Mainstay Farm, Cleburne

"What do you mean, I'm annoying?"  I reply to my daughter as we are walking into Mainstay Farm, a Christmas tree farm in Cleburne, for a day of hay climbing, fresh air and sunshine.  A beautiful combination on a December day in Texas. 

"Because", she begins as she collapses next to me after a half hour of bouncing with her brothers on the sunken air trampoline, "you make us do so many chores before we get to go GO anywhere.  It's not fair!"   

Ahhhh..... the chore complaint.  We have had it many times.  As she is only 11, I'm sure there will be many more encores of it to come over the years. 

But Mainstay Farm seems the perfect place to revisit this conversation.

As we bump along on the tractor pulled trailer, exasperated, she defends herself.  "I've asked my friends. They don't have to do ANYWHERE near as many chores as me.  It's like I'm...... Cinderella." 

"Cinderella!"  I retort, pulling out my credit card to pay for the items she is holding in her hands from their cute little gift shop, the Haymarket.  "Don't you think you are being a little ....... dramatic?" 

"If your friends have fewer chores, then it's because they probably don't have as many pets, since caring for them is the majority of your chores"  I know I have made a point here.  Who else has 4 dogs, a cat, a bird and a turtle?  Her silence tells me I am winning. 

"Responsibilities are important", I explain.  Probably not helping myself out of the "annoying" category.  "They keep you on the right track.  They help you from getting lost." 

Walking along the rows of planted Christmas trees, I continue, "Responsibilities help you to grow up tall and straight, strong from bad people and things that would misdirect you." 

"It's important to have fun, but you have to earn it, too.  Take this treehouse for example, it's alot of fun, but someone had to work hard to pay for it, build it and maintain it. 

A good work ethic helps you to stay focused on what is important.  Not to let little things fill up your life, getting in the way of what you really care about.  Responsibilities keep you .... humble." And with hearing that word, either because she understands or she has a flashback of when we sat together reading Charlotte's Web when she was younger, she smiles at me, a sincere, knowing smile. 

Confident that in one lovely, golden afternoon I have set her on her way to fullfilling a life of mature decisions and positive consequences. I take her hand and we walk together toward the setting sun, to gather up the boys and head home, resplendent in her new outlook on life. 

When another mother comes walking up to me, holding my five year old by the hand.  "Is this your little boy?" she demands.  "He's gathered up all the little rubber ducks from the duck races, and ran off and hid them.  No body has been able to play, he won't tell us where they are, and we didn't know who was watching him!  You should be more R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-E!" 

Mainstay Farms is located in Cleburne, and a perfect destination for birthday parties, family reunions, field trips and their annual Family Pumpkin Days and Christmas trees. 

My Mommy Tips:

• Wear comfortable, closed toed shoes - there are alotta places to walk!
• Try the old fashioned Boylan's Birch Beer (kinda like root beer) at The Fillin' Station, Mainstay Farm's snack stand, which also offers yummy apple chips and funnel cake! 

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

Michelle