Just to Cap Off the Great Ear Week We're Having....

I was informed that Trey has a ROCK in his ear. Yes, a dark colored rock appears to be wedged in my son's ear canal.

Is it Friday yet?

Preschoolers at the Art Museum....

What an experience. I'm not sure what I envisioned. Maybe the children all walking around, holding onto their adults hand, commenting on the use of color and light? O.K., not really. But I certainly didn't picture the little boys running around yelling "booby's" everytime they saw one in a painting. And, I won't even mention how loudly they described the nude male anatomically correct sculpture. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud after the tour guides all frowned in our general direction.

I don't think the world of art was ready for Trey's class.....

Houston, We have a Problem....

Jake, the hearing 'wonder' in our family (which isn't sayin' a whole lot) informed me this morning that his hearing aid was broken....which is kind of a bummer, except it wasn't actually broken. Jake's ear is what is not working. We've been there, done that, with all of the other kids, but Jake was our stable child. The one with the mild to moderate loss, who we've never really had to worry about (at least from a hearing perspective). Our wonderful audiologist got him in first thing this morning, and I was sure there was some negative pressure in the ear, or something. But no- no pressure issues, no fluid, and no hearing (well at most frequencies). He ranges from roughly 70, at the two lowest frequency ranges, and drops to 90-110 at the rest. I think 8000 bump up a little bit. We need his new ear molds now to help with the horrific feedback. Fun Fun Fun!

Just a Picture...

so I can feel like I posted today :) Trey's the lucky winner...he was so cranky this morning, I decided to post a non-cranky picture so I can remember why I love him :) I'm busy running all over town today, but I'll try to post tonight, after Delaney's physical therapy (she fell down our slope and mildly sprained her back- that's why we call her 'Grace'), and Jake's t-ball.

Too Much of a Good Thing....

It has been absolutely beautiful here! Sunny, 78-80 degrees, and everything is blooming. But, the kids and I are paying the price: Allergies are out.of.control. Emily got up this morning, and her entire face was swollen. Her eyes were teeny little slits. Jake looked at her and said, "Emily you look different. I think you need a LOT more sleep or something." What she really needed was a hefty dose of Benadryl. So I loaded her up, managed to get her eyes as least partially open, and sent her on her way.

Gotta love Spring flowers!

7 Hours of Driving and a Tough Loss....

The first game of the day....Emily's team played really well. They played through fog, mist, and then bright sunlight (all within an hour).


The boys always manage to entertain themselves at soccer games- sticks and all.



THE FINAL SOCCER PICTURE FROM THE U12 SEASON

Delaney's soccer season is officially over for this season/year. I'm sure I'll have a profound update tomorrow, right now we're all just tired from a whole lot of driving, and exposure to that big yellow ball in the sky (which has made rare appearances up until now). The girls played really well, gave it their all, and lost by a goal. Such is life, or at least the game of soccer. The boys came home filthy dirty, coated in mud, and are soaking in a warm tub. Not together, as that spells disaster.

I better go towel them off, and start working on the bedtime process- I am hoping to be shortly behind them.

We Now Have One Child No Longer On An IEP

How does that sound? One less meeting each year, one less think stack of papers to review. Sounds great, doesn't it? I guess... I'm just not completely sold on taking him off of one. He will be on a 504, which will still provide Jake with an FM or soundfield system, and I have the district's assurance that they will check his speech/articulation, etc. several times throughout the year.

Here's my concern. Every time we have taken a break from speech (doesn't matter which child, you name it, it's happened), their hearing has tanked. So I'm somewhat hesitant.

I'll keep you posted.....

Jake No Longer Considers the Dentist his Friend....

Let's just say we had a costly dental month, and I think Jake has learned the value of *really* brushing his teeth. As he walked out of the dentist's office sobbing, I thought back on my own dental experiences, and could definitely relate! The dental hygenist said he was not as 'friendly' this visit, in fact I think the actual word she used was 'obstinate'. What can I say? There's some family lore that says I punched a dentist once....can't really lecture him too much, can I!

Easter w/ the Cousins....

Baseball continued....

Play Ball....

It was a great first game. Only an hour and twenty minutes, which left us 10 minutes shy of the hour and a half game limit. The kids started out actually playing their positions, but by the third inning it was a free for all- wherever the ball went is where the entire team ran.

I have some other really funny pictures to share, but I can't seem to load them right now. I'll try again in a little bit :)

The Athletics are Ready To PLAY BALL.....

The team's first game is tomorrow night (as long as the rain cooperates, and ceases to appear between 5:00 and 7:00 pm). The kids are well-trained, and *finally* know where they are supposed to run, after hitting the ball. I had so much fun being the first base parent (I won't use the term "coach" as I know next to nothing about coaching baseball). I had great conversations with each and every child, except my own. I was too busy telling him to "stop messing around, pay attention to your coach, and run fast to 2nd base- LOVE YOU". I can now tell you which child is secretly an 'evil genius', according to him, and which girl knows she is faster than any other boy on the team, and she just might be. There were plenty of tears, and several cries of "can I just go home and play my Xbox?". One boy finally just told his dad he was done, and walked to the parking lot....this was 30 minutes into practice. We'll see how the hour and 1/2 game goes.

Mystery Bruises (and a quick trip to the hospital)....

These are NOT Emily's arms, but her right upper arm looked identical to this on Friday. We kind of thought maybe she had an indian/rug burn initially, but when we saw how much it spread from Friday to Saturday we decided maybe a doctor visit was appropriate. I took her to our pediatrician's office about two hours before the BIG state cup soccer game, assuming it would be a quick visit. Not so much- it looked too similar to Meningococcal disease, so they masked her up and sent us to our local hospital for IV antibiotics...just in case. She felt fine, had no fever, and really *just* had the bruises, but better to be safe than sorry.

We left several hours later (after receiving text message updates on the soccer game- they advance to the next round :), with an appointment made for the following day, for IV removal, and to check the bacterial culture. Negative for meningococcal bacteria, and all of her bloodwork was normal. So the final verdict? No one really knows. It's just a mystery. We have to return next Monday for a final round of bloodwork, but I think it's just one of those things we'll never have an answer for.

That said, the 11 year old boy in this picture had nothing pop on bloodwork but had an autoimmune issue, so I guess maybe it could be that???? Or maybe just allergies? Who knows. I'm just glad it was negative for the really bad stuff. We need a better medical year this year, than we've had lately.

Partners in Crime.....

but cute enough to get away with it. Their only *real* crime? Getting licorice crud all over themselves.
**The cute adorable girl w/ the unsnapped pants, is my niece Addison. Trey and Addie play SO well together, it's fun to watch them. Especially when covered in sticky red licorice. Sorry Aunt Laura!

Spring Break Fun at the Beach

It was COLD, and very, very WINDY, but we went! Here are the pictures to prove it....