The eyes don't have it...

The ability to straighten completely on their own, that is. The verdict is surgery, and the sooner the better. It's a long drawn out explanation that basically comes down to "if you don't use it you lose it." Basically she's not using her right eye when she doesn't have her left eye patched, and she'll continue to lose sight in it unless the muscles are snipped and basically rearranged. It's a whole deal with too tight and too loose muscles and lack of a change in her refraction. See, you don't really want the whole explanation, right?

The good news is that the patching has restored some of the vision in her right eye, so there is hope that after the surgery, her vision could return to perfect since she's so young.

So, we will be undergoing surgery as soon as I hear back from the pediatrician with her recommendation. Maybe as soon as Christmas. I'll keep everyone updated.

On a side note, we will not be going to New Orleans this year for the National Championship game and I could not be more crushed. But circumstances have arisen that make it impossible and irresponsible. It sucks being a responsible adult. I don't get how people who make way less than we do can afford to go, but maybe some of these people are like some of my husband's family, who choose to forego paying their bills so they can buy a Playstation or something.

Oh well, Let's go Eers!

Can I get a "Let's Go....Mountaineers!"

Ok, I'm going against my word (again) and this post is completely Twinkie-less.

There are few things I love with an unbridled, sometimes unreasonable passion. One of those is WVU. I love Morgantown, and would totally live there if I could convince my parents and MIL to move. The sounds of the Pride of WV (the band) bring chills to my body and tears to my eyes. I used a version of Simple Gifts and Country Roads in my wedding processional. Blue is my favorite color. I do not miss games, and I don't answer the phone during games, so don't even call. I watch Sportscenter for a glimpse of what they're saying about my team. There are few things I want more in life than a WVU national championship.

I was crushed by the USF loss, but we have righted the ship, and all of the pieces are in place for a run to New Orleans. It's meant to be.

There are certain things you can't explain. You're either born with it or you develop it over time. One of those things is a love for WVU. I was born with it, it was hereditary in my case. I'm passing it on to my kids. It's a fire that burns in your belly, a feeling that envelops your soul.

I love my team and I believe. I truly believe. I don't care what "they" say about the Big East. I don't care if people say we don't belong. All we have to do is win and nothing else matters.

LET'S GO...MOUNTAINEERS!

It's turkey turkey time, you Butterball you blow my mind, it's TURKEY.

Ok, you totally won't get the title unless you've heard that song, but the song is hilarious. Here's the link. Scroll to the Turkey Time song and click on it...

Since I haven't done an I wonder in a while, here ya go...

I wonder...

-why they are STILL cutting the grass like twice a week at the Capitol. Hello, it's not growing any more. Is it just job security?

-why I end up doing ALL of the real work for Thanksgiving while others volunteer to bring a pie. Argh. I will exact my revenge next year.

-how my mother has no idea to cook a turkey and she's 54 years old. I think she's totally faking.

-how Emma has some weird 6th sense about me throwing something of hers in the garbage.

-how I am going to deal with work, doctors appointments, house stuff and Christmas decorating and shopping next week while Michael is away at trial for a week and a half.

-how in the world I have three, yes, THREE Christmas parties (with multiple gifts) that I have to attend the first week of December (Monday, Tuesday and Friday).

-how Emma knows the actual names of the toys she sees in the Walmart catalog. Can she read and she's just holding out on me?

-how Ethan can get his clothes off so fast sometimes when he wants to run around being "Nakey Baby."

-how boys automatically learn to play with their peepee.

-if the football gods will grant my wish for a National Championship

-if Pat White will marry me

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may all of the calories be blocked from your thighs!

It's not too early if the tree's lit, right?

So, the State Capitol has officially lit its tree, which to me means I'm NOT too early to publish Christmas pictures. Right? Well, it was justified in my mind. Anywho, Sears called prior to our appointment to confirm and to get all the relevant information, as in the kids' ages, any particular backgrounds, etc. They informed me that we could do a clothing change, and she mentioned pajamas. So my wheels started turning, as I had seen some SUPER cute Christmas pajamas at Kohl's but couldn't justify them since the kids' last year pjs still fit. But for pictures, I could justify. So we bought new ones, and I think they turned out great!

The photographer lady has taken my kids' pics about 5 times, starting at the age of 4 months, so she sort of remembers us every time. She is great at going with the flow, as this series of pics shows, since she initially wanted the kids to pose with the cookies and milk, but that wasn't happening. So she just started clicking, and the results are super cute.

Excitement over the props, which are of course fake.

Just making sure the milk isn't real...Doesn't Ethan look like he's going, wait a minute! That boy LOVES his milk. And Emma looks guilty here.
Making sure the cookies are fake too. They were glued to the plate, and just after this shot, she actually LAID in the floor to try to bite a piece off. I swear we don't starve her, and it was 8 am for pity's sake!
Love this one, sweet and innocent.
She actually obeyed the instruction to hold the bear by its arm! I think this was to slightly differentiate from Ethan's pic with the hugging.
So, on a random note, is anyone else's kid becoming super materialistic? I hate commercials, and now the kids (especially Emma) have started asking for EVERY toy she sees: "I want dose mommy" or "I want ALL of dose." Thankfully she forgets most of it in 3 minutes. Except she wants a bigger play kitchen, cause hers is "too small to cook everything." Oh, honey, don't we all?

Is it too early for Christmas? Too bad!

Good morning, glories! Well, I had a whole plan for post #100, but it was pictureless, so I figured ya'll would want to see the new pictures from our Christmas session. Pretend it's not pre-Thanksgiving here. Here are some of the more formal Christmas pictures. Big props to Sears again.


This is one of my favorites, reading the Night Before Christmas.

More tomorrow!

number 99 and nothing to show

Well, this is post #99! So I've had 99 posts full of pretty much nothing, and this is no different. Random thoughts for the afternoon...

-having kids with the sniffles really stinks, especially when they can't sleep and therefore you can't sleep

-Emma is fully potty trained, and Ethan is getting there, although the thought that *most* boys are harder is ever so true for us. I did have to pull ahead in the Dairy Queen line last night as Emma was about to pee her pants, but in her defense, we did wait 20 minutes in that line. The pumpkin pie blizzard was so worth it though. And she held it and we made it inside.

-why is it so hard for me to let go of the Pullups? We've started venturing out in undies, and we always wear them at home, except at night. But when we do our weekend marathon errands, I just cannot let go of the pullups. They rarely even pee in them, but we're just in the car so much I still cling to them...

-I have officially completed more tutus. I'm working on one that's a gift for someone else's daughter, in her favorite colors of pink and yellow. Well, as favorite as a 13 month old has I guess.

-I get 10 days of vacation from Thanksgiving til New Year's, but the true holidays don't subtract from those days! I'm SOOO excited! I'm taking a random day in November for Emma's next eye appointment and some other errands, and then the whole week before Christmas, the week after that, and then til New Years Day. It will be like being back in college, or being a teacher I guess!

-Why is it so hard to decide what to put on the kids for Christmas pictures? I have to get on that.

Ok, off for the day. I have a long weekend too; ah, the virtues of state employment.

Random Picture Post

So, I decided to do a random picture post today. But first, I have to tell a funny story.

Last night, we had stir fry with chicken for dinner, and brown rice. Side note- way to go Mommy on healthy dinner *pats self on back* So the kids are eating at their little table, but they have get-up-itis, and I keep telling them, sit there and eat, we don’t run around while eating. A few minutes later, I’m absorbed in Dr. Phil (ok, not such a good Mommy thing) and I start hearing this weird noise of something moving across the hardwood. Finally, I got my lazy butt off the couch and ripped myself away from the latest Dr. Phil drama, and see that they’ve spilled rice all over the floor and are trying to clean it up with their play vacuums! It was so funny I couldn’t even be mad. Unfortunately I had no idea where my camera was, and since they were walking through the rice and spreading it, I had to clean up the mess quickly.

So here are some pics I like. Sorry for the glare on Emma's glasses but everything I read was really complicated on how to fix it, as in cloning the non-glare eye and then pasting it perfectly over the other, so I was like, ok, I'll live with it.

This pic is true Emma, she's a giggle box.
Emma with her sweet smile.
Ethan's sweet smile.
Love this one. It shows his baby blues.
Ethan and Emma under their "tent" in the living room.

Have a great weekend!