Diesel Fuel, Dish Soap, and Insect Vomit

Momma and the kids made it to Illinois but not without a little adventure. Heading into Kansas they were making good time and stopped to milk the goats and get some gas. About an hour later, D got the low fuel light.  Assuming 4 miles per gallon was a little low on the gas mileage chart she pulled over at the next truck stop. You guessed it, diesel fuel all over the bottom of the vehicle and the front of the trailer.  Two and a half hours later, she’s back on the road with a new fuel line connector that effectively puts diesel INTO the engine vice ON the engine (improves gas mileage that way). Our friend who was following D in the minivan with the kids was also pleased to discover why her windshield kept getting cloudy and smeared. Apparently vaporized diesel fuel from the truck in front of you is a very effective deicer but tends to leave a streaky residue. Needless to say, the 15 hour trip turned into an 19 hour trip with that and a few goat milking stops along the way.

Back at the farm the animals are now in heaven. They’re slowly learning what the green fuzzy stuff all over the ground is. Apparently it tastes a little like hay but has more water in it. The bees woke up to a 3 acre field of blooming alfalfa. Although gluttony is a sin for humans, It’s a survival tool for bees. I’m sure their behive is a vomitorium now as they gather and regurgitate 50 times a day to fill up their honey stores. The garden is growing, the fruit trees are fruiting, and the kids are all sweating (we don’t do that in Colorado). D was so excited about the garden that she had fresh radishes for breakfast the first morning. Mmmmm, nothing better than scramble eggs and radishes. I’m writing this because although the phone works fine back at the farm, the internet is on the fritz. Once she gets up and running I’m sure she’ll have pictures, more stories, and possibley a husband. My brother is flying out as I type to help me load the house and head east.

I know you’re all concerned about me too. Don’t worry, I’m getting along just fine. D left me one spoon, one bowl, one glass and a refrigerator full of leftovers. I sometimes can’t identify the leftovers but the sniff test usually tells me if it’s purposely fermented or dying a slow death. Packing is going well too but last night after a long day of outside dirty work, I decided to shower. Unfortunately I packed all the towels, soaps, and shampoos. Never fear though, I left a dish towel and dish soap out to clean my 3 dishes. It reminded me of the old Palmolive commercial “…you’re soaking in it…”. By the way, they really should make dish towels bigger. I’ll leave you with a warning; dish soap on a fiberglass shower floor has a friction coefficient of zero (sorry, I’m an engineer).

 

Moving a Farm

As a military brat who married military, I am well-versed in cross-country moves.  Packing, loading up a bunch of kids, and even living in a “TLF” (Air Force acronoym for “Temporary Living Facility,” which is really just a souped-up hotel room) until we find a home doesn’t scare me in the least.  I’ve never lived in the same house more than 5 years in my life.  I’ve slept at interstate rest stops, exercised my horse and dogs in gas station parking lots, and had more adventures than I can count.  Despite my past experiences, however, I am learning that moving a farm is a whole different ball game!

R holding Caramel.

We had to trim down the number of animals we had, so we kept our favorites as foundation breeding stock to get Red Gate up and running.  Due to unexpected events with the goats, we wound up with more milk than we can drink now, so we wound up not buying the 4th doe I was wanting so badly.  All in all, we are moving 30 animals, including the house dog and cat.

Mocha, 2 weeks.

In order to move, we bought a truck and trailer and had to begin planning our breeding and baby-delivery dates for all critters back in early fall, based on the moving schedule.  That turned out to be easier planned than accomplished.  I think the rabbit doe is the only one who cooperated.  I had to arrange for a ridiculous amount of veterinary and state transport permits for traveling with livestock.  Here in CO, equines and cattle must have “brand inspections” to prove ownership before you travel or sell an animal.  All goats must be registered, either through ear tags or ear tattoos, and there is NO exception for 5 lb., 2-week old kids.  Caramel’s ear was so tiny when we tattoo’ed that I’ll probably have to re-do in the future.  But it was that, or an ear tag almost as big as her head.  The poultry all had to have blood work done, the rabbits had to have their temperatures taken, the dogs had to have their rabies licenses inspected, blah, blah, blah…. Several hundred dollars later, the states and federal government have decided our animals are safe to travel.

Caramel, 2 weeks

Just as things were coming together, last Wednesday, the truck’s radiator spontaneously sprung 2 leaks.  On Thursday, it spent the day in the shop getting fixed.  On Friday, we walked out to find a truck tire going flat and the spare was totally dry-rotted.  On Saturday, we discovered the tire was unrepairable and had to buy 2 new tires.  On Sunday, the radiator sprung another leak, so it spent all day Monday in the shop again.  With just over 2 days before I am supposed to be driving this truck, loaded down with a 20 foot gooseneck trailer hauling 28 of my 30 animals, we are praying it is fixed once and for all.  I’m just so thankful it happened now instead of half-way through remote Kansas!

As if that wasn’t enough adventure, we had a bought of a stomach virus that bounced around the family, landing me in the E.R.  My blood sugars had plummeted, and because of the virus, the glucose I ate wasn’t working.  As my sugars approached the 30′s, I knew it was time for S to get me to the hospital for some intervention.  A bit of Zofran to calm my stomach did the trick, and my sugars were on the rise.  They went ahead and gave me an IV of saline and magnesium though, to replenish what I had lost.  It all worked out, but I wound up missing my going-away party at church the next day.  :-(

One of the most frequent questions I have received lately is regarding how we are going to accomodate so many animals of so many different species in one trailer.  So, now that the trailer is almost set up and ready, I took a few photos to show you.

Our trailer, custom made with this trip as well as our future plans in mind.

First, I built new, large rabbit cages, which will be our bunnies’ home for at least the first few months while we figure out what our long term rabbit plans are.  I bought the wire for several cages, but only built 2 for the trip.  Each cage measures 18 inches tall x 48 inches long x 30 inches deep.  It has 2 swing-in doors for easier access, a hay feeder, and plenty of space for feeders, waterers, salt licks, nest box, etc.

Rabbit cage

One of the cages will house our mature doe and her 2, 3 month old doe kits.  In the other cage, I inserted a section of wire to divide it in half, and it will hold both our bucks.  The divider is simply held with zip-ties so we can easily cut them off when I get the other cage built, and the dividing wire is cut to a size I can use on another cage.

The same cage, showing divider section.

I filled the gooseneck of the trailer, an area roughly 8 feet deep x 6.5 feet wide x 4 feet tall, with pine shavings.  This is where the hens and rabbits will travel.

There will be a cage on each side, though I left the other one out for the photo so you can see behind it.

Behind the cage, in the very front of the gooseneck, we put a chunk of hay to keep the girls busy and a hay-filled nest box for any hens who decide to lay in-route.

There will be just enough space on each side and in between the cages for a hen to squeeze through, which will hopefully prevent any dangerous corners where the hens could pile up and suffocate each other.  There is a “calf-gate,” or gate type panel that folds up to seperate this area from the rest of the trailer.  I forgot to take a photo of it up, but you can see it hanging down in the top photo of the gooseneck.

The next, front section of the trailer has access through the man door on the side of the trailer.  The goats and dogs will ride there.  First, I wrapped a week’s worth of hay in a tarp and tied it to the center gate.  The goats can jump on it if they desire, which is why I covered it with a tarp–to protect it from being eaten or peed and pooped on.  The rest of the area was filled with shavings and some straw for the babies and Faith, who is very pregnant.  They will have a hay bag to keep them busy, and a small bucket of water.

The hay inside the tarp in the goat area.

 The rear of the trailer was simply bedded with lots of shavings for the donkeys.  They, too, will have a hay-bag and a bucket of water.  Because the donkeys are fairly small, I don’t plan to tie them in the stall.  They will be able to freely stand, lay down, turn around, and move a bit, which will hopefully reduce their stress load a little.

The donkey area.

That’s the tour of the trailer.  Pretty simple and basic, but hopefully comfy, cozy, and stress-reducing for the critters.

Now if I could just reduce my stress!  I have packed about 80% of the house, and will try to finish the rest tomorrow.  We have another therapy appointment with the boys and I have to start loading the vehicles.  Another major challenge I discovered in regards to moving a farm is the fruitless efforts involved in trying to use up things that keep being produced!  For example, in an attempt to empty the fridge, we have been eating lots of eggs and drinking milk at every meal.  Just this morning, we ate 16 eggs and drank 1/2 gallon milk at breakfast.  30 minutes later, I went out to milk Joy and Latte.  I tried to use up some of the milk by feeding a pint back to each doe, and another pint each to the two dogs.  I still wound up filtering almost 1/2 gallon and putting it the fridge.  By day’s end, I will have at least another 1/2 gallon and 12-14 more eggs!  I never considered the fact that these high-production animals don’t come with an “OFF” switch to temporarily shut them down.  It’s all or nothing, and it’s up to me to find creative ways to use the bounty.  Eggs or milk, anyone?

 

Caramel and Mocha Latte’s

Latte, Caramel, and Mocha….I now have 3 goats named after coffee, and I don’t even drink coffee.  Oh well.

Latte, in labor

Our doe Latte went into very early labor on Tuesday last week, isolating herself from the herd, and wanting nothing to do with me or anyone else.  This was highly unusual for Latte, who is a total people-lover and herd queen under normal circumstances.  I have caught her being pushed around by Faith at one point, and Faith is our lowest in the dominance chain.  We monitored her for the next 2 days, and finally, on Thursday, she started active labor.  Now, remember, Latte is the doe that had the interesting breeding to both an Alpine and a Boar buck, all in a 30-minute span, so I had no idea what to expect.  I am thrilled to report that Latte and Blue blessed us with 2 gorgeous, full Alpine doelings!

The delivery actually took an interesting turn, though.  Just as Latte was pushing the first doeling’s head out, a friend showed up with another doe who was in labor and having a problem.  She brought her doe into Latte’s pen so I could help her while still monitoring Latte’s progress.  JR and M were present as well, so they mostly monitored Latte while I assisted my friend.  At first, I held the doe while my friend went in to figure out the problem.  As it turned out, the baby’s head was tucked down and it’s front legs were back, which was preventing progress.  Because I have tiny hands, she asked me to go in and fix it.  Just as I got the kid’s head through, I then discovered that a twin was trying to come through the canal at the same time.  Sadly, we determined that the first kid was already dead, which is probably why there were problems to begin with.  I was finally able to push the second kid back enough and force the first kid through, then I pulled the second out.  It, thankfully, was a little doeling, alive and well.

While all this was going on, my kiddos were reporting Latte’s progress….”Uh, mom, the baby’s out!”  ”Mom, there’s another set of hooves coming!”  ”Mom, another baby is on the ground!”  ”Mom, this baby isn’t moving!”  So I left the doe I had just delivered, and ran to tend to my own doe.  Turns out the baby was alive and well, but very tiny, and her nose had gotten buried under the hay.  I just brushed her off and got mom licking her and she was fine.

Mocha Latte, 9.5 lbs

Caramel Latte, 5 lbs.

As far as our goats are concerned, this is our first labor that did not require assistance, and everything happened exactly as it was supposed to.  We were truly blessed.  The big girl, Mocha, is doing fine and nursing by herself.  The little one, Caramel, is still requiring some assistance with nursing.  She is just so incredibly tiny, and Latte’s teats are so massive, she has a lot of trouble latching on.  I go out about 3-4 times a day, and help her out.  It is a rather interesting bond she has developed, as she knows the milk comes from Latte, but she  has associated me with feeding time.  As soon as she hears my voice, she runs to me, then follows me over to Latte, and waits for me to reduce the swelling of the teat, and lift the teat for her.  I’m hoping she will be able to do it on her own soon, but I don’t know how long it will take.  She is quickly becoming a favorite around here, because she is soooo incredibly sweet and cute.

I will try to get some updated photos soon, now that the babies are more active and able to go out to pasture with mom.  They just get cuter every day.

 

5 Years

Roughly 5 years and 3 months ago, a baby was almost aborted in late term —  but he wasn’t.  God intervened through a series of circumstances, and he wound up being placed in our home, as our son.  This month, we were blessed to celebrate his 5th year of life with us.  They certainly haven’t all been easy, but he has certainly  helped us become better people, and we wouldn’t trade those years for anything.  We love you little buddy!  Happy 5th birthday, and we look forward to many more!!

Among his other gifts, M made some bird feeders out of her craft supplies. When the weather warmed up a bit, A got to role the feeders in the grains, hang them outside, and watch the birds come.

 

 

Farm Happenings

With just 3.5 weeks left to move day, things are getting busier all the time!  We have our last formal military event coming up this weekend, followed by a last visit with R’s birth family .  I’ve told S he has to find someplace to take me once a year so I can use the formal dresses I have collected over the years for these events.  I have a doctor appointment to update all my prescriptions, and one or two vet appointments to get all the paperwork lined up.  I have begun cooking in batches both to use up food and to prepare frozen dishes for move week. Our closing on the house is scheduled for next week (YAY!!!!), S and I have our final driving class (to learn to drive draft horses), Latte is due to deliver in 2 weeks, I have to pick up my 4th doe who has yet to kid, we have a half-a-ton of grain being delivered which will be divided into our fifty-five gallon drums, and plenty of other tasks I’m sure I’m forgetting right now.  I am still plugging along on the packing, we had a big yard sale this weekend so are living a little creatively right now.  We are down to just 2 kids’ beds, so kids are sharing beds and using pallets on the floor.  They love it, as they feel like they are camping.  We also sold our dining set, and are making do with a folding table and some folding chairs we borrowed.  We sold off our last litter of rabbits, and the cage-building equipment should arrive this weekend so we can build our transport/new cages for Red Gate.

I have been trying to wean my milking doe, Joy, to a twice a day milking schedule, but she turned out to be an incredible producer, and I’m still forced to milk 3 times a day right now.  She is currently producing 12 cups a day–thats about 3/4 gallon.  She is only a first freshener, and with the early issues we had, I am really trying to stretch her udder gradually.  I have her going 11 hours at night right now, but can’t seem to get beyond 9 hours in the day time.  Otherwise, she begins squirting milk everywhere and her hair gets all sticky.  ICK!  She is coming along nicely, though, and I think I’ll be able to get her to twice a day by move day (which will mean one less milking at a rest stop–maybe).

The kids will wrap up their school this week (another YAY!!!).  As soon as we have the check from closing, we have a LOT of items to order and have shipped to the farm for the projects we still have to work on there.  All this is so bittersweet–the time has come and yet, we are once again leaving another chapter that includes friends and memories.

What free time I do still have is spent spending time with the kiddos and making contacts for our next 4-legged additions to the farm after we get moved.  I have been in touch with Donna and Keith at South Pork Ranch in central IL, where we plan to purchase a couple of heritage Red Wattle pigs.  The plan is to pick them up when we finish installing the final section of fence for our pasture next month, and rotate the pigs and goats through to clear all the brush currently there.  Then, this winter, the hogs will be used for some hams, chops, and bacon, deliciously flavored by all the forage, acorns, and dairy products we will be feeding them.  While it isn’t the Large Black I still hope to try one day, we are excited to try the Red Wattle.  Not only will we be helping an endangered breed of heritage hog, but we will be supporting a local small farm operation who has worked hard to develop a good, hardy hog that thrives on pasture and forage, which still have their tails and ears, and that aren’t loaded up with antibiotics, chemicals, and junk foods.  These pigs get to grow up with all the “pigginess” (in Joel Salatin terms) that God intended them to have.

A Red Wattle hog;
Source: Internet stock photo of a red wattle farm

For the record, we are raising two, and only need one.  If any of my readers are around the Illinois area and would like to reserve the other as a whole or half, just let me know. We are happy to split with you as well, as I can always use bacon around here with 5 farm kiddos around!!

I have also been working with a new friend who has been supplying us with our raw milk when we vacation at Red Gate.  She also “happens” to be probably the best contact I could ask for when it comes to getting in the draft horse loop there.  She is going to be setting me up with her neighbor who raises good, solid Clydesdales that actually do real farm work rather than just shows.  At this point, we are still just trying to decide if we want to buy a single or a team.  In addition, she works with an Amish farmer and together, they have developed a breeding program for high-quality miniature jersey cattle.  My former contact may not work out afterall.  All her mini-jerseys wound up having the bovine disease BLV, which I don’t want to pass on.  She wound up selling off her herd to try to work towards a BLV-free herd, but it kinda ruined my plans to buy her minis.  The fact that my new friend lives only a few miles down the road (OK, more like 20) is huge bonus!  At this point, it looks like we may be getting a heifer calf rather than a cow, but seeing as how I may be swimming in milk anyway with 4 goats, a calf may not be a bad thing.  Good thing we’re getting hogs to help consume all that milk!!

Winter has turned Asha into a spoiled brat of a yearling donkey, so I have been working with her a lot more lately to teach her some trust and some manners.  The weather is not cooperating at all, snowing again even as I type, but at least I have her used to loading in the trailer and improving in the other areas.   I have decided that if the right buyer came along, I would sell her, just to reduce my load a bit.  She won’t be very useful to us as a riding for the kids for several years yet, so I wouldn’t be opposed to selling her.  I won’t give her away though, so if she doesn’t sell, she’ll move with us as planned.

One other task I may have to do is to shave the dogs’ bellies.  None of the animals have lost any of their winter coats, as our highs are still in the 30′s most of the time.  Red Gate, on the other hand, is having highs in the 70′s already.  Another 3 weeks from now, and the sudden change from cold to hot may add too much stress to the girls, so I am considering shaving their bellies to buy them some time to acclimate, while still being able to make some belly-contact to the cool grass and earth at the farm.

Sorry the posts are likely going to be sparse for the next few weeks, but I will do my best.  I’m sure I’ll have lots to tell you when this is all over with though!

 

More Therapy

In case you haven’t been following this blog for long, 2 of our boys are adopted.  4 year old N has cerebral palsy, and many “quirks” we could never explain.  He has mild asthma, allergies, chronic nasal congestion, frequent nosebleeds, stiff muscles, and a very short attention span.  He also cries at anything and everything.  4 (almost 5) year old A was likely exposed to meth in utero.  He may have mild seizures (docs disagree), has major balance issues, and does not understand or learn easily.  He is confused and overwhelmed by change, and will mentally “shut down” as a result.  Throughout their lives, both boys have spent many months going through all sorts of therapies, medical tests, chiropractic care, and naturopathic care, all in an attempt to help them reach their full potential.  Unfortunately, none of this effort has helped me learn how to “deal” with their issues, as doctors and therapists have been unable to find reasons behind their many issues, so most doctors and therapists simply explained them away with “it’s probably related to N’s CP” or “it’s probably just a symptom of the drugs we think he was exposed to.”  Since the professionals couldn’t figure out the root problem, they also couldn’t advise me as to how to best handle the boys in order to keep the day-to-day peace in our home when N loses control of his actions and/or A goes into his “shut-down” or tantrum mode.

Last year, friends recommended a new therapist who had a different focus.  After reading up on her works, best summarized in her book, “Miracle Children” by Anna Buck, we were intrigued.  Unlike the professionals we had seen previously who focused on treating symptoms or evaluated the main areas of the brain, Anna’s work focuses on neurological issues originating in the brain stem.  Essentially, the main idea behind her work is that many, if not most, neurologically-related developmental delays and learning difficulties can be attributed to a lack of proper development of the brain stem itself.  The brain stem is the first part of the brain to develop, both in utero and during an infant’s first year of life.  As it matures, it then signals other parts of the brain to begin maturing.  On occasion, however, something will go a little wrong in the early development and prevent the brain stem from maturing completely.  As a result, the child will continue to develop, but he/she will begin to compensate for deficiencies in other ways, which mask the problems.  This explains why A and N are both able to ride a 2-wheel bike with no training wheels, but can’t recite their alphabet.  In reality, they never fully outgrow infantile responses to circumstances (ie, the morro reflex).  Eventually, however, the immaturities will catch up, and delays will be seen in areas such as academic learning problems, balance issues, behavioral issues, and many more.  Although a bit different than mainstream therapy, her work is quite fascinating, and actually makes a lot of sense–especially when, like in our situation, there have been no other explanations for the issues we encounter on a daily basis.

She is booked several months out, so it has been a long wait for our appointment.  This past Friday, she finally evaluated the boys to see if her therapy could help them.  The results were very interesting.  We get used to seeing our boys on a daily basis, so I guess it’s natural that we justify and explain behaviors and quirks as them just “being who they are.”  In reality, though, watching her evaluate them, and witnessing their responses to the exercises she asked them to do, we were able to see their behaviors through new eyes.  It didn’t take long for us to realize that we were not watching 4-year-old boys play.  Rather, we were watching 12-18 month-olds play, and they just happened to have big bodies.  The more testing she did, the more clear it became.

It. Explained. SOOOOOO. Much!  We realized we were seeing our toddler daughter, R, last year.

N’s constant crying and A’s temper tantrums are exactly how R acted when she didn’t get her way 8 months ago, as an 18 month old.  Their inability to focus on a task or follow more than one or two instructions is where R was just a few months ago.  Their lack of self-control and impulses are exactly the way a one-year-old responds to things.  Our eyes were opened so much, and suddenly, puzzle pieces just “fit” together. I realized that many of my daily struggles were being self inflicted as a result of treating my 3 youngest like 2 pre-schooler and one toddler, when in actuality, I had 3 toddlers.

TRIPLETS!!!  Who knew?!  Somehow, this wasn’t good news to me, though.  It totally explains why A, N, and R seem to speak baby-talk to each other on a regular basis, why A and N prefer playing with R’s toys over M’s and JR’s, and why they are no closer to learning phonics or counting higher than R is.  They are literally on the same level, if not slightly behind in some areas, than R.

The good news is that Anna felt it was very treatable, and with specific exercises that target the brain stem, she felt N could possibly catch up within a year or two.  She feels A also has a great chance of catching up, though it may take longer.  There are different therapeutic exercises that will be prescribed over their time in treatment, but all can be done at home.  The one we are working on first, based on their greatest ares of deficiency, is called the “Burrito.”  I will post a video and explanation at the end.

Of course, there was bad news too.  First, she explained how A’s inability to control his bladder during sleep can be directly attributed to the immaturity of his brain stem.  She said we are likely looking at many years of bed-wetting yet, as it may be one of the last symptoms to disappear as his entire neurological system catches up.  She explained that N’s allergies, asthma, and particularly his bad nosebleeds may not improve when we move (a big reason behind the kids and I moving early as a doctor thought the lower altitude and increased humidity would help), as they too may or may not be connected to his neurological development.  She feels those issues have a good chance of improving as his brain matures and catches up though.  Finally, probably the worst news I could have received at this point in time, was that the simple therapeutic exercises we do each evening will possibly cause things to get much worse before they get better.  N fights the exercise a lot when we are actually doing the therapy, but seems unaffected otherwise.  A, on the other hand, does well during the exercise itself, but has been affected quite drastically the rest of the day.  Every day since we started, his entire mood has changed for the first half the day–for the worse.  She warned us this might happen, because essentially, the exercises, ridiculously simple as they are, are extremely fatiguing to the brain (to put it VERY simply).  The brain stem is literally being faced with its own shortfalls and trying to figure out where to improve the neurological connections (or something to that effect), and therefore, can temporarily cause all sorts of “misfiring” and behavior issues.  As I type, A is once again screaming his head off in his bedroom.  We have gone through phases of “shut down” where he won’t talk or play, phases of being extremely tired and just wanting to sleep, phases of aggression and acting out, and phases of almost inconsolable crying and screaming.

That is NOT what I hoped to get out of this therapy.  It was hard enough to keep the peace before hand with A, and now this.  It is a little overwhelming, and I can only pray that God will bring us through this stage quickly and smoothly, and give me the patience and endurance I will be needing this coming year as the boys work through all this.  If it will help them in the long run, I am willing to try.  Honestly, after everything we have tried so far, I am afraid to hope that such simple exercises will help them the way they need, but Anna seems confident, her research and case studies seem to support it–not to mention the fact she treats children from all over the world and does have such an incredibly long waiting list.  I am trying to be positive, to not expect any major changes for at least a year (since an infant normally takes a year to mature this area of the brain stem properly), and to just take it one day at a time with A, reminding myself constantly that even though these phases are hard to deal with, he is not doing them intentionally.  Again, he is simply a 12 or 18 month old acting out, just in a 5-year-old’s body.  Believe it or not, somehow, that last concept makes it a little easier to deal with.  These changes also show, according to Anna, that SOMETHING is happening with his brain because of these exercises, and that is a positive in itself, even if we temporarily seem to be going the wrong way.  It is all a process of his brain having to figure out where it is lacking, where it has been covering up and compensating, and trying to re-develop properly this time.

In the event you are interested, the exercise we are working on now is called “Burrito”.  I honestly don’t fully understand how it works for the brain, but apparently it does something to cause all sorts of nerve firings and brain stem stimulation, as the body is slowly moving and compensating for the angle and sensations it feels.  First, the boys lay on a soft, stretchy blanket, with their head sticking out one side, and their feet out the other.  Their arms are beside their body.  I began rolling them slowly….VERY slowly…in the blanket, transitioning from their back to their belly, and then returning to their back.  The whole exercise takes about 4-5 minutes.  If at any point in the roll their body stiffens or otherwise “fights” with certain signals Anna told us to look for, then I stop rolling and just allow the brain to work through its issue.  Once they relax again, I resume rolling.  At the end of the exercise, I have to use sensations of squeezing, rubbing, and “poking” to stimulate other nerves.  One day, we roll one direction, and the next day, we roll the other direction.  Again, I don’t fully understand how it works, but I’m willing to try.

In this video, you’ll notice we are quiet.  I cannot explain what we are doing, or the boys could begin to force what they perceive to be what I desire, rather than allowing their brain to figure it out on its own.  At the same time, to minimize distractions, we try not to have the other children being too noisy or distracting.  Notice that N LOVES this exercise, and is all smiles the whole time.  Notice, also however, how squirmy he is, how his head is constantly moving, and how he just can’t seem to keep his arms down at times.  Even when laying on his belly, his little bum keeps bouncing up.  Those are all signs of his fighting whatever issues his brain stem is trying to deal with.  According to Anna, the brain has to work through a lot of insecurities that have developed as a result of his learning to compensate for deficiencies in the brain stem.  Sounds totally confusing, I know.  Anyway, maybe that gives you some idea what you are seeing in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IulgGNfAHGM&feature=youtu.be

For more information on therapist Anna Buck, or the work of Anna’s House LLC, click here.

 

She’s HERE!!!

Our long awaited, and much anticipated special order purchase has arrived!!!

Isn’t she a beauty?!  Can you tell I’m a little excited?!

After finding such a great deal on a used truck, we were left with enough of a budget to custom order the exact trailer we wanted.  In order to get the versatile, multi-purpose use we needed, we ordered a good, solid, steel gooseneck stock trailer.  Because we planned to get draft horses after we move, it had to be tall enough for them.  We opted for the 7 foot, 6 inch height (a standard stock trailer is either 5’6″ or 6′), but since that is measured at the shortest spot in the frame–where the horse enters from the rear, the actual inside height of this trailer is about 7 foot 9 inches.

The added height created such a large area in the gooseneck, we now have the option of hauling animals in there as well (which we will be doing on this upcoming trip), in addition to having plenty of room for camping or sleeping.  Thus, we had them add windows for ventilation as well.  You’ll also notice the standard escape door in the following photo, which gives us easy access to the front stall when necessary.

We got rubber floor mats over the wood floor, and a slider on the rear door–that came in really handy yesterday when I was trying to load 3 goats and 2 dogs into the back stall without help!!  The half-slider door keeps all the other critters from escaping while I load the next one.

Of course, I had to try it out to see how my big plan worked.  After spending about an hour teaching the donkeys how to load, I put both donkeys in the front stall, and they only used about 2/3 of the available space.  Both dogs and 3 goats only used about 1/2 the space in the back stall.  For some reason, S changed his mind about the little Alpine I was wanting for Valentine’s day, and since we have space in the trailer (and I suspect he really wants a bit more milk), he has given me permission to buy her after she freshens (any day now).  I think I’m going to leave her with her kids nursing for a few weeks, since she is a first freshener, and just pick her up in time to get her health papers.  I’ll let the kids do the initial work of stretching those teats out.  I am also going to load the donkeys a few times over the next few weeks, and probably even take the (non-pregnant) animals for a quick drive or two to give them a decent experience on a short drive before the upcoming lengthy one.  I’m hoping to make moving day, which includes loading all the critters around 4 in the morning, as smooth and easy as possible.

 

Both me and my critters will be riding in some genuine country style and comfort on this long haul!!  In the mean time, it is nice to know that we no longer have to haul hay, straw, goats, chickens, etc. in my poor, abused minivan.  We may just become real farmer yet!