Bat Family Pics

Alysa loved the Brown and Blue. She really loved the polka dots and the diamonds on the side!

Ady got pink and black... again. She loves how it looks like "lace" on the side.

Brylee loves the her heart glasses!

The Bat Family!

Yep. Apparently, our whole family is as blind as bats. Today, we all went to the eye doctor to get a check up. I knew Ady needed a new prescription (she has had glasses for about three years now). I knew that Alysa would need glasses eventually. She has one bad eye, but at her last examine two years ago, it wasn't bad enough to require glasses. Brylee has never had an eye examine. I haven't had new glasses in about five years. It was time.

We ALL needed new glasses.

I almost didn't get Brylee an eye exam because the receptionist started telling me that I should probably go to a pediatric eye doctor because she can't read all of her letters yet. I knew that would cost a lot more, so I told her that I would just wait until fall, when she was in Kindergarten and had learned the alphabet (she knows about 3/4 of them already), to bring her in. Then the eye doctor said, that they could give her some basic tests and if there was a reason for concern they could dilate her eyes and get an accurate prescription.

They showed her the pictures. She got about half of them. But the eye doctor said that some of the pictures are hard for kids so she wanted to try something different. She showed her a chart of the E's and had her point what direction they were facing. She got the first few rows right, with no problem. Then it got funny. She was trying to cheat but uncovering the other eye a little. She was squinting. She leaned forward. She moved around. Then she just started guessing. Scarlett (the little girl I babysit) could even see that she was struggling, and was trying to secretly trying to give her the answers - which was pretty funny since the eye doctor and I were sitting closer to Scarlett than Brylee was and could see her trying to give Bry the answers. So, yep, she needed glasses. Turns out, she has worse eyes than Ady and Alysa.

Alysa, was borderline - but we decided to go ahead and get the glasses because her eyes are only getting worse.

Ady needed new glasses anyway, since her last ones broke. It was a manufacturers defect, which they were replacing for free - but only the same frames (which still had the defect and kept breaking). I was getting really sick of going in to replace them every couple of months. But her prescription had only changed slightly.

Mine, were surprisingly good. As a teenager my eyes changed so fast, that every year there was a definite difference. I probably could have gone in every few months and had a new prescription. Now that I am older they have slowed down. But there was still a slight difference... so new glasses for me too. I would love to wear contacts, but I can't. My eyes are to dry and it irritates them - especially here in Vegas. I hate glasses, but I wear them while driving - although the eye doctor insists that I NEED to wear them all the time.

So... I'll bet you can all guess where our tax refund went to. That was one expensive trip to the eye doctor!!!

When we picked the glasses up (we got the one hour service), Brylee was so funny. She kept looking around at everything. Then she said, "mom, did you know there are little holes in the ceiling?!? She was talking about the ceiling tiles. I about died laughing. On the way home, she just stared out the windows and pointed out everything. Poor girl!!! She had no idea what she was missing before!!!

To date - the only member of our family of eight who does not wear glasses is Michael. But I would be willing to bet that, that will change. Luckily, we reserved some of that tax refund to get the boys checked this summer. I KNOW that Austin and Taylor will need glasses. And maybe Michael too.

And that, is the story of the bat family.

April Fools!!!

On March 31, at about 7pm I decided that I needed to pull a really good joke this year! Thanks to a few good friends, I came up with a plan to fake a pregnancy. I even got my hands on a positive pregnancy test, thanks to my friend Kris!

Kris brought over the pregnancy test the morning of April 1st. By this time, I was feeling really ready to back out. I was sure that he would kill me, and then find a way to get even. But, Patricia and Kris both reminded me that there is nothing he could ever do to top this... and I went forward with it.

I took a pic of the pregnancy test with my cell phone and sent it to Brian along with the message, "Congratulation! You are daddy to baby #7." As I expected, Brian called right away. I chose to pull the prank over the phone, because there was now way I would be able to pull it off in person, without laughing. Patricia and Kris were both sitting there watching me while I was on the phone, so I still found it difficult to be convincing. He asked if the test was real. I said, "Yes. It's real. And I would really rather wait to discuss it when you get home, because I am still really upset." And I hung up.

Yep. I got him good! He was completely convinced.

I let him know a few hours later - after he had already called several of our friends - that it wasn't true. When he called everyone back to tell them it was a joke, they all laughed. Everyone has let me know, what a good joke it was!

However, I am NOT looking forward to next April Fools Day. I KNOW that he is going to find some way to get me back. I will just have to stay a step ahead of him!!!

Adventures in the ER

In March, we hit a milestone - two years in Vegas! And with that, we hit an even bigger milestone: two years since any of the girls have been to the doctor for anything other than a routine checkup. No injuries, and no illnesses. I celebrated quietly, in my head, because I really didn't want to tempt fate.

Well, it happened anyway.

We spend Wednesday night in the ER. I am sure you can all guess who the patient was. Alysa... of course. That girl has been in the ER more times than all 5 of the other kids... combined. Since she has been born, she has been in the ER for twice for concussions, four times for dislocating her elbow (the doctor finally taught me how to put it back in so that I would stop coming to the ER), one time for stitches in the head, once for sticking a bead up her nose, and once for a broken arm. One of the two times that Brylee has been in the ER I also attribute to Alysa. She fed Brylee a gigantic, plastic, toy ring when she was about 7 months old.

So this time she landed in the ER for a dog bite. Our wonderful, fabulous, neighbors (that was extremely sarcastic) who are unemployed, and sell prescription drugs for a living, decided that it would be a great idea to take on the responsibility of two pit bulls - even though they aren't even responsible for their four kids. Well, it only took about three weeks until one of them decided to attack - and unfortunately my little girl was the victim.

I took one look at the bite, and knew that it wouldn't need stitches. They were puncture wounds, so there really wasn't anything to stitch. But a few of them were really deep, and I know that those dogs are not licensed or had any shots, so we headed to the ER.

Our first experience with Vegas doctors was great! The hospital staff was very nice, and we got in very quickly. They basically just cleaned up the the bite area, and gave her two prescriptions - an oral antibiotic and a topical one. She also has to keep it wrapped up for about the next week, because the bite was pretty deep and there is a high risk for infection.

I took a couple of pictures of the bite this morning, while I was changing her bandaging. It is healing really well - much faster than I expected. The pictures don't really do it justice. Two days ago, it was gut wrenching.

The thing that really upsets me, is that they have been avoiding us like the plague. They haven't stopped by or called to see how she was doing. When Brian went to their door, as we were getting ready to go to the hospital, the kids answered and said they, "didn't know where their parents were". It really makes me mad. I have a dog. If it were to bite someone, I would want to know what happened, and how the person he bit was doing. I would want to be responsible and make sure that the problem was taken care of, with no hard feelings. Apparently, not everyone thinks like I do.

Anyway, whenever you go to the doctor or hospital for a dog bite they have to report it to animal control. The dog has to be quarantined for ten days for testing and observation. Unemployment is not a very lucrative career, and those fines and boarding fees add up fast. So I am sure that the dogs will never come home.

Happy Birthday Michael and Alysa!

On March 13th Michael turned 11 years old! We had been asking him for weeks what he wanted for his birthday. True to form, he asked for the most expensive things he could think of, like, a Motorcycle and a go-kart. The least expensive item on the list was a punching bag and speed bag. Luckily, Brian found a great deal on a punching bag (and it came with 2 free speed balls!). Michael was so excited!!!

Alysa turned 8 on March 28th. She was dead set on getting a golf set for her birthday. We found her the cutest pink and black set. She was a super happy girl! Brian took her out golfing the morning of her birthday! She was so excited that it was going to be just the two of them! Brian even let her drive the golf cart. She was thrilled! And she only wrecked it once.

I don't have any pics of Michael. I got the camera out to take some, and of course the battery went dead.