4-H Project Time

It's almost Medina County Fair time and this week is project judging for the two 4-Hers that live at our house.  Although it seems that we're always down to the wire when it comes time to wrap up those projects, I'm really glad that the kids are involved in 4-H. 

Growing up a "city girl", as my husband calls it, I had never really been to the fair. Well, at least I don't really remember attending the fair as a kid.  All I really knew about the fair I probably learned from "Charlotte's Web".

I still remember when we had our first little garden at our first little house and John decided to enter one of his green tomatoes into the fair. 

"Um, okay.  But, why?"  I thought.

So, he entered his tomato and won his first blue ribbon. 

"Um, okay.  Congratulations there, honey.  Nice tomato."

I really didn't get this whole fair thing.

Now, my kids are involved in 4-H.  Being involved in 4-H has kind of changed the whole fair experience for both me and the kids.  It's made the focus more on the projects and the animals and not so much the rides and the food.  Yes, they'll still get their bucket of greasy fries and cotton candy, but we'll spend most of our time seeing what types of projects were done by all 4-Hers,  checking out how their friends did and finding out if our kids or their dad won any ribbons. 

As we were wrapping up those projects this past weekend, I could see the pride in their faces and excitement about how they might do at judging.  We've been encouraging and reminding both of the kids to be ready to really tell the judges what they've learned. 

"I remember last year, I talked and talked to my judge, said the 10-year old.  My throat was sore for three days afterwards because I talked so much." 

Hmmm, I think we've would've remembered if she had talked that much.  But, sometimes you just don't argue with a ten-year old girl. 

Make that most of the time.

Although both of the kids have had numerous opportunities to speak in front of people, at both church and at school, project judging gives them a sense of nervousness and excitement.  On our way to judging, the ten-year old asked me about a knot in her stomach.  "Mom, is that what being nervous feels like?  Is it okay to be nervous?"  Both good questions.

The kids have now finished their judging.  They did really well, both receiving "A" marks and blue ribbons for the judging portion.  They came away from the experience excited and pleased with themselves for what they had done.  Now, we just have to wait until fair to see how they placed.

Dad isn't planning on entering any green tomatoes this year, but he is planning on entering some of his maple syrup. 

Now that's something that I can appreciate.