Wednesday, May 28, 2014

I'm a Proud Mommy to an Autistic Child

   I'm the proud mommy to a child with autism.   I can say that now but I lived in denial for a long time.   No, I was not ashamed of my son.  On the contrary, in my eyes he was perfect so I couldn't see that others seen him differently.  He was my beautiful and perfect son. 



       Now, he is my beautiful and perfect son that also happens to be autistic.

    Ronny is 9 years old and it actually took me about 8 years to admit that there was something different about him.   You see, Ronny almost didn't survive when he was born.  Within an hour of being delivered he was airlifted to a Tulsa hospital with heart complications.   It was touch-n-go but with prayers and the grace of God, Ronny survived.

    We all were so grateful that Ronny survived but Ronny just didn't survive, he thrived.  He still suffers from pulmonary stenosis but you wouldn't know it by looking at him.  He is a BIG boy and looks healthy as a horse.   In fact, doctors are projecting that Ronny will be well over 6 feet tall (more like 6'6"-6'8").   He is 9 years old and wears a size 9 in MEN'S shoes.  His older brother is 16 and is about 5'10" tall and we have markings on the wall showing our boys' heights and Ronny at 9 is as tall as Bubba was at 14.

     Anyway....I never was one to compare my children's milestones.  Brandy, my oldest, was walking by the time she was 10 months old and potty trained by 13 months.   Bubba didn't walk until quite a bit later and took longer to potty train.  I didn't sweat it.  I knew he would walk when he was ready and be potty trained when he was ready.  No big deal.  I knew that they would reach their milestones on their time frame...no one elses.

    Ronny did the normal baby babbling and said "mama" and "dada" as expected.  But then we noticed his speech was really limited.   By the age of 2, he still didn't speak much.  I recognized every groan and grunt and knew what he needed and provided it for him.  My mother-in-law teased me that Ronny didn't have to talk because I knew what he wanted even before he did.

     Fast forward several years and today, Ronny is immature for his age.  He still speaks and acts like he is around 3 or 4 years old.   After getting diagnosed and much research, we know now that Ronny has autism.  If I had known more about autism early on, I would recognize a lot of signs that Ronny had that would have pointed to autism.

    For example, some things Ronny does that is autistic behavior include:
  • He walks exclusively on his tiptoes.
  • Needs routine.  Any change in the routine really causes him issues and meltdowns.
  • Extreme attachment to a stuffed toy "Pikachu".  He has this toy with him at all times.   We cannot leave the house without it.
  • He puts toys in order and straight lines. Very precise.
  • Paces all the time.   Does lots of hand movements and talking to himself as he paces (Stimming).
  • Reacts to pain differently.  Pain doesn't really bother him like other kids.  For example, he broke his elbow awhile back and didn't really cry.  Moved it all around and the doctors didn't think it was broken because of the way he was moving it and acting but on looking at the x-rays, he had 3 bad breaks.
  • Overly sensitive to scratchy tags on clothing.  
  • Writes hours a day in his notebook.   I think it is calming to him but he draws basically the same thing page after page, day after day.
    We help Ronny by learning more about autism and understanding his needs and issues.   We create consistency for him and keep a highly structured schedule for him.   He also has to be taught differently because he cannot stay focused on one thing very long.  We have found creating songs for him to learn information works well for him.

    Anyway, I just wanted to share our story with you.   Perhaps you have a child that is autistic or that you think may be, I wanted to provide a bit of history of what we have learned.

  Here are some pages out of one of his notebooks.

autism, an autistic child, figuring out if your child is autistic, behaviors of autism in children

autism, an autistic child, figuring out if your child is autistic, behaviors of autism in children

autism, an autistic child, figuring out if your child is autistic, behaviors of autism in children

autism, an autistic child, figuring out if your child is autistic, behaviors of autism in children

autism, an autistic child, figuring out if your child is autistic, behaviors of autism in children

autism, an autistic child, figuring out if your child is autistic, behaviors of autism in children


BTW, boys are 5x more likely to develop autism than girls.

    We are very fortunate in that Ronny is verbal because 40% of all autistic people are nonverbal.  Another way we are totally blessed is that Ronny likes to hug and kiss momma and he will hug is brother, Dad, and grandma.  He used to hug them in an awkward way and look away when he hugged them but now he does better.  He has never minded hugging me or getting kisses.  A lot of autistic people do not like affection and my heart breaks for those families.  I can only imagine how much harder life is because of that.
    Thank you for reading....

To make Ronny's day, please view his video below.



Follow us on Pinterest
Follow us on Twitter
Follow our Youtube Channel
Follow us on Instagram



I shared this post on the following blogs:

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

GIVEAWAY Achy Paws Self-Warming Pet Mat

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.


Giveaway, prepper giveaway, achy paws self-warming pet mat, arthritis in dogs
    The pet mats are really great.   They come in various sizes depending on the size of your cat or dog.   The mat itself is filled with 100% activated Bamboo charcoal so when the animal lies on the mat, it gradually warms.  This is perfect for older pets or pets that suffer from joint pain.  It would also work well with dogs like the chihuahua who have relatively little body fur or fat to them.
     Because it is filled with activated charcoal, it helps to absorb odor, moisture and pet dander.  You can machine wash it and tumble dry it with no worries.   Then just place in direct sunlight for about an hour to reverse any odor and airborne pollutants that the charcoal may have absorbed.
     Sizes range from 20" x 20" all the way up to 60" x 40" and three other sizes in between.  Achy Paws has also agreed to allow me to give away one of these wonderful mats.   The winner will be randomly chosen via Rafflecopter and can choose either the small, the medium or a large pet mat of their choosing. 
    I think preppers would like this item also.   A large or x-large mat could be thrown into a BOB and be used to help keep you warm and to provide comfort and relief.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Homemade Humming Bird Nectar


   If you are like me, you love to see humming birds and the best way to attract these regal little birds is by hanging a hummingbird feeder up and feeding them.  I hate to buy the nectar because it has artificial coloring and chemicals inside of them and besides, I prefer FREE.  :-)

   To make your own is super easy and cheap.  All it takes is plain sugar and water.   Yep, that is all.  Here is how to do it.

     Boil some water.  Once it comes to a good boil, measure 2 cups of the boiling water and put it into a bowl.   Now stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and stir until it is dissolved.  Put it on the counter or into the refrigerator to cool.  Once it has cooled down, pour it into your feeder and enjoy the view.

how to make your own hummingbird food, how to make humming bird nectar, attracting hummingbirds
Here he is approaching the feeder.


how to make your own hummingbird food, how to make humming bird nectar, attracting hummingbirds
"Oh, yeah!  That is good stuff!"


how to make your own hummingbird food, how to make humming bird nectar, attracting hummingbirds
Getting a good long drink!

  This little guy arrived at my feeder within 20 minutes of hanging it out.  There is no need to add red food coloring to the food. . The red of the feeder will attract them.   If your feeder is not red, just tie a bit of red ribbon to yours.

    You can double the recipe if you want.  It can store safely in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.   Be sure to change the feed out often to keep it fresh and from going spores.   If the temperature is in the mid-80's, change the nectar out about every 3-4 days.  If it is hotter, change it out every day or two. 

Follow my Pinterest board
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on g+
Follow us on linkedin

Freedom Ranger Chicks

     I received some new chicks in the mail this week from the Freedom Ranger Hatchery.  They were shipped out on a Wednesday (the day they were born) and arrived on Friday.   I opened up the box to see this:
Freedom Ranger hatchery, raising Freedom ranger chickens, black broilers

Freedom Ranger hatchery, raising Freedom ranger chickens, black broilers
    They had sent us 16 of the regular red Freedom Rangers and 15 of the Freedom Ranger Black Broilers
I have had these for a few days now and they all appear super healthy.   They all began eating and drinking just fine right after arrival and have had no issues with pasty butt, splayed legs, or scissor beaks.   
    The color variations of these chicks are absolutely breathtaking. 
Freedom Ranger hatchery, raising Freedom ranger chickens, black broilers
This one is all black except for the yellow face.   I can't wait to see how it changes as it grows.

Freedom Ranger hatchery, raising Freedom ranger chickens, black broilers
This one has the dark red coloring only on its face.   Very pretty.

Freedom Ranger hatchery, raising Freedom ranger chickens, black broilers
This one is gorgeous!
   Aren't they gorgeous?!   Another thing I have noticed is the feel of their feathers.  They do not feel like feathers.   They feel soft like they have rabbit fur or something.   Never felt a chick that felt like these.   It is hard for us not to pet them all day.  We won't do this mainly because we will be eating these in the future and cannot get too attached.
    If you are not familiar with Freedom Rangers, they are broiler birds that get to 5-6 pounds in just under 9-11 weeks. The black broilers grow just a bit slower and get to their weight in about 11-13 weeks.  Still remarkably fast!  Their meat is very succulent. 
     Freedom Range Hatchery is in Pennsylvania and is family owned by a wonderful Christian family.  (I love that about them.) If you are in the market for some new chicks, I encourage you to look into the Freedom Range Hatchery and give them a chance!

Follow my Pinterest board
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on g+
Follow us on linkedin
Follow our Youtube channel





Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Coturnix Quail

   As many of you now know, we raise Coturnix (Japanese) Quail.

Japanese Coturnix quail, how to tell the male from the female in quail,
A baby Coturnix quail.

They are great for eggs or for eating.   The eggs are highly nutritious and just pretty to look at.

Japanese Coturnix quail, how to tell the male from the female in quail,
Quail eggs
Another great thing is that they mature at 6 WEEKS of age and start laying fertile eggs then.   Amazing, huh?
     Finally, the way to tell the male from the female is really easy.

Japanese Coturnix quail, how to tell the male from the female in quail,
This is a female quail.   The females have the black spotted pattern on their chest.

Japanese Coturnix quail, how to tell the male from the female in quail,
This is a male quail.  They have the copper color on their chest.





        If you have never heard a quail make sounds before, be sure to click on the above video.  Very unique and interesting!

Follow my Pinterest board
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on g+
Follow us on linkedin
Follow our Youtube channel

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day

   Happy Mother's Day to each of you. I hope your day is blessed and you are pampered.   I am very grateful to my hubby and my children.  They are the reason that I can celebrate this wonderful day and make me feel so loved.

Happy Mother's Day
My mother, 1990.

Happy Mother's Day
My mother-in-law with her dog Rascal.

Happy Mother's Day
My hubby, me, Ronny, and Bub.



Follow my Pinterest board
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow our Youtube channel
Follow me on Instagram 



Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Ducks Update

    Back in mid-March, we received some 3 day old ducklings in the mail from Chickens for Backyards.   Our first post showed off how cute the little guys were when they arrived.   The ducklings are almost 2 months old now (8 weeks old).  Thought you might enjoy seeing how much they have grown in such a short amount of time.
Follow my Pinterest board  Follow us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter  Follow us on g+  Follow us on linkedin  Follow our Youtube channel
3 days old

chickens for backyards, ducklings, raising ducks,

chickens for backyards, ducklings, raising ducks,

chickens for backyards, ducklings, raising ducks,
Look closely in the shadows, there is another duck there.  :-)

chickens for backyards, ducklings, raising ducks,

   Now, there are 3 different breeds shown.  Can you identify all three?



Follow my Pinterest board

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on g+

Follow us on linkedin

Follow our Youtube channel

How to Make a Classic Christmas Rainbow Poke Cake

            This recipe has been around for a LONG time and to me, it never goes out of style.   It is colorful, festive, moist and utterl...