For the past couple of weeks the girls have been getting all their 4-H projects together for the Cumberland Fair (it opens Sunday). Taste-testing recipes for G.'s final baking entries and L.'s 10-recipe cookbook hasn't been a hardship for anyone in the family. Well, except for G.'s first version of gingerbread that had a 1/2 cup of salt instead of a 1/2 teaspoon. The chickens didn't complain though, they ate every last crumb.

Of course it would have been easy to gain a few extra pounds this week with all the baked goods around so we shared the goodies with friends and co-workers.

And putting the final touches on their project posters and notebooks was enjoyable as well. I especially like the Lucy the Chicken poster G. did. Her addition of the actual cast to be displayed with it was a nice touch I thought.

Completing the paperwork required to show their projects in the 4-H exhibit hall however has not been much fun for them. There are multiple pages to the forms that require a lot of writing and something they always procrastinate until the last minute because they don't like doing it.

But last night L. finished the last of the paperwork.

She leaped off the chair with a huge smile, did a little circle jig while waving her arms in the air and chanted, "I'm freeeeeee! I'm freeeeeee!"

And me, I let out a big sigh of relief. No more worrying about how hard on both girls have worked on their projects all year and not getting all the proper paperwork done to display them in the fair's exhibit hall.

This morning we're carefree and have a renewed excitement about the fair opening on Sunday.