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Home > Job Shadow, Spring Fest, and Fair Pigs

Job Shadow, Spring Fest, and Fair Pigs

March 28th, 2014 at 07:01 pm

DD1 wants to be a veterinarian, and has been taking a vet assistant's class once per week for the past 4 or 5 weeks. The class is geared for adults, but we know the instructor, and she said that DD1 would do fine.

Part of the class is to job shadow the instructor at the vet clinic where she works. DD1's job shadow was yesterday. It sounds as if she got quite an experience. I think she said that she viewed a total of three surgeries, including at least on spaying, and - get this - an amputation.

A man had dropped his refrigerator on his dog's leg, and the leg had to be removed. DD1 watched all of it. The staff did provide a chair if DD1 began feeling faint. And, she did use it once. But, the staff said that they were surprised that she didn't run out. She's 11.

She was very satisfied and excited with the experience. She still wants to be a vet.

Our boys attend a special need elementary school. The school held its "Spring Fest" last night. It's basically a variety show where each class puts on a song or skit, depending on age. Both boys are in the same pre-school class. For the most part, they followed along with the moves as directed. Special needs or not, 4 and 5 year old kids follow along with moves to varying degrees.

DS1 will be in kindergarten at that school next year, so I was particularly interested in watching that class's performance. It was interesting to see what type of "level" he may be in a year.

DD1 will be getting her pigs for fair tomorrow. She'll be spending $25 per pig more than last year, or $175 per pig. I know that sounds like a lot, and it is a lot. But, she should do well at the fair with high quality pigs.

We'll buy three pigs. DD1 will show the two that match best (similar weight/body structure). We'll either have the other one slaughtered for our freezer, or sell on the open market. That depends on how much of last year's pork we have left over. We'll probably put it in the freezer, and share some with family.

OR DD2 will be old enough to show a pig at the fair, but she has no interest. She did have interest a couple months ago, but she has lost interest. Neither DW nor I want to pressure her at all.

Tagging day is in May. On tagging day, youth can bring up to three pigs to the fair grounds to get tagged. They can take two of them to the fair. "Tagging" is a way to prevent cheating. If by May, DD2 has changed her mind, DD1 will pick the two pigs that match best for herself, and DD2 can have the third.

I bet that's more than you wanted to know about fair pigs!

5 Responses to “Job Shadow, Spring Fest, and Fair Pigs”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1396035458

    I always find your fair information interesting since we don't live on a farm, although we are near quite a few of them now. We have been to the fair and seen the livestock that kids bring. And, I'm even more impressed with your 11 year old making it through a surgery...I know I couldn't do that.

  2. doingitallwrong Says:
    1396038381

    Good for DD1! I wanted to be a veterinarian from the time I was in first grade. I chose my undergrad school in part because it had a vet school, I majored in "pre-vet" until I had to choose a real major and then chose animal science, and then between my sophomore and junior years in college I actually worked at a vet clinic. And hated it. (Well, I liked parts of it, but I hated the suffering and my stomach wasn't strong enough for the surgeries.) So I finished out my degree in animal science and have done nothing with it since, other than what little knowledge I can use on my own critters. (AnSci is mostly farm animal stuff, and I'm not on a farm, yet. Granted, if I'd known then what I know now, I might have toughed it out a bit more and got the DVM anyway -- it would certainly come in handy these days!)

    So kudos to your daughter for not only knowing what she wants to do at her age, but also taking the extra steps to get some experience now so that when she does go to college, she'll be sure that's really what she wants to do.

  3. MonkeyMama Says:
    1396040208

    I think it's GREAT to be exposed to any potential field of study. I'd have liked to be a vet, but I just don't have the aptitude for it. Biology was never my strong point. So I felt pretty clearly it was not for me. But as an adult I did volunteer for wildlife rehab. The experience assured me I made the right choice. Wink & I can volunteer at the animal shelters to fulfill my love for animals; plenty of other ways to direct that passion. Just don't ask me to do an IV or anything like that. But, that was one thing my parents were really good about - exposing me to mentors in different fields I was interested in. IT really did help narrow things down for me, by the time I entered college. Better to learn now if you are too squeamish. What an awesome experience for DD1.

  4. mimipaula1 Says:
    1396107994

    Student animal projects are always FAMILY projects, aren't they? Thanks to your FAMILY for being willing participants/supporters of youth and ag/animal projects. Hope your kids do well; for sure, y'all will enjoy the consumption of their projects--ha!

  5. Looking Forward Says:
    1396111278

    I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was like 4 or 5. Smile I job shadowed in grade school and worked in a hospital during high school. Ended up going the technican route because college was soo long and expensive!

    A close friend of DD has a 4H pig project and plenty of space at their property. It is possible that DD might do that with her next year once she sees first hand how it goes.

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