Osgood-Schlatters


Our kids are all tall.  No surprise there, my husband and I are both 6ft tall, and both of us are shorter than our cousins.  Our youngest is growing SO fast though..  at one point, about a year and a half ago, he grew 6 inches in 6 months.

That's hard on your body.

For Matt, it caused a condition called "Osgood/Schlatters". Essentially it means his tendons couldn't keep up with his bones.  It cased a bulge under his knee, that if you touched, would bring him to the ground.  Severely painful.  He needed a knee brace for all physical activity.  Football, basketball, running in the yard - all impossible without the brace.  This is not a weak kid, he has a high pain tolerance, but this knee was causing him constant, significant, pain.  He couldn't sit with his knee bent.  He couldn't do squats in the weight room.  (His friends call this "the Oscar in Matt's knee", as in "Matt can't do the squats, because of Oscar.")

The Mayo Clinic website has a lot of great information on Osgood-Schlatters:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/osgood-schlatter-disease/DS00392

It's surprising how many people we know who have this.  A lot of our adult friends still suffer with it, although it no longer causes them nearly as much pain, it never truly goes away.

One of our friends has a father that is a retired chiropractor.  He recommended a chiropractor for our son, and that was a route we were getting ready to explore.

But at Matt's last appointment, the xray showed either a calcium deposit, or a bone fragment, floating loose, and that the osgood-schlatters was much worse, rather than improving.  So they referred us to Sun Ortho.

The dr we saw at Sun Ortho is a marathon runner. Who also has Osgood Schlatters.  This was reassuring..  Matt hasn't been able to run much at all in the last year.  It's been too painful.  This dr recommended a new treatment, not FDA approved, and not covered by our insurance.  Normally those two statements make me nervous, but Sun Ortho has a great reputation, and has been great with our kids over the years through various broken bones and injuries.  I tend to trust them.  We made an appointment to have this experimental treatment done, and I came home and started some research.  This is what I found:
http://www.coreconcepts.com.sg/mcr/osgood-schlatter-disease-osd/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extracorporeal_shockwave_therapy

Every review I found online was very positive.  Results begin immediately, and it can continue to improve for up to 4 months.    We went ahead with the procedure.  ($350 out of pocket)


This is Matt receiving the ESWT treatment.  Normally this is NOT painful, but because this part of his knee is so painful when touched, and the machine has to be pressed tight into that sore area, it was pretty painful for him.

This was Thursday morning.  Thursday evening Matt sat with his knee bent.  For the first time in 6 months.  He did a couple of squats.  They were painful, but he did them.

No contact - he can't kneel, and can't wear the knee brace, for awhile.  His only "prescription" is lots of stretching exercises.  We're pretty excited by how effective this has been already, and we're looking forward to seeing how this progresses.





Donkey, The Donkey


Look what I bought at the Amish Sale on Saturday.  :-)

We've been wanting a Donkey for awhile.

What for, you ask?
Why does everyone insist on asking me that?  I have 141 acres. I have 4 teens to help with animal chores.  I have pastures.  I have a lot of hay.  I often have animals because I like the way they look in the pastures.  Think of them as lawn mowers.  


But the donkey can be useful as a livestock guardian, to help keep the coyotes away.
Donkey has already taught Jet, the farm dog, who is boss - kicking him right out of this pasture.  That is nice, Jet scares Alfred, so Donkey keeps Jet away.  (Jet is also necessary to alert us when the coyotes, or annoying people, are too close)

And our Pastor's wife has been wanting one for the Christmas program for years.

And this one is soooooo friendly and sweet.  That's another reason we have some of the animals - simply for our friends children to visit and pet them.  Eventually I'll have grandchildren who will be amused by them too.

He gets along well with the goats, calves, and alpaca.  We aren't completely sure which pen he will live in, for now they are all sharing one pen waiting on the new fencing project to be done.  

Learning About Donkeys
A great site with all sorts of information, from the cost of keeping a Donkey, to a donkey webcam:

A donkey can be expected to live about 40 years.

Another site with lots of info:

Donkeys are pregnant for a full year, and can be bred at a VERY young age..  so it's important to keep the girls separate until they are 3 years of age.

More on Donkeys

They eat grass and hay and can have some grain, but they put on weight easily so grain is really not necessary at all, it may actually be best for them NOT to have any grain at all, depending on the grass and hay content.

They do need their hooves trimmed occasionally - but usually not too often in climates like ours here in PA.

Lots more info here:

At The Livestock Auction in Dewart Today

At the Livestock Auction this afternoon

The sale seems to run later and later every week.  It is almost 3:30 now, and there is still a pen and a half of sheep before they will get to the goats.

Lots of changes here in the last year.  The computer system is a great upgrade.  We used to have to wait for the paper slips to travel up to the office before we could pay for what we bought.  Now we can walk up immediately, pay, and leave.

They used to sell the sheep after the goats and poultry, now they sell between the calves and goats.  I don't know what prompted the change, but it used to be you would only see a few sheep here. Often none at all.  This spring there are full pens of sheep, every week.  Sometimes there appear to be as many sheep here as there are calves.  There is one pen of really adorable yearlings, with long pretty fur. Another pen has 8 older sheep that do not look healthy at all.  :-(

There is a lot more poultry here ever& week too.  We brought in a crate of sex link hens, and a duck, today- cleaning out some of my excess poultry.  I prefer the "prettier" breeds, so the plain sex links are being sold to make more room for them.  Last year my hens hatched out some really pretty babies, I can't keep everything, and I want to keep these.  The duck I like, but he is male and tries to mate with my hens- he's hard on them, ripping feathers from their necks, so he is being sold.  He was dropped off at my house with some hens last year, I don't think he knows he is a duck.

There are several crates of meat chickens here, they look like they have come out of a commercial barn. Not full grown, but well started. A few boxes of rabbits, and at least two boxes with a hen and babies. One box has 8 week old barred rock chicks. I'd take them home, but with my luck they would all be roosters.

There are only 6 goats here today.  A boer nanny & 2 babies thatis thin and wormy looking, but obviously friendly and a good mom.  I wasn't looking for a boer goaat, but as I watch her, I just like her.  She has a good temperment.  Another boer, looks like a 4H or show goat.  Aloof. A little overfed.  A black dwarf baby, and a large, gorgreous, all black boer.  For looks, I was watching her.  I don't have an all black goat, she'd be a nice addition.  But she is not very friendly, and is a little aggressive towards the others.  I'm going to watch, but I wont pay too much for her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absolute insanity with the goat prices today. Kids sold for $110. Nannies went for $160 and up. I have no idea what that was about, prices are normally about half to 3/4 of that. So no new goats for me today! I bought a grey hen and her 9 peeps for $5. I didn't need them, but I have a weakness for grey hens, and for babies.

On The Farm This Week 4/20/12


The swan, across the road, is nesting.  This is the male, keeping guard so that no one disturbs her.

Horses:
Wrangler is losing all of his fur.  It looks a bit like rainrot, but I don't think it is - I think he just looses all of his shaggy fur in the spring?


Red used to get rainrot - this is how bad he would get:


Cows:



The calves are continuing to get big.  They are doing really well.

Goats:



Aryiana is bagging up - we should have a new baby before long.  She's so huge - I'm hoping for twins, but she usually only has one. 

Sheep:

sold the sheep this week.  :-(  I know it was the logical thing to do - we need to downsize and prioritize.  The sheep were not friendly, and needed sheared every year.  They did not provide any income, they were just pets.  The man who bought them transported them in the back of a van, which made me nervous..  but he wanted them as pets, so I think it was the best place for them.

Poultry:




We are drowning in eggs!  After not having ANY eggs for weeks, we now have a fridge full of them.  Omelets, fritatas, hard boiled eggs..  need to get some pickled eggs started this week.

We sold the peacocks too.  Not my breeding pair, Mr and Mrs Peabody stay, but the babies from last year are all sold, once we catch the one last loose one.

Garden:



A lot of work this week..  had topsoil delivered for the upper garden, filled in the 4x4 boxes in the back yard with some miracle grow to top them off.  A friend of mine gave me her extra strawberry plants - I got those planted, weeded the herb and back flower beds, edged the beds...  Next week I want to get some beans and brocolli in the ground, and maybe some other plants?


The iris are blooming

I'm trying two apps on my phone this year.  The first one is for planning my 4x4 raised beds:

The second is a paid app.  I almost never pay for apps.  But this one looked really promising, and it is cheap:


I have not spent enough time with either app to know if I really love them yet or not.  It's been a busy week!  :-)

Misc:


We're having a skeet shoot here in a few weeks, there is SO much I want to get done/cleaned up around the farm before then!  Much like the house cleaning, I know i need a better plan for maintaining this year.  I think I need a rotation - on Tuesdays I work on one area, Thursdays another - maybe a front yard/back yard rotation?  And I MUST walk through the farm much more regularly.  I want to add walks out over the back fields, but daily I need to be in with the horses, chickens, goats..  and at least a walk through of the gardens, so I am more aware of what needs done, rather than avoiding it and living in denial.

Alfred The Alpaca

After a couple of months, Alfred was MISERABLE here.  He was obviously depressed. We found him a home with other alpacas, and he is very happy there - alpacas are a herd animal, and apparently goats are not always companions for them, Alfred was happiest with other alpacas.



Why did we get an alpaca?
     Because they are cute, and we knew someone who was selling one.  Yep, there are probably better reasons.  But That's all I've got.  :-)  He is intact, so if I can find some reasonably priced girls, we can have alpaca babies.  Which would be awesome.  (I just sold sheep because I didn't want to sheer them...  but we can pet Alfred.  We couldn't pet the sheep.  I'll learn to shear)

What do Alpaca's eat?
     Yep, I bought an alpaca without even knowing that.  So far I can tell you that he loves the grass.  He wasn't interested in the goats grain.  He hasn't touched the hay.   Good Website - http://www.alpacas.com/QnA/Care.aspx (Thanks Google!)

What's the Difference between a llama & an Alpaca?
    Again, I turn to google for help, and find: http://www.owning-alpaca.com/alpaca-and-llama.html
I did pretty much know this - we have had a llama here on the farm in the past.  What I did not realize is that alpacas are a herd animal.  right now I have Alfred in with the sheep, and I can move him with the horses for company..  but I do want to get him some girlfriends.  Basically, llamas are larger, and can be used for pulling carts, or keeping coyotes out of the pasture.  Alpacas are for fleece, and not much else.  Alpacas are smaller than llamas, and their fur is much softer, and a better texture, than llamas.

Misc:
Alpacas rarely challenge fences. Dan likes that.
They are a herd animal.  Alfred will need friends.  :-)
They need sheared.
They eat mostly grasses.
They do not require a lot of space.
They do need to be wormed.

I have to get a video of Alfred walking.  His gait is funny - it's fun to watch!  (I think it's a normal alpaca gait - just different than say, the horses, or the goats)


Cool new blog added to my reader - Alpaca Farm Girl
http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/ 

Another great website:
http://www.owning-alpaca.com/index.html 

Favorite Thing Friday - 8oclock Hazelnut



My absolute favorite coffee.  Whole bean, I grind it fresh each morning..  YUM~!
This week I couldn't find any in our local stores - this can be hard to find sometimes - so I bought a bottle of hazelnut sugar free syrup.  Blech!  Now, I should have known this would not be the same thing. Really I should.  I logically know that sugar free syrups are still sweeteners.  But I wasn't thinking sweetener - I was thinking hazelnut.  I drink my coffee black, no sugar, no cream.  Sugar free hazelnut syrup made my coffee sweet.  Hazelnut beans do not make my coffee sweet.


Clarifying Shampoo for bathing suits?

Daily Clarifying Shampoo 
Today's Tip - from the women at the Y - wash bathing suits out in clarifying shampoo (be sure to use it on your hair too!) after swimming in chlorine. It will keep the suit from fading.


Apparently there are different kinds of clarifying shampoos, but the women there recommend the 99 cent bottle of Suave!  Which we already keep on hand here..  even with a culligan water system, we have problems with hard water.  Our hairdresser recommended at clarifying shampoo at least once a week - and it really helps keep my hair from turning orange.

More on clariflying shampoo use:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/clarifying-shampoo-to-remove-hair-dye.html

More tips for avoiding green hair if you spend a lot of time swimming in chlorine:
http://www.mamapedia.com/article/help-my-daughter-tick-s-hair-is-green-from-chlorine




Prepping For The Week-end

I love facebook.  Most of the time.  Did you ever notice on Fridays, how many post "TGIF" or some status about how glad they are that it is the week-end?


That is not me.


Don't get me wrong, I love the week-end!  But where so many of my friends view the week-end as a rest from their work week, I view it as the most chaotic, busy, messy, three days of my week.  Yes, three days.  Because my husband works 3rd shift Friday night, his week-end is more of a Saturday night through Monday.  But I have teenagers who, along with their friends, observe the more traditional Friday through Sunday week-end.  And I'm so thankful that I am able to stay home and accommodate that mix of schedules. Don't get me wrong, I am very, very thankful. I'm often also a bit tired.  :-)


This week-end adds in the time change, which is just... oh lets face it, it is miserable.  We lose an hour on Sunday?  But I am WAY overbooked for Sunday, I need an extra hour, not one less!


So how can I eliminate the stress and enjoy the week-end?  I plan.  I prepare.  I treat our week-ends like we are going away on a vacation.  I plan meals, I plan outfits, I clean & pack the car, I make snacks, I go over the budget I post itineraries...  today (Friday) is all about getting ready for the trip - and our week-ends sure can be a trip!  


This is what my list looks like (except in Evernote it is a checklist..  not sure where my check boxes went when I copied it here)


Planning For The Week-end



Things that need done EVERY Friday - 
quick clean the house top to bottom
work ahead in F, A, T
work ahead in BSF hmwrk
read ahead in b90days
check kids school work, make sure they are completely on track and caught up for the week
go over the week-ends schedule
go over the week-ends menu
go over the week-end budget
make sure camera battery is charged
check the weather forecast for the week-end - how does it change/effect our plans?

On the Go This Week-end:
Men's Breakfast
Latte Ladies 
Work Day at the church
Prom dress shopping
SS, Church, Youth Group
Coffee Connection (our turn)
Youth Group Snack (our turn)
Nursery duty (yep, all 3 things just happened to fall on the same Sunday this time around!)
GAB mtg
J.s family over to feed calves
Choir practice
PSSA's (remember, my week-end encompasses Monday)
Biking Bike Path

For Men's Breakfast:
Remind Dan to invite B.
Are boys staying for work day (does M. have a ride home?)
Budget:

For Latte Ladies:
What time is S. meeting me here?
Put together my recipes & print copies
pick up flowers to thank P?
Have M. look at menu online before we go, for faster ordering
Budget:

Prom Dress Shopping:
Are we taking 2 cars?  Where all are we going?
google options
Budget:

SS, Church, YG:
Do I know my memory verse (our SS teacher has been challenging us - very cool)
Pick out my outfit, make sure it is ironed, hung all together
Check the kids outfits

For Coffee Connection:
I know I can count on cookies from Mrs. F.
make mint meltaways
make lemon cookies
make mini pb eggs
buy danish
make labels

GAB Mtg-
add brochure to my bag for church
mark areas with questions
get sand cup recipe from T.

Youth Group Snack:
ask kids - what to make? 

Family Over to Feed Calves
confirm time, tour dairy barn during milking?
footwear

Choir:
check website, what are we singing this week?
listen to cd with Meg, practice!

PSSA's - 
What to take?  Calculator?  Snacks?  Water bottle?
check weather - bike path during test?
check historical society hours
check local find a grave requests, print
gym? Discuss w/ Dan
Planning the Week-end Menu

Then based on this, I adjust our menu for the week-end.  Fridays are traditionally pizza night here.  Often I will make calzones or Stromboli instead of pizza - but something "in the pizza family".  Sundays are traditional Sunday dinners.  Ham.  Turkey.  Roast.  Pork chops and stuffing.  With a lasagna in the rotation...   Sides are instant (I know, I know, but it is Sunday, week-ends are super busy, and Idaho makes a good instant potato) mashed potatoes, a vegetable, a salad, and applesauce or fruit salad.  When we have lasagna, we skip the mashed potatoes.  :-)  

Sunday after church we always have hotdogs & popcorn and sometimes ice cream.  The traditions - Friday night pizza, Sunday dinner, Sunday night hot dogs - keep my menu planning simple.

The next step in menu planning for the week-end is to see who will actually be here.  In addition to the schedule above, I now need to look at the kids work schedules, and remember that our oldest has sound team this month.  (That means he has to be at church an hour early - his brothers like to go along with him, and they go to Dunkin Donuts on the way to church, no need for me to make them breakfast)  I always make enough food on Sundays for an army, so we can invite extras at a moments notice..  but I know that this week our regular Sunday teenage guest is grounded and probably won't be here. 

Friday Night:
Calzones, Salad, applesauce

Saturday: 
Breakfast - No cooking - Boys at Men's breakfast, girls at Not Just a Bean for latte ladies
Lunch - No cooking - no one home/full from a big breakfast
Supper - early, the boys will be "starving".  Steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, salad

Sunday - 
Breakfast - No cooking - leave a little early and stop by DD ourselves (love their egg white & veggie on flatbread!)
Lunch - Pork chops and stuffing (layered in the crockpot)
Supper  - hot dogs in sauerkraut (put them in the crockpot before we leave for youth group) popcorn

Monday - 
Breakfast - smoothies, sausage, eggs,
Lunch - grilled chicken, salad, potato salad
Dinner - leftovers

Now that I see the menu - back to the to do list to add the following:
Have boys sweep deck, get patio cushions from garage (maybe eat out side this week-end?)
Check with D., do we have enough gas for the grill?
make potato salad on Friday while baking
marinate the meats for the grill on Friday while baking
get sauerkraut out to thaw for Sunday night
make up a large bowl of salad
make stuffing ahead (use up the rolls the kids left the bag open on so they got stale...) for Sunday


It all sounds a bit nuts, doesn't it?  My week-end certainly will not look like the photo above.  BUT, if I get all of that list done today, it will be a great week-end.  I get to go out to my favorite coffee shop with a group of women that I love, and after I sit and talk with them over coffee and the best bagels around, THEN I get to go with my best friend, her daughter and my daughter, prom dress shopping (father daughter banquet dress shopping for my daughter - but she'll be wearing a "prom style" dress).  After that steaks on the grill, hopefully supper on the deck, here at home with my husband and kids.  We might even saddle up the horses and watch the sunset from horseback?

Then Sunday we get to attend  a church that we not only love, but that is truly a family for us.  I love our turns at the coffee connection - because I get to talk to everyone as they come through for coffee and cookies.  The GAB mtg will be quick, and I'm really excited about the ladies conference we are planning!  Then a normal rowdy Sunday dinner where I hear all about what my kids are up to, usually followed by a hand or two of Phase 10, or Skipbo.  After that "city" friends coming over to see the farm and bottle feed the calves.  That is going to be so much fun - I love to see young kids visit the farm!  Choir practice, youth group, and home to watch the Amazing Race before bed Sunday night.  A family tradition, we eat hot dogs in the living room, while watching tv.  :-)

Monday we'll have time to do our regular Monday chores, have lunch togther, and then go for a 15 mile bike ride while our youngest takes his PSSA's.  Most likely that will just be me and Dan, on my favorite bike path - and this is my idea of a perfect date.  

It's busy, no doubt about it, but it is relaxing too - once I get past all of the prep work.