Eye Confusion

So, today Jasper had his ophthalmology appointment.. I have previously mentioned that one if the teachers at school noticed something was up with jaspers eyes.. I took him to a local optician who did a few tests and said that Jasper was long sighted. He said he would give me a referral to our Children's hospital, as that is what I requested.. I wanted further tests where we get all our stuff done.
So, today was the day. They got him to read some letters, put some drops in his eyes to dilate his pupils and just had a look with a light, and measured things to do with his eyeballs...
At the end of the 2 hours, the guy tells me that his vision is fine, but he has excess skin in his eyelids and we should see a surgeon to get this skin removed.
I explained what the optician we had already seen had said, and he just dismissed it.
Jasper does complain that his eyes get blurry, and he sees double sometimes.
I am SO confused. Who do I believe? My local optician man, or someone who is meant to be an expert in his field?
I was not comfortable with today's outcome.
Don't get me wrong, I would love for there to be nothing wrong with jaspers eyes, and i can hope that is right.. But I just was not convinced today.
Maybe we get a third opinion??
I think, at the heart of it, I wanted an easy answer.. Just for once.. Someone to say "yes, this is what is wrong, and this is how we fix it.. Done" is that too much to ask?
Well, apparently, today it was too much.
Opinions are welcome, as is advice..
Paul and i have much to discuss!!!

Meanwhile, 5 1/2 hours later, Jasper's pupils are still so dilated, he looks like a vampire!! At least the blurry vision from the drops has cleared!!

Thanks for reading.

Brooke

Apples, Armpits and Bossy Britches

So, we all know how crazy kids can be, and some more so than others!

Jasper comes out with some crackers sometimes, and I really wish I had a pen and paper on me at all times to capture the gold that occurs!!

A couple of weeks ago, Paul had his work Christmas party.. he actually had 2, so this was the first one. My mum came over to watch the kids, and I met Paul there. Anyway, that morning, I was sitting on the sofa with Jasper having a chat. I just had on a singlet top and had my arms stretching above my head.
Jasper stares at my armpits, shakes his head and says "do you EVER shave under your arms?"
Guess I was a little hairy! I was planning on shaving when I had a shower before we went out... cheeky monkey.
Lucky he didn't check out my legs!!!!!

Another day we were driving to my folks, and Jasper was rabbiting on about inconsequential things. He randomly says to me "you know green apples are granny smith apples? Well, the red ones are poppy smiths, right?"
He really should stop talking when I am driving... he will make me drive off the road one day because I am laughing so much!!

Molly has decided to express herself and try to develop her terrible twos stage early... She is very independant and totally cracks it if we tell her "no" to something. It is kind of cute, but the screaming.... oh, the high pitched screaming...

You know how there is ALWAYS that kid at the shop who you think "get them outta here" and you can't get away from them fast enough??
Well, my placid, delightful, shop loving baby girl turned into that baby the other day... Except, I couldn't get away from her... she followed me!!!
She wants something, and she wants it NOW. If you don't oblige she lets you know exactly how she feels about it!!

I do have more photos and video to post, but that will be another day. With some school holiday stories (when we actually DO something worthy to write about!!!).

Brooke

Bubble Palooza!

Well, is there any better way to spend an afternoon?

BOTH the kids love bubbles!
Jasper bought some home from Scouts last Friday, and we have gone through them pretty quick.. it is hard to stop when they love chasing them so much!
Then Molly was lucky to get a bubble machine at our playgroup Christmas party. I just had to put in some batteries, add some bubble mix, and away it goes! The bubbles float up and away for a while before they pop, so there is a lot of chance to chase them!

 Molly is very distracted by bubbles, and looks a bit raggedy, but I still think she's beautiful (or as she says "bootibull")

 Jasper was saying "enough with the camera!" I asked for one handsome face and I would leave him alone... hmmmm, I am pretty sure I said "HANDSOME" not "ATTITUDE". (Needless to say, I didn't stop!)

 Molly usually only eats in her high chair... above is one reason she doesnot really get out on the floor to eat... yes, the 10 minute second rule did apply here..

This one didn't focus too well, but it is whiteboard marker on Mollys' neck.. every morning at school, she loves to run into Jasper's classroom and draw all over the whiteboard. Sometimes she misses....

Jasper has an eye appointment just before Christmas (thank you Dr Cathy!). Fingers crossed for an easy answer on Jasper's eyes!!

OK, bed now. The kids were both up super late, so momma's hoping for a sleep in tomorrow!!!
(hoping, but not holding my breath!)

Brooke

Busy busy busy bees!!

We have had some busy days over the last week, culminating in the Christmas tree being put up on Sunday!!
We don't have lights on yet... we lost the transformer for our lights, so have ordered some bargain ones online, so by this next weekend, I am hoping it will be done!
Here are some of my favourite decorations...
I might have done this before at some point, but i just LOVE them so much!
We got them at a Christmas Tree Shop in New Hampshire one year in the USA, so my tree makes me think of America every time the decorations go up!!

 this will be our first Christmas in 11 years without our old boy. He is still with us in spirit!

 Let it snow? HA! It'll be summer here, and we will be ROASTING HOT!!! We will wish it would snow~

See, some cute ones, right?? We have moose ones and all sorts... Paul let me go crazy (to an extent), because he knows how much I love Christmas!!

Jasper has done his Christmas cards for his class (without too much fuss), ready to give out at school tomorrow... they only have 2 weeks left, thank goodness!!!
Here he is sitting on the coffee table, writing his cards!

He will have a desk - at some point - before Christmas... I don't normally make him do school work sitting on the coffee table!!
I went shopping for a desk today, and after much disappointment, I found the almost perfect one!!!
and the best bit... it's only $88!!!

nice, right? (laptop is not included!!). They didn't have stock, so we got a chair, and ordered the desk.. She said they will have it in about 2 days! I am a bit excited. It will finish off the games room area... all excpet the painting...
Paul put a tv up on the wall for the Wii (and any other gaming console Santa may be delivering), the kids toys and now a desk!!
Need something to sit on, I hear you say?? Here's something we prepared earlier (like on Saturday...)

two little zombies watching some cartoon before bed time.. is it just me, or do they look totally exhausted?!?! MAYBE because of some afternoon exhaustion play we prepared... (when I say WE, please read PAUL)..

When Jasper was about Molly's age, we had a tennis ball on a string hung up out the back that he would hit and hit and hit. It would fly around and smack him back! It caused much delight, and it's fair share of tears..
We decided to do the same for Molly, but with a lighter ball..
here is what my McGuyver designed..
It's a wiffle ball, and a bat Jasper has had for a few years.. It is hollow and light weight.

 this is the stick that Jasper used to use... it is over 6 years old (we never throw things out.) (again, when I say "WE", I mean PAUL!!).
It is a bit dog chewed, but still works a treat!

The kids had a blast!
I think we have another ball hitting monster on our hands!!!

I will post again when I have the Christmas tree lights on, and have a shot of the kids with it - oh, side note, Molly actually "high-5"ed Sants today... shock!! It was awesome!

No medical news... still waiting for an appointment at the ophthalmology clinic at the hospital... sigh!

thanks for reading.

Brooke

The Curse of Santa

We have a strange love/terrified relationship with Santa happening this year with Molly.

Jasper has LOVED Santa from the get go. Like, L.O.V.E.D.

Sometimes I wonder if I need to be concerned that my kid has a real affection for a strange man who has a big beard, red clothes, and asks you to sit on his lap (then gives you candy....)

Last year, Molly just cried and cried when we saw Santa. It was kinda cute.

She doesn't cry all that much, but Santa terrified her to the point of hysteria!
This year, we are progressing. Slowly. Very slowly.

Jasper has already been to sit on the jolly mans lap and reel off his list, while Molly stood in the shopping cart and stared suspiciously...

Today, she ran from one end of the shopping centre to where the Santa chair was, calling out "Santa, Santa, Santa" the whole way.
Then we got there, and she freezes.

Total ice block.

I said "say hello to Santa". She says "no" without ever taking her eyes from his suspicious face...

We stand there for a few minutes, her the great immovable object, and me gently coaxing...

Then I give up. I say "tell Santa bye-bye". She waves, yells "bye-bye" and is outta there!!!

Only 15 minutes later, she is asking "where's Santa?".

We go back past and this time, she is in the shopping cart, and I wheel her right up. She is NOT happy!!

No tears, but total horror!!!
At least she can't run when she is in the cart!

We are just taking baby steps, and maybe by Christmas, she will be able to sit for a photo... But I'm not holding my breath!!

Jasper puts the list for both of them forward (but it is suspiciously Jasper heavy, and not much requested for Molly...).

Photos next time.. Probably not of Santa, but I will see how she goes!!

Thanks for reading.

Brooke

Friday Frivolities and Mummy Strikes Again

Is there any better way to spend a Friday afternoon?

Well, ok, a glass of wine would be a nice touch, and GUESS WHAT?? The photographer had one of those!

The kids were outside playing crazy on the trampoline, and I was out surveying the veggie patch.. Paul came out to have a look-see, and lifted the lid on the spa to let it get some air..

It looked SOOOO GOOD in there! next thing, I was getting the kids swimmers ready, Paul had jumped in, and the kids were hankering at the side of the spa to get in.. well, Molly was hankering and being impatient about having to get clothes off and swimmers on. Jasper decided I had the wrong swimmers for him, and went and got some other ones, and the festivities began!

I was going to get in too, but the wind was cold, and I knew that if I got in, I wasn't going to get out! Plus, getting Molly dressed for bed (as it was super close to bed time) while dripping wet is not an inviting proposition.

AND the wine was too delicious!

There was a bubble blowing lesson being conducted.. Look at the effort and strain Paul is showing - such a great teacher!

 Good teachers get all the smooches!

 Silly teachers (aka jasper) get the giggles and cheeks to smooch on!

So, Jasper had his optometry appointment today, just at a local optomotrist. His teacher said another teacher had noticed he favours his left eye over his right when reading, so this is where I started with getting it looked at.

The optician looked with a funky expensive machine, and it seems Jasper is long sighted.

The optician described it like this "if you are reading a book (or this blog post), your eye muscles are working at a 2.5 (for example), when Jasper is reading the same thing, his muscles are working at a 5 or more. His eyes will get fatigued really easily and it will be impacting his learning." LIGHTBULBS anyone??

He gave me a referral to an opthomologist at our hospital, and I will email that through to our haematologist and hopefully get some answers - and a quick appointment!!

The optometrist today said that Jasper will need glasses.

Jasper has been saying on and off that his eyes are fuzzy, but that always coincides with someone in his class getting glasses or having some eye issue, so I have disregarded his comments, thinking he wants to copycat... OOPS. Bad momma!

If this other teacher had not said something, I would not have really bothered with getting his eyes tested... I do feel bad, and need to take what he says more seriously... but then I hear about every papercut!

I guess we both need to learn what to share and listen to!

Ok, I am off to bed, 9pm on a Friday night... what a party animal!!!

thank for reading.

Brooke

As I know more about the eye situation, I will post it.

What Does Sick Look Like?

Well, in our house, we have 2 sick kids at the moment.

Jasper is still sniffling up a storm, and now has developed a sore ear, scabby blisters on his nose, and a temperature. He is just exhausted and miserable.
Funnily enough, I don't have a photo of what sick looks like when you are Jasper, because HE IS AT SCHOOL. Did you get that?
I told him to stay home today and rest, but he pitched a fit, and since his temp came down without more medication, I let him go.
What 8 year old boy would prefer to be at school than have the day at home??? I must be about the worst un-fun mum going!!
Well, that, and they had an excursion today (that would be boring as bat shit, but, I guess to an 8 year old kid, it's as exciting as Christmas!).

Sick, when you are Molly, looks like this...

I know, right??

Well, on Saturday she got a rash all over her torso, and face. She was also sleeping miserably, and waking up upset - which is not like her at all!
I had her to the doctors on Monday morning, and she tells me it looks like viral tonsilitis, so Nurofen (ibuprofen) and lots of liquids (because my eating machine is off her food).
I also needed to get a pee sample to rule out a UTI.
That in itself was a comedy of errors and epic failures!!! We managed to get a few drops, so I hope it's enough. We are back to the doctors for Molly on Thursday for a checkup.

As for my little man, we will just monitor. I emailed his heamatologist, and she said to give the over-the-counter meds a bit of time to see what happens. The blisters on his nose, the pharmacist tells me are from the nose drops drying out the nose so much that the tissues when he has been blowing have scratched and irritated. I would post a photo of them, but he wont let me take a snap, and it is pretty yuck.. just scabby on the nostril.. ew. hope you aren't trying to eat!!

Poor kid. I get so worried about him when he is sick, now I have 2 of them AT THE SAMER TIME!!!! Kids! Gotta love them!!

Ok, thanks for reading.

Brooke