Jones

Today Jonah went to the doctor to have his ears checked. He seems to be having difficulty hearing so I decided to get it checked out. I totally didn't expect it, but he has an ear infection in his right ear. I asked him if it hurts and he said no. Hmmm... odd that. Anyway, he also has a good amount of wax built up in his left ear. He is on antibiotics and some anti wax drops and he's going back in a month to be evaluated. If I still feel like he's having trouble hearing they are going to do a hearing test. I'm praying that once his infection and the wax are gone that he will be good as new. His constant "Huh? What? What Mom?.... I can't heeeaaarrrr you." is getting old.

On a brighter note, Monday was a day of celebration at our house. Jones made a major life decision, all on his own, in true big boy fashion. We were having a casual conversation about whatever was on his mind and he told me his teeth were getting bigger. It's true, he made me look at them at least a dozen times and they are definately bigger, although they are not bigger then a breadbox, which is good. I mentioned that his big teeth were the reason a lot of his suckers (pacifiers) were breaking. He used the Soothie kind that hospitals give babies when they are born. They are the complete opposite of orthodontically friendly. His teeth are pretty messed up from them, but when we tried to take them away a few months ago he fell in to a dark depression. He quit sleeping and eating and he wanted to wear black all the time. We caved and gave them back to him. So on Monday, after our chat, I went to take a bath and he spent a good 30 minutes walking back and forth to the mirror. He would yank his lips out and examine his teeth, ask me if I thought they were bigger, back to the mirror to see them once again with his own eyes, then mumble to himself about his teeth being bigger. Finally he said, "I'm going to throw my suckers in the trash. Ok Mom?" I played it cool, like I didn't care either way. I didn't really think he would go through with it, but if he did I wanted it to be all his idea. Off he went and that was that. They are gone. He's talked about them a few times, but he's sleeping and eating and still dressing very fashionabley so I think he's going to be fine. I'm sure my "Let them suck a sucker until they decide they are done with it" technique won't win me any Mother of the Year awards, but it worked for us.

And how cute is this?? Jones drinking some Jones. LOL!

Emma's Birthday Photos

I know, Emma seems to be a theme for my blog these days. I have some big Jonah news but I'm saving it. He has a doctor's appointment for his (possible) hearing problem tomorrow so I'll just make him the topic of my next post and knock out all I have to share about him at once.
I had the opportunity to take Em to the park, and it was just the two of us. I wanted to try and get some pictures good enough to call her "Nine Year Pictures". I kind of wish we had been somewhere with decorative architecture, or even in a studio - but we weren't, so this is it. I took a bunch. Here are a few and there are even more on my flickr site.

Here she is throwing some "I'm nine" gang signs.

You'd of thought I asked her to balance upside down, blind-folded on a tight rope the way she acted when I told her how to pose for this one.

Serious Emma

Happy Emma

Wild Emma

Sweet Emma

Number 9, number 9, number 9.....

Yes indeed! Emma turned 9. We didn't have a big party because, well... quite frankly it was because the party theme she picked (glow in the dark) really stumped me. I could never figure out exactly how to do it and then before I knew it my time was up. I told her we would do a big blow out for her decade birthday next year.
She finally got Heeley's. She has been asking for them for so long but I put it off. They sort of freak me out, plus when I see kids out and about in them they are usually being inconsiderate so I just wasn't feeling the Heeley love. She also got a Wii, but it was kind of a group gift that we just happened to give the kids on her birthday.
We took the kids to IT'Z. Oh my goodness. I did not like that place. If I had a notepad I could have spent hours writing up safety violations. It was a mess! Everyone else loved it. There was a lot to do. They even have a tiny roller coaster and a spinning, make you vomit, my worst nightmare ride. Emma was all about that one!

That's two down, three to go as far as kid birthdays are concerned. Jaden's is next month and I haven't even thought about what we are going to do yet.....

Heeley Happiness.

Hannah and Jones on the "roller coaster"

He made a basket!

She's got her game face on. Look at that form!

The girls with the creepy psychic guy ::shiver::

Do you think she likes it??

Hair

Hannah put her hair up in a new do yesterday. I really liked it. I don't think it's appropriate for me though. I don't want to look like i'm trying to be 25 instead of 35 (yeah, I know... just humor me).
Lee has been trying to get me to go to have my hair cut by his 'guy' for a long time, probably about two years. I'm finally going next Saturday. I don't know what to tell them I want. I really have more of an idea what I don't want then what I do. I'm sure they are going to tell me that I need to chop it all off. For some reason hair stylist are long hair haters. I'm NOT getting a short hair cut. I don't really have a lot of options because my hair is straight and thin and in bad shape because I have a haircut phobia. I guess we'll see what happens. It's exciting stuff, exciting stuff indeed.

Emma's Talent Show

I went to the park today. It was SO hot. So very hot. Almost too hot. Complaining about the heat in Houston is so cliche, so I'm not going to go on and on about it.

The J's were not very cooperative with pictures, but they had on cute new outfit's and it was Tuesday so of course I have to share.

No matter how many times I try it, I always hate shooting in full sun. Not fun. I do however get bonus points for getting both boys in one picture, with both of them looking at the camera (see above photo) Even if Jonah has some funky expression on his face and Jaden looks about half a degree away from a heat stroke, it still counts!

My Shiner

Monday, while at lunch with some friends, Jaden whacked me on the side of my eye with a fork.

I wasn't mad. It was an accident... well, I think it was an accident. Everything is still a little foggy from the temporary amnesia.

It didn't really hurt but I felt a bump form almost instantly. Casually I turned to my pals and mentioned the mishap. There were audible gasps as there mouths fell open and they drew back in horror. "Is it that bad?" I asked. In boy scout like "be prepared" swiftness my friend Kelly whipped out a mirror. OK, so it was a sizable knot and had taken no time turning a wonderful shade of plum.

No big deal. I'm not proud. It was, after all, only temporary and shouldn't take too long to heal, right? Wrong. I swear the thing gets bigger everyday. I woke up today, four days after the incident, and i'm pretty sure it's quadrupled in size. My kids can't look at me without commenting "Your eye is getting worse."

Now i'm starting to wonder if it's ever going to stop growing. There is strong possibility that by the weekend my face will be one big bruise. I'll be driven in to seclusion by the pointing and whispering, my heart broken to know that the sight of my face sends small children running terrified in to the arms of their parents.

If it doesn't start to clear up soon I'm going to have a t-shirt made that says "No. I fell down." in hopes that it will prevent folks from asking the ever so humorous question "Oh, what happened? Did Lee hit you?" for the umpteenth time.

Jonah to the rescue...

Now this is a sweet boy.

He saw that the paper was in the driveway and it was raining so he grabbed his boots and an umbrella and said "The mail is in the rain! I'm going to go get it as fast as I can!"

And he did.

I just love his pink polka dot umbrella, green striped pj's and orange plaid boots. MWAH!

Rub-a-dub-dub

Two boys in a tub.