Tornadoes and Teenagers

Well, as it turns out, my nice, sweet, cute little girl has turned into a hormonal teenager. Be warned, this can be pretty scary stuff. One minute she's "yes ma'am"/"no ma'am", happy go lucky, cracking jokes and just having a good time in general, but then something happens and there's the next minute. This next minute, I just don't know if I can convey it very well in words, but I will try. The next minute, she is yelling at whoever's closest to her (usually me or her 7 year old brother), crying her eyes out like she has lost her last friend in this world, stomping around the house and slamming things around (which don't you know just thrills me to no end). The next minute, she's happy again.

Wait, what the heck just happened?!?!?!?! I know that I probably don't handle these "fits of madness" that she has very well. I don't really know how to handle them. I try my very best to be patient and calm, but after working all day, making sure all of the critters are taken care of and fed, feeding the children (and, of course, my hubby) and trying to figure out why, yet again, my house looks like a tornado went through - again, I am tired and I don't do so well. I have a feeling I am going to have to take anger management courses by the time my little guy reaches his teenage years. I hope teenage boys are in no way like teenage girls although, with my luck, they are probably worse. At least there will be a nice little gap there, and maybe I will survive it. Who knows, maybe they will too.

Oh, and about that tornado, yes one did hit the house and my horse trailer last month. What luck I have -- tornadoes and teenagers. They seem to have a lot in common . . . . .

A little about us.

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, horseback riding (training, showing and trailriding), camping with friends (and, of course, our horses) and spending time outdoors.

I am married with two children. We currently have seven horses, Chubby, Runaway, Sunni, Dixie, Flash, Skippy and Bay. (Chubby, Sunni, Dixie, Flash and Skippy are Appaloosas; Bay is a Quarter Horse; and Runaway is a walking horse - doesn't really fit in, does he?!?!?) These are my hooved children.

Bay is the newest addition to the family. She'll spin, do sliding stops and she's been worked on cows too.

Skippy and Flash are who I usually trail ride. Flash doesn't understand that she's a horse - she thinks she's a person - and I have ruined her. In her first two weeks of life, we almost lost her twice - once to a snake bite and the second time she was stung by a bee or something. She had an allergic reaction to the snake bites (it bit her 4 times - she still has scars) and when the bee stung her, her head closed up. She slept in my lap most of her first couple weeks of life, and she still thinks she should be a "lap horse." She is extremely jealous of the other horses. If I speak to one of the others before speaking to her, she pins her ears, literally stomps off and turns the other way. She's such a brat!

Skippy is my gelding. He is off of my old show mare that I lost in 2004. He is not at all like his mother, but I still love him anyway. He is bay with snowflakes and a little bit of roaning on his left side only. It trips the vet out everytime they see him! His right side is his Quarter Horse side and his left side is his Appaloosa side! (Mom was an Appaloosa and Dad is a Quarter Horse.)
Dixie is my girl too. She has that real wide blaze and blue eyes that so many of the Mighty Bright horses have. She is gorgeous (and she knows it)! She has the attitude to go with the looks. She doesn't put up with much from anyone.

Runaway is my husband's horse (Bay is too - technically). He's a good ole fella with loads of personality. If he was human, he would have been the class clown.

Chubby is the old girl - she's 29 now. She is Flash and Sunni's mother. She's been retired for a few years now even though the boys like to harass her. Every now and then they manage to stack up enough toys to climb on her. She politely walks them to the barn and stops. They get off, taker her back to the stack of toys and do it again. (She's earned the right to be a "yard horse." We don't put her out with the other guys anymore. They get a little too rough sometimes.)

Sunni is my little boy's horse. She's a cute little solid dun App mare that puts up with a lot from my little guy. They are soooo cute together.

We also have three Australian Shepherds, Panda, Elliott and Izzie; and a BUNCH of beagles. My hubby rabbit hunts and field trials a few his beagles. Flash, my beagle (the one that I claim that the hubby swears is his), made Bench Champion last year! He is in the run off for Hound of the Year this year. He's currently sitting in 4th place. He's also close to making field champion!

Well enough about me and all of my critters! I will fill you in on the kids later.