We had a wonderful time yesterday with all the kids that came to visit!  Wilbur needed a bath before the kids could touch him.  He had been wallowing in his mud hole.  The bath went like you can picture in your head.  A lot of screaming and freaking out.   So I sat down on the log bench to sing to him and calm him down.  It worked like a charm.  Turned out the log bench was a great place to take pictures.

I am pretty sure that this will be the last time I will be able to hold Wilbur.  He is getting so big.  Some of the kids wanted to touch and others were happy to just sit next to him.  Flip the turkey decided to photo bomb because he wasn’t getting any attention.

A little sidenote…..Wilbur is a red waddle pig.  It is a heritage breed of pig and pretty rare.  I saw on the news that the Sioux Falls petting zoo has two new pigglet’s.  Red Waddle’s!  I know why.  They are the best.  So calm and good with kids.

Tegen and Thor decided to come and see what was going on at the bench.  Tegen really just wanted to lick this young man and see if he was sweet and to show him her party trick. “Can you do this?”

Flip finally got his turn to get some love.  Kids are always amazed at how bumpy and rubbery a turkey’s head feels.  Not many kids get this experience.

Tegen got her turn.  She loves to be brushed.  It was a little overwhelming for her with all the kids but she did great.  Thor wasn’t too sure about all of the action.  He is hiding under Tegen.

Emma was a little upset about not being able to out with Tegen and Thor.  She is really sweet and we are learning her personality.  Her size and big horns meant she stayed behind the fence.  I was so impressed by her.  The kiddos fed her apple treats.  It was like she knew exactly what her role was in the day.

Mini Pearl and Simon got in on the apple treat party as well.  The kids were feeding them treats faster than they could chew them!  They loved it.

Time for some hands on goat time.  My goats live for these days.  Otis is just the right size and personality for a fun kids day.  Natasha and Boris sometimes forget how big they are so I made sure I had good grip so they could get all kinds of love.  Of course, Annabelle was a hit.  Getting her started with tons of kids will make her the best goat to interact with the kids over the next few years.  The ever still pregnant Petunia was enjoying the attention.  I was hoping all the activity would send her into labor.  I was wrong.  Still pregnant!  Hopefully, her kids will be just as good with the kids as Annabelle.

Chicken Time!!!!  All the kids (except maybe the under 1 crowd) get the opportunity to hold a chicken.  I usually pick a silkie or frizzle because they are kid sized and super soft.  Most of the kids can’t help but pet them.  The options are to hold the chicken or I hold the chicken and they pet the chicken.  The little girl holding the chicken is a pro.  She loves these chickens.  The other little girl with that beautiful smile is usually scared of the animals.  Especially the chickens.  She was such a big girl this year and almost held that chicken all by herself! Look at that smile…..no tears.  Yes, she got a high-five after.  These moments are what this farm is all about.

These kids were amazing.  Their parents and daycare providers have done an excellent job of teaching them how to respect animals and listen.

After being calm and amazing with the animals, it was time to run and play.  I bought this play area a few years ago for my kids.  Nobody understood why I bought such a big one.  I saw it as an investment into my future dream of having tons of kids come visit the farm.  We will be moving it from my backyard to the animal yard this summer.  My kids have outgrown it and my dream of having a farm for kiddos is coming true.

Finally lunch!!!!  We put those new picnic tables to good use.  A yummy picnic lunch is a good way to end a fun morning at the farm.  I try to have ice cream cups for this group when they come.  I got this little trick from an Amish farm in Oklahoma.  It was a field trip that my boys took every year with their school. A nice cool treat after a warm morning of running around.

Do you know what comes next…..nap time.  For them, the animals and me. HAHAHAHA

As the vans go down the drive I sigh a sigh of satisfaction.  A great day had by all.

I need to give a big shout out to my kids.  They are homeschooled and here for all activities.  They know the animals and are helpers during these fun days.  Although sometimes reluctantly and may need a little nudge to stay on task (they are still kids after all).  They get a little tired as well by the end of the day.  My boys have a lot of responsibilities and chores for the behind the scenes part that makes a day like this possible.  Bonus, they got to see their Aunt Tracy and get some squeezes from her.  Makes all the work worth it!