Super Noob + TIME

Guest Post: Farm-Raised Humor: Daily Life with My Kids

I'm a mom from the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. Our little town has a population of just over 1,000 now - but when we first moved here, it was still working up from the 900s. Our big family of six didn't quite push the town over the top, but we came close. We moved out here from North Carolina when my youngest wasn't even one year old - now, that was a road trip - so my husband could be near his parents and help keep up the family farm. We also thought it would be a calmer, quieter place to raise a family than the big city of Raleigh.

Our kids had some trouble adjusting at first, but now they love living here and are always begging to visit their grandparents on the farm. Grandma always spoils their dinner with root beer floats and helps them make crafts out of coffee filters or her big jar of colorful buttons. Then there's Grandpa, who gets out the old train set and teaches my son all about golf while the sounds of putts and drives from the TV fill in the background. There are pet cats, cows, and sheep galore, and one friendly dog who greets the kids with slobbery kisses every time they arrive at the farm. It's a great place to grow up, and I'm so glad we decided to give them the opportunity to enjoy it.

Stress and the City

Of course, life isn't always paradise. I left my family back in North Carolina so we could raise our kids in the country, and there were times when I missed Raleigh and the people I had left behind. My mother's age and deteriorating health started to worry me, and sometimes I feel overcome with the desire to move back so I can take care of her. I have brothers in the area, but let's face it - when it comes to care-giving, boys aren't always the best nurses.

One day, I was sitting at home, feeling sorry for myself as I folded the laundry. Always fascinated by "grown-up" activities, my youngest daughter was "helping" me fold the endless heap of clothes that accumulates when you have six people living in one house. My husband came in from work and saw that I wasn't my usual self, so he asked how my day had been. I told him that it had been fine, and he gave me a quizzical look. After a few seconds, he asked what was bothering me if everything was fine. In a moment of overflowing frustration that had been building for weeks, I said, "If you can't figure out how to be sympathetic every once in a while, you'll just have to take me to the funny farm!"

I was about to burst into tears because I knew he didn't deserve my anger when I heard the excited voice of my daughter: "Mommy, mommy! Can I come, too?"

Of course, she didn't understand that I was referring to a mental institution, not her grandparents' farm. To her, "funny farm" was a logical name for the place she loved so much. I couldn't help it; I started laughing until tears rolled down my cheeks.

I was a tired mom at the end of the day, and my daughter had just provided the perfect punch line to help me see how petty I was being. Although her words brought laughter, they were also a profound reminder to me that my husband and I had moved to South Dakota for a very good reason. I believe that it's the best environment for raising my children, and I know my mother would want that every bit as much as we do.
My family visits North Carolina once a year, usually at Christmas, and my mom is doing just fine. Every time I start to worry about her, I remember that I'm making the right decision for my whole family by living here and raising my children to love life on the farm.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online degrees, and what it takes to succeed as a student getting an online associates degree remotely from home. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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Guest Post: Farm-Raised Humor: Daily Life with My Kids + TIME