It's a Blue Ribbon Day!

We're lightweights anymore when it comes to 4-H, but it's always good to bring home a ribbon or two from the county fair.


Joel received a Reserve Champion on his Shooting Sports poster. Joel loves Shooting Sports. Hates making posters. Joel learned that the gal who beat him out of a Champion ribbon won because the judge liked the pink border she added to her poster. I'm not sure how useful that information is since Joel is not likely to be adding anything pink to anything anytime soon. (What can I say.... he has never understood the draw of the "real men wear pink" club.) He also doesn't care for quiche.

Hmmm....I just noticed that Reserve Champion ribbon is pink. (snicker)

He's smiling not so much because he got that pink Reserve Champion ribbon, but because completing this poster also earns him the privilege of 3 extra "shoots". That was a club incentive. It worked better than any cajoling on my part ever did. When he's happy, I'm happy.



Ben was a good sport this year -- not really crazy about shooting sports, but willing to make this his 4-H club in order to simplify our running around. He'll tell you his favorite events are archery and rifle and pistol. And in the shotgun event, he hit his first clay he ever took aim at and likes to say he has a perfect record with a shotgun. Truth is, he does not like the kick of a shotgun, so he never picked it up again after he shot that first clay. Ah well.... Ben earned a Blue Honors with this poster on basic gun safety.



And Ben learned a lesson (again) about the subjectivity that goes into the judging of 4-H projects. His older brother had earned a Champion ribbon on this same submarine several years ago,but Ben decides to smile over his red ribbon. Did I already mention what a good sport he is? Every fair time is an opportunity for my guys to learn to not put too much weight on the judgements passed on from another person. THAT is a valuable life lesson. They seem pretty strong and unconcerned any more when it comes to project judging. And that makes me a happy mom.

And most importantly.......4-H is over for another 7-8 months -- well, except for those extra shoots. ;^)

~Happy Mom.