Bullying on the Baseball Field

Wilder is on the local little league team. Most of the other team kids are smaller/younger than him and he recently went and sang at their elementary school in choir. At the last game he had to endure razzing about how he 'sings like a girl.' And he was pissed. They also do 'cup checks' which he doesn't like (I'm not sure anyone would like that.) They fight, swear and push. He still is loving baseball, but beginning to dislike his teammates. I heard stories from Wilder's dad a long time ago about his experiences on the Little League team of bullying. He didn't play after one season because of it. I feel a mantle of mother bear coming over me, where I want to rise up and defend with very sharp words. But there is another side of me that realizes this is being a boy, at least in this community, and Wilder has to learn to handle it somehow. The loud, rude, bullish building a little boy facade of fearlessness that will turn into a man facade of fearlessness. Key word is facade, it will be covering little boys fears and rage. My job is to make sure Wilder is safe, and that he does not ever have to wear that facade as a man. Funny to say, since being female really I have no idea some of the issues he will face, but being his mom I know that I need to do my best. Raising these babies is not always easy. Sometimes it is a dance, and I don't always get the steps right. Rose sat down with me last night across the dining room table and we had one of those conversations you only have with a teenager. As in, what you are not saying is more important than what you are saying. THAT is a tough conversation to have, I am not always smart enough to keep track of exactly what we are saying vs. not saying.

The New Horse Fence!

Here is a pic of our new fence and gates. It is not quite done, I still need to run a 2" band of hot turbotape along the top. Note the horse that is actually located behind the fence, not leaning over the knee-high (former) field fence. I threw a before picture in there, too. Can you find it? I was teasing the fellows who built it that they built me a horse fortress. And compared to what was there before, it is.
I have 6"-8" treated round corner posts, 4" treated field posts, and 4' Red Brand non-climb horse fence that I could not find anywhere in my county except at Lowe's. Go figure. Total cost of materials was around $2000. Labor was another $1800. Much better than the $9,997.00 I was quoted and yes, horses are an expensive habit.

Pictures top to bottom: 1. Old fence and Strider. See that it is below his knee? Yes, I have placid horses. 2-4. New fence.

When your camera is taken over by an 11 year old

I went to my trusty Pentax to get some before and after photos of the (wicked old) and (lovely new) horse fence. What I found was about 200 photos of legos. Wilder mentioned he wanted to use my camera for some stop-action storylines of his sets - I just didn't think it would be such a prolific number. The blurriness could add action to the story... or... it is hard for him to hold a big camera, a bunch of lego dudes and then press the shutter button. He really needs to find his own camera again!

Fencing update 1

Last week I had a sweet couple with new sheep dismantle and take 400' of field fencing, posts and barbed wire.
Then Alex and his crew of one began digging fence post holes. I was thoroughly freaked out when they were digging near the marked buried electric wires. They were very patient with me, explaining why they were not concerned. They are all alive today, so I guess I can stop worrying. They dug 62 post holes, I can only imagine how they felt that evening. Today they are bracing corners, to prep for the big fence pull.
This is the part that stopped me from doing the fence myself. Physically pulling 120-310 lbs of 48" non-climb fencing taut between the posts. It takes some brawn. I have brawn, probably more temperamental brawn than actual muscle brawn, but this fence would have been the end of me.
Thank you Alex of 4seasons in Poulsbo.