My baby is back!!!!

OK...a little dramatic. I admit it. My laptop was getting worked on. Nothing like having 5 trojans on it! Mike picked it up on Friday and brought it back this evening. Mike is an awesome computer guru and an incredible friend. He fixed the laptop and then put in a couple of hours fixing the desktop that is PB's main source for doing her games, learning formats and checking out Beauty and the Beast on YouTube. He charged $10. Seriously awesome dude. I wanted to do my breakdown on last week's Farm Kings but Princess Bear is rocking a bad stomach ache and its after 11pm. I'm predicting a long night. SO I'm going to take care of my baby girl and Farm King it tomorrow. Have a good one!

Farm Kings Season 2 Episode 6

Wow! I'm sure there is some back story that we don't know about but why in the world is Dan always getting kicked about by his older brothers??!!!?? I still think that Dan should have returned to Polyface. Joel Salatin still had loads to teach him. The way the boys react when Dan tells them how something is done at Polyface is so wrong too. At this point it would be nice if they gave Dan at least the courtesy of listening to him. They are right in that it's Freedom Farms and not Polyface. That said they've also mentioned that Polyface is the example that they are shooting for. The idea of making Dan CEO for the week was kind of fun to watch. Thankfully it didn't backfire on Dan! If the worse thing he did was order to much flour so be it. It gave Dan empathy for what Joe goes through and that's all fine and dandy but that's the role that Joe has chosen for himself. So while I'm glad it gave Dan a chance to prove himself but not messing up and doing the commercial it didn't seem to open up the family's eyes about Dan. Honestly it seems like he is a man of many strengths and can excel at almost anything when given the opportunity. I loved that he spoke up about not knowing about the trip that Tim & Sam went on and the Taste of whatever that Lisa, Bitty and Dale (?) were participating in. I think if Joe had been out of the loop that he would have raised hell. Now on to the Taste of ???? and the competition. Good G-d! Lisa might have the most competitive streak I've ever seen. I'm sure it has helped in throughout life but it also makes you think that she could get ruthless if need be. The sense of competition was fun to watch. It was great for Freedom Farms since they featured so many of the Farms products. Hey Bitty! Can you share that recipe for the meatballs? If you don't want to give away the whole recipe how about just the meatball part? We're mushroom junkies in this house and that would go over so well! The trip that Tim and Sam took was interesting to see in that I want to get more berries in the backyard so it was a bit of a learning experience for me. It was also interesting watching Sam struggle with the decision to to to college or stay and work on the farm. The fact that they have so much trust and respect for him is awesome. Also since he didn't have a clear idea of what he'd like to do with his life other than farming it was a good choice to not spend big money on college. I do think that with college being as expensive as it is and kids of 18 being as immature as they are (and should be at that age) going away is just asking for trouble and winds up blowing money. I did love the way Sam acknowledged that helping his brother grow the business was something special. Again the love, respect and work ethic Lisa instilled in her kids shines through. The commercial in and of itself was probably a great idea. The money aspect of it was something to be considered but it was out of the box for Freedom Farms and a great way to spread the word on when the home market was opening. A few problems though. I get that it was Dan's idea and he was CEO for the week. He should have not featured himself as the CEO and focused more on the family. It was a great idea of showing them cleaning and getting ready to open up for the season but perhaps they could have verbalized it better. The last thing is where in the world did they get that producer??????????????? Ok, he's Polish at least that's what I gathered from the accent and his jacket. As a fellow Pollock he kind of made me cringe but that could just be me. SO- all in all Dan did a great job. I'm sure he'll get no real credit for it and they won't be giving him more respect any time soon. Still nice to see that Dan can handle whatever is thrown his way. It will be interesting to see what niche Dan fills in this year and how Sam does with the fruit production.

Farm Kings in Farm & Ranch Living!

Just open the new issue (August/September 2013) of Farm & Ranch Living. Who is featured on page 12? None other than the Farm Kings! It's pretty much the same as other write ups they've done and no new pics but still publicity is publicity, right? So run out and grab an issue!

Farm Kings Season 2 Episode 5- FINALLY

Why FINALLY you ask?  Hmmm, because I'm finally getting around to the post?  Perhaps.  Definitely because that little hiatus was a KILLER!!!  What was that all about GAC????  I'm wondering how far they will go with episodes this time.  Fall festival again?  Still no mention of Tim's upcoming November 2nd wedding either.  Hmmmm.

So what happened and what did I think of this episode?  As usual I think that Dan is getting screwed 30 ways to Monday.  I was so proud of him for making the decision to go to Polyface and work with Joel Salatin.  Yes I understand that losing him for a summer would have been rough on Freedom Farms.  I also know that what Dan would have learned and brought back to Freedom Farms would greatly outweigh the inconvenience and stress of having him gone for the summer.  Alas we'll never know because Dan cut his time at Polyface short.  Let's backtrack a bit though.

The Freedom Farms Cafe is broken into.  This absolutely sucks and is an unbelievable tragedy for the King family.  No doubt about it.  It was best put by Lisa saying that whoever did it was stealing from her kids.  Personally I believe in karma and I hope it really b#$chslaps whoever decided to break in.  I don't think there is anyone that would deny that the King family is hard working, dedicated and determined.  The certainly did not deserve to have to go through something like this.  As they also found out the robbery extends much further than just that day.  There is a sense of being violated and fear that is left after an event like that.  Lisa was wonderful when she was talking to the employee and checked to see how she was.  It was a glowing example of mama bear meets business women and it meshing beautifully.  I also felt so bad for Joe when he talked about how he had to tell his brothers.  Joe is very much a typical first born and takes his responsibilities to family very seriously.  That said he wasn't responsible and I hope he doesn't beat himself up too badly over it. 

After the break in Lisa called Dan to fill him in.  He was worried about the family and employees.  After that there really wasn't much he could do from Virginia.  Why Lisa said that they needed him I'm not sure.  I'm willing to bet it had nothing to do with the robbery and everything with wanting Dan home.  So not cool.  He was learning so much and having so much fun that it wasn't cool whatever the reason.  It's not like he was going to catch whoever broke in or be able to help the situation in any way.  All she did was guilt him into coming home for no real reason.  I'm also wondering why she hadn't talked to Dan in awhile.  In this day and age when cell minutes are easy to come by especially on a family plan which I'm really hoping the Kings have there's no reason they couldn't have been talking on a regular basis. 

So Joe, Tim & Pete go about installing a new safe and upping the security around the Cafe.  I did love Tim's method of checking the safes sturdiness.  I also thought it was wonderful that Joe was opening the Cafe with the employees since they were nervous.  It was the right thing to do but that doesn't mean that many bosses would have done it.  It did but a lot of stress on him which sucked.  It was really awesome that Joe took everyone to the self defense class.  I mean if I had a daughter old enough to have a part time job I'd certainly feel safe if she worked for the Kings. 

Then we got to the point of Dan's return.  Joe's response was so completely shitty and not appropriate.  To say he was awful to Dan is an understatement.  I'm really hoping that it was a lot of editing and that Joe isn't that big an a$$hole.  Not holding my breath though from past things with Joe.  Dan came home because Lisa told him he was needed.  Complete BS and he walked into the lions den.  Now it did seem like there was a 2 week gap or so from the robbery and Lisa's call asking Dan to come home and his arrival.  Only way of catching that is if you follow the whole birth of the pigs thing.  For as much of an AH Joe was Pete was a complete mensch when Dan showed up.  He seemed genuinely happy to see him and the love was apparent. 

A side note if we're keeping track of the King boys that chew and it can be confirmed either from the show or pics its now Joe, Tim & Dan.  WTF guys?????  Lisa smack those boys of yours upside they head and use some of the mom guilt on this topic. 

At the end of the episode it seemed like Dan was not going to be returning to VA.  I really hoped he was just home for a visit and then would go back and continue to soak up that knowledge from Joel.  Not to be. 

So those are my thoughts and feelings on episode 5.  So glad it's back on and can't wait to see what else happens this season!  I wonder if Tim will talk about his fiancee at all or him he'll just show up in season 3 rocking a ring.  What do you think? 

More posts coming soon!

No I haven't disappeared.  No I haven't stopped watching the Farm Kings *gasp*. Yes Princess Bear (PB) and I are fine.  It's summer which seems to be the busiest time of the year.  Between PB's tutor twice a week, art 3 times a week, speech therapy, horseback riding and piano it feels a bit crazy.  My parents have been having some health issues so we've been trying to pick up slack to help them out.  I'll try to write a post on the return of the Farm Kings tonight or tomorrow.  Until then why don't you discuss amongst yourselves what you think the color scheme for Tim & Maggies November 2nd wedding will be.  Browns, oranges and yellows?  Pink & brown?  What do you think? 

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Today is Princess Bear's 10th birthday!  Honestly I don't know where the last 10 years have gone.  I miss holding a newborn in my arms!  I think back on the past decade and realize how much my daughter has taught me.  She is so incredibly loving and giving.  She has such incredible strength.  It boggles the mind.  When I think of what she has overcome and become I honestly couldn't be more proud of her.

I remember parts of the night she was born but not much afterwards.  The night before I had PB I talked to my "brother" Kyle for the first time in a few years.  He'd always been an huge factor in my life and I really wanted him to be in PB's life as well.  He'd recently moved back to this area and I was thrilled.  Actually when I was first pregnant I was trying to decide between Kylie Rose, after Kyle, and Jordana Shai (what my name was supposed to be).  I remember talking to Kyle for awhile and filling him in on all the things that had been going on.  Then I went about cleaning the house and getting things ready.  I don't remember what time I was supposed to be at the hospital for my induction.  Not surprisingly I was late!  I'll figure out how to be late for my own funeral!  That morning I left the house, stopped by McDonald's and then drove to my parents house to pick up my mom.  My mom drove to the hospital and from there on out it was a waiting game.  I had a doula and we were all ready to go.  Unfortunately there weren't any labor rooms available.  Sue, the nurse that delivered me, came out to start as much paperwork as we could do before I was actually checked in and then it was a just sitting around waiting for a room to open up.  A couple of hours later the show was on the road.  My cousin Jen was my contact person to email Wayne (then fiancee who was deployed with the Navy at the time).  They started the IV drugs to get the ball rolling and I remember Sue telling me that they start with the lowest dose possible and then increase over a couple of hours until labor is progressing the way the Dr. wants.  She warned me that I might not even notice much difference the first hour or so.  Seriously???? They started the Pitocin and I was having regular and oh so noticeable contractions within 20 minutes!  Sue thought that was a good sign.  Just before noon a Dr. came in to break my water.  They then started using an internal monitor on the baby.  That was the first bit of my birthing plan out the window.  The next several hours were a lot of visitors including then BFF Jessi. and a whole lot of not a lot.  They did decide that I would not be allowed out of bed because there was some risk of the cord prolapsing.  I had planned on no epidural and walking and showering throughout labor.  Well last time I checked you couldn't walk or shower in bed.  I was not a happy camper.  I watched TopGun and then napped for awhile.  I've got to say that the first couple rounds of IV meds were really great!  At that point I was still ok with the no epidural stance.  There were a few things that I was really against before going into the hospital to have PB.  They were:

1) using an internal monitor

2) epidurals

3) C- sections

At this point 1 has flown out the window.  Around 3:30pm I was in a fair amount of pain with the contractions coming fairly regularly.  At this point I have to say that having a doula was the best decision I made about the labor and delivery process.  She was so incredibly soothing and helpful.  She was great about telling me what options I had and what was going on.  It was around that time that I decided that I would go for the epidural.  The IV drugs weren't really touching the pain anymore and it didn't matter if I could feel my legs because I still wasn't allowed out of bed.  Exit #2 if you're keeping track.  Now if you want to ever hear an epidural from hell story let me know.  It sucked and I was kicking myself....until that thing kicked in.  Wow was that beautiful!  I then proceeded to take a nap for about an hour and a half.  Shortly after I woke up I looked at my mom and the doula and told them that something was wrong.  They told me that I was being silly and that a nurse was monitoring everything up at the desk.  For the next hour and a half I keep on telling them something was wrong.  My OB-Gyn came in that evening and looked at the printout from the internal monitor.  She then left the room and came back with the nurse that was supposed to be monitoring me.  She grabbed the printout and asked how long it had been like that.  PB was going into distress with each contraction.  My OB then kicked the nurse out.  She explained what was going on with PB and said that they were going to put me on oxygen to see if that would help the baby.  The Dr. said that if it seemed to work that they would give it a few hours before making any other decisions.  She also said that if it didn't work in that amount of time it would be time to consider a C-section.  So they started oxygen and it didn't help PB at all.  My Dr. came in 25 minutes later and said that PB was in too much distress and she couldn't wait any longer.  It was time to prep for  a C-section immediately.  There goes #3 flying right out the window.  I did manage to call my cousin Jen and fill her in on what was going on so she could tell Wayne.  He knew how scared I was of a C-section so he knew that things weren't going well if I had agreed to one.  I was so glad that I had decided to go for an epidural earlier because at this point I would have been screwed 30 ways to Sunday if I hadn't.  The last thing I told my mom before being wheeled into surgery was to stay with the baby if there was anything wrong. 

Once I was in surgery I remember very little.  They crank up the meds going into the epidural and make sure you can't feel anything and then get started.  Things were moving pretty quickly and I just felt like I was freezing.  I do remember at one point someone pointing out to the Dr. how much blood I had lost.  Then I remember nothing until the Dr. handed my mom PB so my mom could bring her to me.  Her eyes were wide open and she was so red.  Since she'd been in distress red was a good thing.  Then they whisked her off and did all the Apgar tests and other things they do with newborns. That includes special eye drops which makes no sense since she was a C-section baby.  PB didn't like those eye drops and didn't open her eyes for almost a month after that.  I don't remember at what point my mom realized something was off with PB but she did.  She kept on asking and being given different reasons but basically everyone brushed off her concerns.  My mom stuck to PB like glue and finally said that if someone didn't call in the Pediatrician she was calling him and home and having him come down ASAP.   I guess they realized she was serious because the finally called him.  From there things got dicey but honestly I was in recovery shivering and shaking by myself.  My mom came in for a minute to tell me what she was concerned about and asked if I wanted a priest called in.  So enter Monsignor.  A bit later Jessi came and was keeping me company in recovery.  She was awesome and keep on top of stuff.  Had them get more blankets.  She kept on telling them that I wouldn't complain about pain unless I couldn't handle it anymore.  A nurse looked at her and told her when I was supposed to get the next dose of pain meds.  She informed them that they needed to call the OB because there was no way I was going to make it that long.  The next couple of hours were a huge blur.  Monsignor came in and blessed PB.  I was taken to a room and was still pretty out of it.  Occasionally I would look up and see my mom, Jessi and Nika taking turns holding PB and my mom constantly crying.  At some point Nika asked if I'd held the baby and they said no since I was so out of it.  She then said that I had to hold the baby and she'd help.  What a friend.  I honestly am not sure if I tried nursing that night or not.  I was all for breastfeeding and no pacifiers.

The next couple of days were a game of hurry up and wait while they were planning tests for PB.  They sent in a lactation specialist right away figuring that I would have to pump to build up a decent milk supply since it was a sure bet that she was going to be having surgery in the near future.  I was released after 6 days but PB was having issues with billirubin and was in for a few more. 

PB was a pretty chill baby from the start.  She was a night owl like her mama and didn't like anything on her head or being wrapped up too tight.  No swaddling for that baby!  I'm not sure when I fully grasped the extent of challenges that PB would face.  I think for awhile I was on autopilot.  I'm not sure when I realized that things weren't as they were "supposed" to be.  I can say that living with PB has taught me that living life with a sense of how things are supposed to be is not a good way to live.  She has taught me to roll with a whole lot.  I was pretty chill before I had her but had to become even more so after.  She taught me how to celebrate things even little things.  She also taught me how to not worry too much.  Things change and often times they change rapidly.  She taught me about love.  She taught me about hope.  She taught me about how to persevere.  I always thought I'd be the one teaching my child things.  I'm so grateful for the things that she's taught me. 

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!  Mama loves you soooooooo much!

Farm Kings Season 2 Episode 4

Winter is slowly turning into spring and Lisa needs to do spring cleaning and prep in her gardens. This is a pretty big task and she needs help. She says something to the effect of “didn’t have these kids for nothing”. Ok so you were trying to birth your own field crew? I thought you had a big family because you loved kids and being a mom. It just rubbed me the wrong way. She then tricks Pete, Dan and Bitty into coming over to help her clean up and plant some trees.


Joe is still on his kick on wanting to add cattle to Freedom Farms inventory. Pete isn’t completely sure that Joe has all the details of slaughter worked out and is understandably a bit nervous. Joe thinks he’s got it figured out but Pete hopes that he just takes it slow. Joe goes to check out some Scottish Highland cows and bulls. They are a heritage breed and Joe is looking for a niche market. In the end they decide not to go with the Scottish Highland but rather they go with Angus. The visit a farm that has some Angus available. The silver lining is that there are several already pregnant cows eliminating the need for a bull right away.

Dan received a call from Joel Salatin offering him an internship at Polyface Farms. Joel is Dan’s hero and who the King brothers have decided to model Freedom farms after. This is an incredible opportunity to learn from the best. The down side is that it lasts through the entire summer.

Sam is finishing High School and taking on fruit production. Tim is teaching Sam the ropes and sharing his vast knowledge. Tim discusses the fact that he wants to share his knowledge with his brothers. He also acknowledges that he doesn’t know everything yet. Sam isn’t sure what exactly he wants to do with his life but thinks farming is the best option for the time being.

There is some discussion among Tim, Pete and Joe about whether Dan will stick with taking care of the cows. Once again they are slamming Dan saying he’s capable but will he stay with it. Isn’t he the guy that became the face of the Farm store? He built up a great relationship with the clients. He stuck with that even though it drastically cut the time he was able to spend in the fields. It seems to me that Dan is always taking it on the chin and doing what the family needs regardless of his own happiness.

Dan and Bitty discuss the offer that Joel Salatin has extended to Dan. One of the things is that Dan has always been on the farm. He had the short lived construction gig that he loved and had to leave to help with the needs of the family. Dan went to college and was a civil engineer, Tim worked in the mining industry, Pete worked construction and Bitty went to culinary arts school and took a year away from working for the family. Dan hasn’t had the chance to do anything like that. Now he has been offered something that can really teach him a lot and in the long term will benefit Freedom Farms. He has the opportunity to work with the best and who the King family is modeling their operation on. I can understand that losing Dan for the summer would be a major loss. I can also see that Dan has repeatedly stepped up and done what the family has asked of him. I also haven’t seen him messing up often. Other than not covering plants from frost one time and showing up to the farm store 2 hours late what has he done that was bad? He has given up things he really likes in order to help though. So now he has the opportunity to really broaden his horizons. In turn it can really help Freedom Farms. While I can admit that Dan leaving for the summer leaves a major void and he perhaps could have talked to Joe about it better it really is his decision. Joe’s reaction was pretty harsh. Joe points out that he has more pigs coming and this is a family operation. Says that they’ve been training Dan since birth. Talks about it killing him and Dan can’t do it. Tries for guilt and talks about making a sign for a replacement brother for the season. He then recoups some and tells Dan “whatever you do do a damn good job. I’ll figure it out”. It was the one time I think Joe has been a truly stand up guy. It changed quickly though. Dan hugs Lisa and drives off. Joe goes back to ranting and tells Lisa that she had three good ones and then popped out Dan. Then he starts talking about the fact that Dan is committed to Joe.

This kind of goes back to remark that Lisa made earlier too. These kids were not born to be farm hands. Also what right does Joe have to depend on his siblings without question? If the partnership is between Tim, Pete and Joe they are the only ones they can completely rely on. I understand that they think of this as a family operation. So anytime someone in the family decides to spread their wings (other than Luke and its ok for him) and pursue their own dreams it’s going to be taken as a personal affront to the family? What if Sam decides that he doesn’t want to spend his life farming? Or any of the other younger boys? I think there are a couple of things in play here. It will give the family a chance to see that Dan is more reliable than they give him credit for. He’ll also bring back really useful information that will ultimately help Freedom Farms prosper. Also Joe, Tim and Pete need to put some time into what happens if the younger boys don’t all want to follow in their footsteps. It’s not really fair for them to assume that all the Kings will stay and work Freedom Farms.