The new season at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch has begun!
I signed the younger four kids up to visit the Ranch, and signed Jersey #1 up to be Junior Volunteer that same day. Everyone was so excited for their first official day at GGYR. I did not have any trouble waking the kids up early.
Every year there are new and exciting things added to the Ranch. This year, they are working hard to create a wonderful play area, full of fun and dirt-filled activities. The kids loved going from station to station to check out all the new things.
While the younger four kids played and romped around the Ranch, my Junior Volunteer greeted families as they arrived...
When it was time for the session to start, the kids climbed up on the hay stack auditorium for the safety lesson with Cowboy Max. Do not walk behind a horse. Keep an arm's length away, so the horse does not step on your foot. Do not kiss the horse on the head, because those heads are hard if they spring up on you. Do not run up and try to scare a horse. You may run up and try to scare the Junior Volunteers though.
The kids were divided into groups to rotate around the activity stations at the Ranch. Our group started out in the grooming and play area. They enjoyed the opportunity to pet and brush the horse named Bones, who was enjoying his breakfast.
The next station was scooping poop in the corral. For some reason, the little kids just LOVE this activity. I don't know if it is the size of the horse poop that impresses them, or if it is the kid-sized shovels and rakes. Jersey #3 told Cowboy Max that scooping poop was AWESOME!
Our last station of the day was riding horses! Jersey #5 was so excited to ride today. As we were driving out to the Ranch, he called out to the horses....
"Hello horsies! I'm coming to ride on you today!"
He had to be held back, because he kept wanting to run right up to the horse and hug it. It is a good thing those GGYR volunteers are so safety conscious, to prevent him from spooking the horse with his excitement. That child has cowboy genes flowing through his blood for sure.
Jersey #3 and Jersey #2 convinced me to let them pick out a new GGYR T-shirt. We have one for each child, and they hand them down as they outgrow them. But, those new T-shirt colors did look cool. Both kids are busy outgrowing their clothes as quick as possible these days.
Jersey #3 had the honor of putting our donation into the box. The kids have been saving soda pop cans for months, because GGYR was collecting them last year as a fundraiser. It finally dawned on me that we don't have to store those cans for months. We can cash in the cans and donate the money instead!
One of the kids in our group decided to draw a picture of Cowboy Max on the chalkboard. Jersey #3 liked the idea so much that he decided to draw his own picture of Cowboy Max...
We ended our visit with a HUGE surprise. Jersey #1 walked up to me, holding a small chicken! GGYR has added chickens to their Ranch, and some of them seem to enjoy the attention from the kids. But, Jersey #1 has been very fearful of birds from the time she was a toddler (we know of no incident that would have caused this, but it has been an issue for a long time). She hides and squeals and runs from birds. She doesn't feed the lorikeets at the zoo. (She won't even enter their display). She is creeped-out by the pigeons that roam the Sam's Club parking lot. (She tells me they are chasing after her).
She was originally appalled to learn that GGYR had chickens running around. (And she had been working so hard on her attitude to be able to join the Junior Volunteer program, that she really struggled to maintain her composure over the chickens). I teased her. Cowboy Max teased her. She took the teasing in good humor. One of the other Junior Volunteers showed her the proper way to hold the chicken so that it was calm. After watching this girl hold the chicken off and on that day, Jersey #1 mustered up the courage to give it a try. I was stunned. I never thought I would see the day that my foul-phobic daughter would touch a bird...
I've said it before, and I say it again this season,
Galloping Grace Youth Ranch is a magical place!
One of the kids in our group decided to draw a picture of Cowboy Max on the chalkboard. Jersey #3 liked the idea so much that he decided to draw his own picture of Cowboy Max...
We ended our visit with a HUGE surprise. Jersey #1 walked up to me, holding a small chicken! GGYR has added chickens to their Ranch, and some of them seem to enjoy the attention from the kids. But, Jersey #1 has been very fearful of birds from the time she was a toddler (we know of no incident that would have caused this, but it has been an issue for a long time). She hides and squeals and runs from birds. She doesn't feed the lorikeets at the zoo. (She won't even enter their display). She is creeped-out by the pigeons that roam the Sam's Club parking lot. (She tells me they are chasing after her).
She was originally appalled to learn that GGYR had chickens running around. (And she had been working so hard on her attitude to be able to join the Junior Volunteer program, that she really struggled to maintain her composure over the chickens). I teased her. Cowboy Max teased her. She took the teasing in good humor. One of the other Junior Volunteers showed her the proper way to hold the chicken so that it was calm. After watching this girl hold the chicken off and on that day, Jersey #1 mustered up the courage to give it a try. I was stunned. I never thought I would see the day that my foul-phobic daughter would touch a bird...
I've said it before, and I say it again this season,
Galloping Grace Youth Ranch is a magical place!
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