From NYC Single truck driver...to farmer "dad" with 5 kids.

[justusnak]

So, I was on another thread this evening...and got to thinking of a few childhood memories. See, my mother divorced with 5 kids. She married a few years later, I think more out of necessity, ( needing another adult in the mix) When she married my step dad, I am sure we must have been a sight ... or nightmare for him. There were 5 kids....Steven, 11...Jeff, 10...Penny, 9....Debbie(me), 7..and Becky, 6. Why he didnt turn tail and run, I have NO idea...LOL
I remember the day we all met, like it was yesterday. All of us kids were playing outside....barefoot and I am sure dirty.. :/ Mom lined us up...and introduced us to him...as.." your soon to be dad" Being raised in Ohio/KY...we were just floored by his NY accent, and soon found out, he was not like us...him being a city boy. This was in the summer of 1969. ( WOW that seems soooo long ago!!!)
Our first winter with a "new dad" We lived in a large farm house, and used wood primarily for heat. Steven being the oldest was used to splitting wood and the rest of us stacked it, and brought it to the house. Well, Our new dad wanted to be " the man" and decided HE would split wood. I mean, If a kid can do it, he can too....right?? Well..he quickly split 2 handles on the Ax's we had...which infuriated my brother. He was quick to anger..and still is to this day! The rest of us kids stood there giggling quietly..and learning " new words" Which we were told later to " NEVER REPEAT" :/ Mom replaced the handles on the Ax's, and told my brother to split wood, when dad was gone. It took my dad most of the first winter, to "learn" to use an ax. I remember our first ice storm, ( with the new dad) and the ice was covering the windshield of the car. Mom had to get to work, so dad, thinking it was a good idea, threw a bucket of HOT water on the windshield. WOW!!! I never new those things could explode so loud!! More new words! LOL By spring, us 5 kids knew he was going to be a "fun " dad to have around. He was nervous with us kids...and scared of EVERYTHING country. ESPECIALLY Snakes...which at that time, I was dearly fond of..and chased him as often as I could...him screaming for my mom to help him, and me laughing like a mad child..running barefoot...snake in hand...chaseing this big man from NYC.
Spring came...and so did the birth of mice, and rats. We lived just up the road from the grain mill. Rats and mice were common to us..we would trap them, and dispose of them, without thinking about it. Now, Dad....he was another page of funnies! The first rat he saw in the house...he screamed like a woman! We all came running to the kitchen...to see him standing on the chair..pointing towards the freezer, and claiming there was a "30 pound rat back there" Again, we rolled in laughter! Mom told him not to worry, we would get another trap and set it that night. He said..." you's guy's are nuts, there's no trap big enough for a rat that size" Again, we laughed at his comments, and accent. Mom set the trap later that night and we all went to bed. All except dad. He decided the best way to get a " 30 pound rat" ( wich was really only about 2 or 3 pounds) was to shoot it. Mom has a great picture, of our new dad, sitting in a kitchen chair backwards, in his undershorts, holding a pistol...waiting on the rat. Oh, he got the rat...and at the same time, killed the freezer! After the commotion settled, I will never forget moms reaction... " Now why did you shoot the freezer? It wasnt hurting anyone"! After that little episode, mom made sure, traps were for rats and mice...NOT guns! We moved from that house the following year...further out in the country...where mom could have a bigger garden, and horses...and further away from the grain mill!
I will write more later about our adventures of raiseing a city dad in the country. Thinking back now...those were the days!!!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Kudos to the man for rising up to the challenge.

 

[freemotion]

 

[Dace]

What wonderful stories you have!

That dad ought to write a book! What a brave man for taking on not only a handful of young kids but the country lifestyle as well. He must be a great guy

 

[Tallman]

Tallman let me reed ur storee. Sure is goodlee. I expecially liked the part about ur new Dad gettin that thar rat.

Hardly

 

[justusnak]

The BIG Move....

So, Mom had found a farm house way out in the country...we were going to move. Mom and our new dad spent days packing, and I am sure with 5 kids, it was no easy task. My brother Jeff, always the adventurer....went to the feed mill where there was a huge pond..just FULL of bullfrogs. He decided he would see how many he could get in a feed sack. A full day of catching frogs...and he comes home just full of pride with about 100 large, noisy frogs....and turns them all loose in the front yard. Mom had a fit! She told Jeff, he had better catch every single frog, and take them all back to the pond..and if ONE frog was left behind...he would "get it" Well....we chased frogs the rest of the day, while mom and dad finished packing the house. Exausted..we all went to bed. The next morning....mom woke us kids yelling at Jeff about the " one frog he left behind, that sat under her window and croaked all night long, keeping her awake" She was NOT in a good mood...and put us kids to the hunt, before breakfast. We spent the next few nights in that house, mom yelling about the ever elusive frog.
Finally, moveing day...packed and ready to go, we went to our new home. As soon as we pulled up, my sister Becky saw a small puppy, that had been hit on the road. She cried so hard, makeing herself sick...so we buried the dog...and dad tried to comfort her telling her, " we will plant the puppy, and a puppy tree will grow, you will have a new puppy" My sister watered that little grave every day...and one day..something started to grow. She screamed with excitement...running to dad, telling him her "puppy tree" was growing..and how she couldn't waite to "pick her puppy" Of course...mom was NOT so pleased with his story to my sister...and told him...NOW you have to get her a puppy. One Sunday morning, we went to Sunday school...dad never went...and when we returned, there where her puppy tree grew, was a little puppy, tied to the "tree" He grew to be a wonderfull dog, Becky named him King. He was of course a mutt, but thinking back now...I think hewas part Burmese Mountain dog. Long hair...black, with brown marking like a doberman..and a white stripe on his chest. That was our first dog as a new family.
Mom of course wanted to have a horse, and my brother wanted a pony. So, dad had to put in a pasture, and build some type of shelter. Again, new words were learned..and finally mom told us kids..." when dad is working on something, stay away from him"
The fence is finished, the shed finished...and we all went to look at a horse for Mom. She was a beauty. Palimono mare...and HUGE! ( at least to us kids ) Of course, dad had never been on a horse before...so when we got her home, mom saddled her up, let us kids all take a ride in the pasture...then it was dads turn. By this time, Mindy was hot, and tired of being ridden in circles. Dad tried to climb in the saddle...Mindy sidestepped. Dad feel on his bumm. We all ROLLED in laughter...and he got up, mumbling a few words about a "stupid horse" and how " he will show her who is boss" After a few attempts, he finally climbed in the saddle. Sitting proud and tall...he was " in controll" HA!! Mindy must have knew she had a city slicker on her back...and she BOLTED! I remember his screaming...wooooah!! wooooah you stupid horse...and the sound of him hitting the ground. More colorfull words...us kids ran off, thinking he would surely be angry. Mom caught Mindy...relieved her of her saddle and bridle...and Mindy calmly walked off. Dad never tried to ride that horse again.
A few weeks later, as promised, mom took my brother Jeff to get a pony for his birthday. When we got there, the guy was wantign way too much for him, Mom knew she didnt have the money, so asked the guy to make a deal with her, or my brother, so he could have it for his birthday. Now, Jeff was 10, and skinny as a rail. The guy told my brother... " If you can pick up that calf over there, and carry it to the fencline, you can have the pony" Mom must have rolled her eyes, knowing there was no way Jeff would be able to pick up a new calf. Jeff was determined. He wanted that pony more than anything else. He walked up to that calf...told it.."now dont be scared, im just going to carry you to the fence, so I can have that there pony" Mom said it was like the calf understood...and it just stood there calmly. Jeff got under the calf...and lifted it with his shoulders.and carried it to the fence. The guy was so mad...thinking he would never be able to do it. He struggled...but he made it to the fence. Mom looked at the guy and said, " a deal is a deal" They came home with a pony in the back seat of a station wagon!! Dad was laughing so hard when mom pulled in the drive, and a pony was sticking its head out the window. He told my mom... Now I have seen everything. HA! Boy would he repeat THAT a few million more times as we grew up!

 

[Beekissed]

Great stories!!! Definitely should be compiled into a book! So very funny and sweet....

 

[miss_thenorth]

When my hubby gets mad, he says "SON OF A!!!!!!" and MOTHER!!!!! Up until about 4 years ago, my kids thought "son of a" was a swear word. They also never could figure out how mother was a swear word (up until about 4 years ago.

 

[big brown horse]

Wonderful story!! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[justusnak]

Lets Make a Garden......

So, now we are all settled in the new home. The second summer there, Mom wanted to have her garden. Now, with 5 growing kids...this garden was to be the garden of all gardens. I think it was about an acre. ( seemed more when you are little, and pulling weeds) Dad got a tiller...and proceeded to turn the land. ( field )
This was an old front tine...front turn tiller. It literally drug my dad along. He would till a few rows, then mom and us kids would go in and remove the clumps of grass. I cant remember how long it took, but it seemed to take weeks!
Finally the dirt is ready for the seedlings. Carefully, and with much planning, mom and dad set out the garden plants, and seeds. It wasn't long before we were picking and canning everything imaginable. Mom would have us kids make trip after trip to the cellar, to store the jars of canned foods. Dad was amazed at how everything grew! After the potato plants had bloomed..and was starting to turn brown...mom had us kids go out and stomp down the plants. Dad had no idea mom had set us out there to do this..and when he saw us out there stomping them down...he grabbed mom by the shoulder...told her to sit down...and siad...Now Sam( his nickname for her)I need to tell you something, and just remember, they are only kids" Mom of course thinking the worst...just looked at him and said.."what now?" He said..." now, remember, they are just kids, and they dont know any better....but they are out there stomping down those potato plants, and they had just bloomed last week!" Mom started to giggle, and dad, confused, said.. " Now, dont get all hysterical on them" This of course sent mom into a rolling laughter! She told him she sent us out there to do just that..and he said.." But all that work, and we didnt get any potatos!" Again, mom laughing said...." they arent hurting anything, the potatos are not even big enough to dig yet" Then she proceeded to tell him how potatos grew...he seriously thought potatos grew like tomatos...where the blossom was, there would be a potato! Then he said...so I guess you are going to tell me peanuts dont grow on trees either?? Mom almost wet herself laughing. He learned so much that first year of gardening.
Dads parents came for a visit that summer, and when mom pulled out the jars of veggies for dinner...grandma looked at mom and said..." where did you buy those beautifull jars of vegetables?" Mom told her we grew them, and she canned them, then dad of course stepped up and said..." Yup, I grew them, Im a farmer now" Of course, mom was rolling in laughter again. Grandma D was so impressed with the veggies, and the jellies and jams, she begged mom to let her take some home. Of course, mom packed a large box for grandma to take with her.
There never seemed to be a dull moment in our lives, with our new dad. Every day was a learning experience for him..."farming" and kids....something he had NO experience at but was willing to learn. He truley was a great MAN...and father.