He ran the line

I never was a farm kid. Never really knew a farm kid.

When I became a teacher in Kentucky, I first met farm kids. They are a different breed of kid. They dress differently and look differently. Their bodies and muscles simply morphed by the feedbags they carry and machines they drive. 

Even Isaac, who I never, ever thought would accept the farm family lifestyle, has slid into farm chores and has even started looking the part. We credit his big cousin, Gabe, whom Isaac has been doing farm chores with for some extra money. 

Sidge has always loved nature and animals and his farm. And Sidge is quite mechanically minded. He likes woodworking and can figure out locks and farm problems with a farm-kid mind. 

Yesterday was a big day for Sidge. He RAN his first line. Here's a photo I took after he completed it:

It's hard to explain what line running is. This picture shows what it looks like in the background. Normally, the kids are simply the "hookers." They follow behind the adults (or Gabe) who know how to actually run the wire. Running the wire means following steps to put make sure the line moves back and forth across the paddock properly. 

I've been showing Sidge how to do it a little bit here and there. But yesterday, I was out there with five children. Because I was the only line runner, we weren't moving as fast as I would like. I had too many "hookers." So I gave Sidge the reel and said, "It's time. You be the line runner."

I took two kids as my "hookers" and he took two kids as his "hookers" and we were off!

To other people this may seem like nothing big. 

But it was a huge and monumental moment. This kid is Uh-mazing. He is SO smart. He is SO like his Dad. He is focused and determined and drive and his brain is a very busy place.

I love my Sidge!