February 1, 2014

We've had a horrible long cold going around our family lately.  Seth got it first, then Ruby and now Rachel.  This year has been bad for sicknesses for us.  Seth's turned into an ear infection and then his ear drum burst.  The night it burst he started saying his ear hurt at 5:00 pm.  Then he said it again at 7:30.  At that point his jaw on that side was a little swollen and I just new his eardrum would rupture.  It was too late to get into any semi-convenient urgent cares so I just decided to wait to go to his pediatrician the next mourning.  It ruptured in the middle of the night and when he got up we could see all the fluid that had come out.  I was feeling so bad because I knew it was a prompting that would happen.  And I thought it was telling me I should have made the effort to take him to urgent care.  But the Doctor said it was fine and doesn't cause problems if it is treated with antibiotics.  That made me feel so much better and I realized the prompting was just a tender mercy to let me know what would happen.  It wouldn't have made much difference to take him in that night, but it was nice to be ready for what would happen.

I started going to the main dry eye specialist in Las Vegas.  He recommended I get tear duct plugs in my upper tear ducts.  So I just had some temporary ones put in this week to try it out.  It doesn't completely solve the problem, but it does seem to help.  So that means I'll go have permanent ones put in in a few weeks.  He also has me coming back in 3 months because my eye pressures are going up, which is a sign of glaucoma.  That worries me because I've seen a lot of eye doctors and they've never said I had this issue, so it must have come up recently.  He said my cupping percentage or something was 55% and 60%. And that makes it worse that they aren't the same.  He has me on Lotomax drops that he says would never cause it even though the package says it is a risk.  And I've been having lots of muscle tension around and behind my eyes related to my squinting problem from dry eyes and from stress. I really pray they can figure this out and catch or fix whatever they need to.

Here's a snapshot of what life is like right now.

Danny- He is on 3 basketball teams right now.  We didn't mean for that to happen, but he's loving it. He is also loving basketball shoes.  He checks shoe websites daily to see new styles and colors.  And everyone in the family knows all about the brands, colors and release dates.  He's bought himself a few pairs of shoes this winter and has plans for many more.  He's also recognized his need to work since his allowance was cut off when he turned 12.  He cleans the bathrooms for me a few times a month and is always looking for more ways to make money.  He also loves to spend his money at 711 or circle K whenever he can.

Rachel- She just started a hip hop dance class at a studio that just opened close to us.  She's still taking piano. She loves to draw and is getting quite good.  She's doing great in Middle School. She stays right on top of her homework and gets excellent grades. I never have to remind her to do anything for school. She started shaving her legs and wearing mascara this year. She loves hugs whenever she can get them.

Aaron- He started on a club basketball team too this season.  He's doing really well. He's picking up a lot of new skills.  He does great at school.  The kids at school just adore him. He comes home most days with some new food from a trade or deal he worked at school.  He has amazing negotiating skills. He's taking piano lessons and doing well.  He loves to go play with Tyson whenever he gets his work done.  He's also a great friend with Rachel and he plays sports with Danny whenever Danny talks him into it. He loves to read Calvin and Hobbs, Big Nate and the Guiness Book of World Records.

Seth-  He's doing well in kindergarten.  Even tough, if you ask him he says he never has a good time at school and counts the days until the weekend.  He's starting to read. He has lots of friends at school. He plays great with Ruby and she misses him when he's at school.  He loves to have friends over as often as he can. He likes video games too much. He learned to ride a two-wheeler this year and he loves it. He's our best eater by far.  We've been eating more healthy this year and he eats it all. He loves to talk and will tell anyone a story.

Ruby- She thinks turning 4 was the best thing ever and loves to try more and more things by herself.  She loves to homeschool with me.  And she'll work in her workbooks for hours. She's so sweet and fun and loves to play with Seth. She has a couple of girlfriends she loves to play with.  She started ballet recently too and she loves it. She likes to draw. She loves to play with toys and asks me to play with her all the time. She loves juice boxes and fruit snacks. She loves to sit with BJ LeCates at church every sunday.