director(my Dad).  His response was, "Not exactly what I had in mind."

Needless to say I was a little frustrated.  I might not have been except a comment was made that it was wardrobes job to handle such a thing.  Well, I can tell you that didn't sit well with this frustrated hairdresser!!!!!!
Finally, Sis #2 showed back up and the two of us finally got it right. 

Time to shoot.  First take was a dud.  However, second take was pretty good.  We were hoping to get one more just to have a back up in case there was something wrong.  One problem.......Jessie Jane sulled up!  I promised ice cream.  We gave her Smarties.  I talked nice to her.  I talked mean to her.  None of it worked.  In the middle of all this Snort, who is 19 months, had a meltdown in the old timey high chair and had to get out for a minute.  This didn't help the situation with Jessie Jane. 

Dad took the camera to the computer, plugged it in, and took a look.  They got what they needed to make the scene work.  I was very relieved!

So........if one is contemplating making any type of movie with kids here's my advice:

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red Ant vs Aunt Red!

We have loads of red ants on our place.  I'm talking big ol' hills that people are shocked to see when they come up the road by the south barn.  They look like something in a sci-fi flick!

Oddly enough, however, none of us have had too much trouble with ants.  Good things must always come to an end!!

Last Saturday night brother brought back dad's tractor since the haying was done.  I was standing at the back of the trailer when I felt something crawling on my shoulder.  I did the normal slapping and grabbing at my shirt thing.  I thought whatever it was was gone.  Then I felt a sting!  yikes!!!  If you thought the "bug up my nose dance" sounded crazy I have to say that was nothing!  I tried to look for whatever was getting me but couldn't find it.  So, I took off to the barn thinking I could undo a couple buttons and see it.  Nope!  I thought about peeling my shirt off right there but decided against it.  Mom and Dad's house isn't too far away so I headed that direction and the highest rate of speed my legs could give.  Let's just say one of the boys could've beat me! 

Anyway, I found a red ant on the waist of my jeans!  The scoundrel got me again on the stomach before I could end his hatred for mankind.  Thankfully, I'm not allergic to insect stings and the pain was semi-short lived. 

If anyone reading this calls PETA on the ants behalf I'll deny the whole thing!


  

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

My Dad is having a back issue.  Apparantly, he slipped a disc, or something else,  a couple weeks ago and is having a hard time getting over it.  This has turned my 5'6" Dad into a 5'3" Dad at best.  It's actually painful to watch him walk.  However, many trips to the bone cracker in town is helping and we're hoping he'll be back to his tall self soon!!

I've been taking care of the chores while Dad is laid up.  Since I go to watch Ruby in the mornings I need to be at the barn by 5:30.  I don't mind this, however, if one is a night owl it is hard to get up before the dawn!  Yesterday as the radio man was waking me up I heard him say it was 85 degrees!  I thought I must've heard him wrong.  Like, I was hoping that would be the high for the day.

Not hardly!  It was a sauna out there in the pitch black dark.  Not pleasant.  We wound up setting the record high to this day at a whopping 108 degrees.  That was a little  happy birthday present to my brother who turned 34 yesterday.

I figured this morning would be the same.  I stepped out of the house and felt a strange cool breeze.  I couldn't believe how great it felt!  As I walked to the barn I saw the sky was starting to show a little pinkish hue.  By the time I got some feed divied up and went to the pasture they sky was a pinkish/orangey color that I can't describe.  The horses weren't up yet since they aren't use to the new breakfast schedule.  I hollered for them a couple times.  I went ahead and put out the grain and waited for them to make their dash to the tubs. 

That is when the magic happened!  I turned back around to see 4 head loping across the pasture with the beautiful sky behind them.  Wow!  I wish I had a camera!  I wish I could've gotten video footage! 

And then the song from the musical "Oklahoma!" popped into my head. 

"Oh what a beautiful morning!  Oh what a beautiful day!  I've got a beautiful feeling everthing's going my way!"

So far, so good!

Cleaning Tanks With Boys

We had some company over the weekend.  Sis#4, bro-in-law #3, and Little Joe came to visit.  Bro-in-law got shanghaied into helping my brother in the hay field much to his dismay!  And sis#4 got in on the action a little too. 

Sunday evening I had some help down at the barn.  I use the term "help" very loosely! 

Little Joe, Hoss, and Rowdy needed a little outside time.  It was probably only 95 by 8pm so we thought they could handle it.  I guarantee they handle it better than I!

The big tank needed cleaned out and I had been waiting on the water level to drop low enough.  It was almost there and I thought that with the boys help we could make it happen.  Talk about a 3-ring circus!  Hoss and Little Joe were on either side of me and Rowdy was observing.  Actually, Rowdy was way more interested in the mule who was standing there watching all the chaos. 

We finally got it together and got the tank lifted part way up. It was high enough to slide the opposite side down a little and get most of the water to that side.  This is when one checks under the tank for critters.  Since we've seen a snake or two under there, especially in the summer, this is definitely necessary.  Little Joe thought he saw a snake.  Hoss said it was a lizard.  Little Joe hates snakes more than Indiana Jones!  Hoss is trying to figure out how to catch the lizard and put it in his little bug catching container.  I'm trying to keep the tank from rolling into the fence, and I'm not sure where Rowdy was at this point! 

By the time we got done with chores and headed back to the house I felt like I'd been at the barn for 2 hours and I'm pretty sure it had only been about 30 minutes!  How does one stop the arguing, wrestling, and hollering between boy cousins???   Or is it just boys??

We all headed back to MaMaw and PaPa's house.  I sent them all inside and went to water at the north barn by myself.  I just needed a little quiet!!!