Ranch Camp Adventure – Day 1 Thursday

The City kids have arrived at the ranch. Alarm sounded at 4:45am, which I snoozed until 5am (slacker that I am). This early morning work is going to take an adjustment! I carefully lead the twins to the living room so the little boys can sleep a little more, and attempt to coach the 9 yr olds through getting dressed half asleep. First crisis is that Anthony's jeans are tight, since he has been growing like the incredible hulk, so he tried a couple pairs of jeans before finding the right ones. Maggie got dressed without a hitch. The boots were a different story… both kids needed serious muscle to get their boots on – I even had to get Papa's muscle in on getting Anthony's boots on. (crisis #2). To my relief, once the boots were on their feet, they did not complain about them being tight, so we were off…

Per Papa's instructions, I delivered the twins to him for work at 5:30am (okay, his instructions were 5:15 am, but he probably said that because he knew we would be late – I had 2.5 hours sleep, so he let it slide this time). Cousin Forest (Thatcher's son) is here too, plus 2 cowboy kids that they played with last summer, so the kids are happy to be back. Maggie was so happy to see her favorite horse Ted again. Uncle Thatcher was not so excited to be saddling 2 extra horses again, plus Forest makes 3 extra horses. And Uncle Thatcher was especially not excited to hoist 90 pound Anthony onto a horse. Anthony will HAVE to learn to get on his own horse very quickly. I waved goodbye as they joined their fellow cowboys… and I snuck back into bed for a couple of hours until the littles woke up.

Once Ben and Alex awoke, we gathered ourselves a bit, then joined the cowboys at the pens where they were sorting cattle. The littles rode horses a bit, then we joined the cowboys for a late lunch at Bad Brad's BBQ (a great local BBQ joint that we will wear the kids out on this summer).

In the summer heat, the work must start by daylight (sometimes before) because the cattle ( and horses, and people) cannot take the heat. When the cattle get too worked up in the heat they can die. Often when the work day takes longer than planned, we will loose at least a couple of cows, which is sad, and very costly for Papa. Sometimes the work is complete by as early as 10am, but usually at least by lunch. The cowboys all go in for a nap in afternoons when they can, but the city kids think naps are only for babies, so they refuse naps, and opt for the cranky evening route, which provides so much joy for their beloved Papa.

 

As a special treat on this day 1, Papa has acquired some special fireworks for our enjoyment. I called him just before July 4 and asked him to get some fireworks for us, because our neighborhood in The Woodlands is under a burn ban so we cannot do our normal fireworks at home on July 4. The ranch has not type of rules, so I knew this would be something we could do at ranch camp. When I asked this, I thought he would get sparklers and bottle rockets, and the small stuff we are used to doing in our front yard on the 4^th. Papa is a big man, who does nothing small. He ordered special fireworks for this event, which were quite large, with names like "Hot Mama", and "Big Daddy". He invited a couple of cowboys, and his secretary from his law office who has worked for him since I was 11 years old. Cousin Forest has to leave on Saturday, so we will make the most of these next couple of days with him!

Ranch Camp 2009 – City Kids Meet Pioneer Woman Kids -- Let the Games Begin

We were beginning our 2^nd annual tradition of "Ranch Camp" at Papa's ranch in Oklahoma. Our original goal was to depart on July 1 and spend the entire month at the ranch. We adjusted this to depart after July 4^th, once we learned that our Kentucky cousins would be visiting during that time. We were then leaving on July 6… July 7… and finally July 8 was to be the day! Packing was a daunting chore for mom. I procrastinated as long as I could. After the packing job taking longer than expected, Just as I was about to close up the house to begin our 10 hour drive to Papa's ranch, Ben stripped naked just for the heck of it. As I was dressing him, more messes insued, requiring another run through the house to clean up and turn off lights, etc. We were finally ready to depart at 2pm, after our goal of 10am failed. Due to our late departure, Anthony proclaimed that we should just wait yet another day. I exclaimed "Absolutely Not!". We will leave now, and persevere."… And so we did. We are no longer in diapers after 9 straight years, but little Ben still has a small bladder, so this trip included potty stops at least once an hour, and sometimes twice. Every time we stop, all four kids unbuckle and start moving around, even if they have no potty needs. Then the startup includes the whole process of the kids negotiating seats, arguing about this or that toy or snack item, and buckling back up… my patience was definitely tested this trip, but we made it, and for the most part, the kids are great travelers.

We arrived at Papa's ranch on Wednesday at almost midnight after a long day of packing and driving our 10 hour trek. Papa informed us that he was expecting the twins to work cattle at 5am on Thursday. We would not let our late traveling keep us from the work that needed to begin. Kids slept in the car, so they got more sleep than I, so it would work out okay. We arrive at midnight, kids in bed in the cowboy house by 1am, mom finished unloading the car, including the roof carrier with dog crate and golf clubs by 1:30am. Mom is finally in bed, after a quick staging of the bags to allow for locating boots and jeans for working tomorrow. The full unpacking will begin Thursday. I tell myself that this enriching experience for my children is worth the monumental work of moving this army to the ranch for a month… Goodnight Moon… Only 2.5 hours until my alarm sounds for work.

Sleeping With Pillows and a Mattress The average person sheds about 1.5 million skin cells per hour and perspires one quart every day even while doing nothing, says Tierno. The skin cells accumulate in our pillows and mattresses and dust mites grow and settle. If that's not gross enough for you, Tierno explains that a mattress doubles in weight every 10 years because of the accumulation of human hair, bodily secretions, animal hair and dander, fungal mold and spores, bacteria, chemicals, dust, lint, fibers, dust mites, insect parts, and a variety of particulates, including dust mite feces. After five years, 10% of the weight of a pillow is dust mites. This is what you're inhaling while you sleep. "What you're sleeping on can exacerbate your allergies or your asthma," says Tierno.Solution: Cover your mattress, box springs, and pillows with impervious outer covers. "Allergy-proof coverings seal the mattress and pillow, preventing anything from getting in or out, which protects you," Tierno says. He also suggests that you wash your sheets weekly in hot water. Make sure the temperature range of the water is between 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hiremymom on Fox News - Great Concept! Love It!

Win/Win for Employers and Job Seekers looking for flexible work from home 5/22/09 - Houston News - abc13.com

Win/Win for Employers and Job Seekers looking for flexible work from home 5/22/09 - Houston News - abc13.com

This is a great option for moms looking for project work from home. See the news story that was featured recently on Houston ABC 13.

I have a passion about this concept of utilizing the vast talent of stay at home moms. I left my fast paced career 6 years ago, not because I wanted to give up my career, and certainly not because our financial situation didn't need the income, but because the demands of my career became impossible. I felt that constant tug of war between work and family that many moms face. I felt guilty for missing moments with my twins who were 2 yrs old at the time, yet when I was home, I felt guilty for not being at work and contributing to the best of my ability. I knew that neither side was getting my best and finally I decided if I was to give something up, it was not going to be those precious twins. I have not regretted the time I have had with them, and now that I have 4 children, the logistics of going back to the career I once enjoyed seem impossible.

While having coffee with a former colleague, shortly after I left HP, we discussed these feelings of missing our career. We said that... if we had the time, we knew that there would be a market out there for the many moms we know who have great talent, but just cannot give themega hours and travel, etc. Many of us didn't want to give up our career, we just needed flexibility. We would take a lower salary for the flexibility and most of us do not need benefits. Seems like a win/win for employers. We talked about it at length, as both Myra and I felt the same way. We then laughed about the time factor, as I was about to give birth with my 3rd child, and had just moved into a new house.

I saw Lesley Pyle on the CBS Morning Show with Mike & Jullian a few months ago and had one of those "aha" moments. This was what Myra and I discussed... only we didn't feel like we had the time to launch the idea. I was so glad that someone was doing this though. I have a part time college teaching job now, and was not necessarily looking for a project, but I had to check out the site, because I just believe this is such a great idea. I logged onto the site, and then learned that the owner of the site lives just a few miles from me. I have now met her, and we have discussed ideas for her business, etc. I think it is so great.

Her story is that she has operated a website, http://www.hbwm.com/ - which is a sort of chamber of commerce for moms who have businesses from home, for the past 10 years. Over the years, she encountered several professionals who want to work, but don't necessarily want to start their own business. Like me, they have skills that are marketable and in demand, but just need flexibility. They would rather use their professional expertise to work in a more flexible environment than to learn something new and start a business from home.Lesley purchased the domain for http://www.hiremymom.com/ and sat on it for a couple of years, waiting for the right time to launch, and finally launched it two years ago. It is such a great opportunity for both moms and employers alike, it is sure to be a success.In the current economy, many companies have had to cut back on resources, yet still need to remain competitive. With skeletal staff, employers may not have resources to take on extra projects, or ramp up for new business as they had before. This concept is a great solution, since employers can get that top talent on a project or ongoing basis, without the overhead and risk of needing to downsize in the future. It seems like a win/win. I have interest in this because I am one of those moms, but also because of my experience and interest in employment, from the employer's perspective. In this economy, I see employment changing, and this is a great way for employers to get the work done, have highly skilled, happy talent, and remain budget conscious.It is projected that as the economy starts to pick up, employers will not be in a rush to jump into the overhead and commitment of adding full time headcount to their costs. It is expected that the future will consist of a much larger % of contingent workers. This brings many questions to mind.This is a great option for moms looking for project work from home. See the news story that was featured recently on Houston ABC 13.

Website helps stay at home moms find work - 5/22/09 - Houston News - abc13.com

Will there be a trend in the current economy to shift to contingent workers?

I have always been interested in major organizational change, and culture change and studying the vast effect of major change in organizations. I believe a trend that is expected in the current economic times is a shift to contingent workers at a much higher % than we have ever seen.

I had this idea a few years ago when I decided to leave my corporate career to stay home with my young family. I thought that if I had the time, there had to be a business opportunity to link the vast experience of the moms out there with jobs that would allow flexibility, job sharing, telework, or contract work. So many moms I know would really love to have a career, but just have a hard time selling out to a full time career. Most would take less money than their skills would normally warrant in the market for the option to have flexibility. I have thought that this had to be a win / win situation.

Of course there are many segments to find contract workers. Many close to retirement age are ready to start phasing out, and slowing down. Many who have entered retirement, and have been hurt by the economic crisis, causing them to need to work again. Some people who have retired just want to stay busy. I would think a hiring manager would want a contractor who actually wants to do this work, and not someone who will jump at the first full time offer they see.

I see the benefits to employers being
1. Reduced cost of salaries for experienced resources.
a. Part time = reduced cost
b. Some candidates may see flexibility as a perk –up to 90% of workforce sees work life balance in the same league as health benefits and pay when considering a job.
c. More experienced talent may be available for contract work in current economy, which makes it more attractive to some employers - the ability to find a high caliber contractor.
2. Reduced cost of benefits (up to 50%of salary in some companies)
3. Financial flexibility for an organization to hire extra resources for specific projects, and not have the commitment to pay the contractor during slow periods.
4. No long term commitment or need for lay off makes it easy to shrink cost quickly and react to economic cuts in a timely manner.

Benefits to employee:
1. Ability to have a professional career with balance and less commitment for long hours, etc.
2. Ability to find a job in a slow economy when full time jobs are hard to find.
3. Ability to gain diverse experience by working in a variety of industries on different projects, which will help to strengthen resume.

To be Continued: To follow…
1. What are the drawbacks of this shift for employer and employee? Retention, knowleged base, security, succession planning?
2. What are the effects on society and things the government may need to address (i.e. healthcare reform).
3. How will the corporate environment need to change with this shift?
4. What type of contract employee would be best for long term success?
5. Any other issues.

As I think through this type of shift, there are many things that will change. The list of things to consider seems endless if this type of major shift really takes place…Please feel free to comment and add or debate these issues.

Doctor Ordered Mommy to Week-end In Bed!!!

After 2 weeks of caring for sick children, the bug finally got this strong mommy down. I mean it really got me. I am tough, and I fought it, but it got me! Finally, I saw the doctor on Friday, and she ordered me straight to bed. With any luck, she said, if I rest, I would be better by Monday.John has had a busy day w/ activities, and he has handled it well.

• Anthony baseball practice at 9am (he took Ben and Anthony),
• then Anthony basketball game at 11.
• Paul relieved him at this game so he could come home to pick up Maggie for her 12:30 basketball game,
• then to 2:30 horseback riding.
• He arranged for Paul to bring Anthony home and take Alexander to his 2pm baseball practice...
• Tonight is cub scout blue and gold awards ceremony.

I typed up the steps for John to take Maggie to horseback riding... And it is raining. They ride rain or shine, as the arena is covered, but the pastures are not... He will be so tired tonight. I am grateful for his help today, but I also laugh to mysef thinking of how much he will hate the horse routine.. Esp in the rain. It isn't a mile in my shoes but it'll do for today.

Horseback Riding Lesson – Tacking Up

1. See the chart with Maggie’s Horse name assignment – Instructor is Cheyenne.
2. See the map above with the pasture for that horse (note that the map is upside down, so you might want to confirm with someone who looks like a regular that you are headed to the right pasture) – sometimes, Cheyenne’s daughter Is around and can help – Maggie knows her.
3. Check photo book in saddle room for pic of horse so you know what you are looking for.
4. Get the correct halter for the horse (they are hanging in alpha order, except for a few private horses which Maggie will know where to look.
5. Catch the horse
6. Strap the horse for saddling in the barn area.
7. Get grooming materials and let Mag start grooming.
8. Check the chart in saddle room for which saddle # works w/ the assigned horse.
9. Guess on the girth strap based on how big the horse is.
10. Saddle Pad
11. Bridle for assigned horse.
12. Begin saddling horse.
13. After horse is saddled, move halter to the neck of horse and apply bridle.
14. Get the Red vest if it is available (smallest and there is only one) for Maggie.
15. You are ready!
16. After lesson… undo all of this. Good Luck.