Reese .. new and improved

About a month ago, I noticed that Reese was starting to cross her eyes a bit when she was staring at things. Luckily, this started as we were due for the girls eye exams. After seeing Dr. Bergman, we learned that she has a condition called Esotropia. Luckily, he said that her condition did not require the surgery that some kids need (surgey on eyeballs!! ICK!) but instead could be corrected with prescription glasses. Her eyes were crossing in order to focus images .. other than that, her vision is perfect. The glasses now do the focusing for her, so no more crossing.
Usually, the condition will get worse as the children age (up to the age of about 8) and they will need stronger prescriptions to help with that. After the worsening of the condition there will usually be a plateau, and then the eyes will kind of work themselves out and get better. Dr. Bergman said that, most likely, she'll be out of glasses by the age of 12 (Right at the time when girls typically get all catty and ruthless .. phew!)
After the Doc told me that she needed glasses, he kind of stared at me for a moment. Then he started talking a little slow. The whole .... "So ... we'll get her... a prescription ... and she'll wear ... glasses .... for a while ...."
oooooookay.
I told him I had (of course) already spent hours online scoping out hip glasses for kids. No coke bottle, Harry Potter glasses for my little fashion plate!
He laughed and said that he just wanted to make sure I unnderstood what he was saying because it has been his experience that when he says, "glasses", Mothers usually break down and sob.
Seriously?!
Glasses = sobbing?!
sheesh.
My girls were born at 29 weeks for crying out loud. We were warned of blindness, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, blah blah blah.
I'll take the glasses with a smile and a thank you.

I want to go hang out at the Thomas Eye Group and listen for the wailing misery of those moms ... then I'll walk in the room ... and smack them.

Anyhoo ... the glasses I was drooling over aren't available for little ones ... check these out!! I'm counting down the days until these will fit her.. click here! (will open in new window)

BUT, I found a pair that aren't too horrendous (not an easy feat for this age group) and we ordered them.
(sidenote ... $250.00 glasses for a 2 year old?! Seriously?! ouch)
Everyone kept saying how hard it was going to be to get her to wear them .. even Dr. Bergman said that it could be a hassle and to call him if we needed any advice on how to keep her in them.
Alas, she loves them. Well, maybe "love" is overstating it a bit. I suppose she tolerates, ignores .. seems rather apathetic about them. The second they were put on her, they stayed on her. Perhaps her sister's squeals of, "My glasses?? Where my glasses?? Glasses for me too??" made her feel a tad superior.
That first day, she had a meltdown when I took them OFF for naptime. Since then, she wears them happily and has only taken them off twice (both times they were fairly dirty, so a quick clean up job and she let me slide them back on)
David and I certainly miss her little face that we have grown accustomed to over the years .. and it's hard not being able to squish her face and smother her with kisses... and I'll be damned if I can get a picture of her without the sky reflecting in the lenses or a huge flash over her eyes. eesh.
We'll live.
In the meantime .. she can see .. has gorgeous straight eyes .. and has proven to be the exception to the "it's next to impossible to get a two year old to wear glasses" rule.
Without further ado ...

Parental supervision

Old pic .. but it makes me laugh. A while back my friend, Laraleigh, and I took the kiddos to Catch Air. They had just installed a new game in a corner which the kids didn't seem to notice until LL and I were into a conversation about who knows what.
Next thing you know .....



Maybe I need to start keeping a better eye on my kids.

Can someone fill me in on this?

These glasses were in the $1 bin at Target. I had to laugh because apparently the appropriate age for beer mug glasses is "8+". I mean .. beer glasses for kids UNDER 8 would just be innappropriate and ridiculous. OVER 8 .. well, you're golden.
So, here's my quandary..
Did they list the age at 8 because 8 year olds can tastefully pull off the beer mug look? Or is it only because they don't exactly fit toddlers?



Hmmmm ...

Autism walk 2008

On Saturday April 12th, some friends and I will be walking in the Georgia Walk for Autism. We are hoping to raise money for all families that have been touched by autism, but more personally, we will be walking for a very special little boy named Dylan (photo below). His mother, Elizabeth, is our team leader and wrote the letter below. We would appreciate any donations and if you could forward the letter to anyone you know who might be willing to help us reach our goal. We would love to have some of you join the team and walk with us!



Dear family and friends,

Again this year, we are proud to be a part of the Atlanta Walk for Autism. But for me, this is more than fundraising, this is life. This is hope. This is for my son, Dylan. If you don’t believe in miracles, let me tell you about the past year for us.

One year ago when Dylan was diagnosed with autism, he was completely non-verbal, couldn’t use a fork and barely played with his toys. Today, after a year of therapy, some diet intervention and lots of love, Dylan sings “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” He knows his colors, his ABCs and can say a six-word sentence. Change is possible.

The numbers are now staggering—1 in 150 children will be diagnosed with autism. But for every one of those numbers, there is a unique child with his or her own special gifts, a bright smile and a loving heart. Behind every number is a mom just like me who lives on the edge every day hoping for a miracle, an answer or a cure.

But we need to know more about the mysteries of autism. It is one of the least researched childhood developmental conditions. That’s why we’re asking for your help. Please support us in the 2008 Autism Walk. Help Autism Speaks and The Marcus Institute make change and miracles happen for more families like ours. We can do this together, and who knows what great things lie ahead for Dylan. Only time will tell so for now we’ll rejoice in his singing, his smile and his open heart.

Last year, our family walked in honor of Dylan and thanks to your generosity raised more than $2,000, This year we have 9 people on our team and have raised our team goal to $10,000. I believe we can do it. It’s easy to donate online, visit http://www.walknowforautism.org/site/c.puIWL9MQJpE/b.3623267/. You can search for our team name: Walking for Hope or my name, Elizabeth Schwartz. Please forward this on to anyone you know who might like to help us reach our goal.

Thank you from a very grateful mom,

Elizabeth


You know you can't resist this face!!!

Spreadin' the love ..

Happy Valentines Day!

We like a good mess around here ..

kaelin and reesey @ the aquarium

Vote for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Please go to the web site below and vote for Atlanta (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta) to get a new hospital playroom from Colgate.

It's an easy process and would benefit so many of our children that spend there time here at the hospital.

You can vote every day and the last day of voting is February 29
You can vote in the Vote Tally section

http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/CommunityPrograms/show-the-love.cvsp

Kaelin the comedian

Kaelin made up her first joke yesterday.

K: "Mommy ... what's there .. in my diaper?"

(of course .. this makes mommy very nervous!)

Me: "I don't know .. what's in your diaper?"

K: "Look .. There .. What's in my diaper??"
(she reaches her hands back into her jeans and looks confused)

Me: "Let me see ..."
(I look .. thankfully, I don't see anything gross)
"I don't see anything...."

K: "Mommmmyyyyy .. it's my BOOTIE in there!"



Nice one.

PSA to parents

I was looking up discipline strategies online the other night and one site had a question posted about two year old behavior. It hasn't left my mind b/c it illustrates what parents today seem to think is "appropriate" and why so many of our kids are being labeled and put on dangerous, powerful drugs.
I'm incensed.

Here's an excerpt ..
Question: "We're having discipline problems with our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. When she doesn't get what she wants she throws herself on the floor. She is a sweet, happy little girl as long as we don't tell her "No." I don't know what to do with her. I believe she is ADD/ADHD."

What?! A two year old doesn't like being told "no"?!?
Imagine that!
Goodness .. if that mom thinks that HER kid has issues she should come spend an hour with Kaelin! She's going through a phase of tantrums, hair pulling, pinching, snatching, and throwing. I wonder what labels would be thrown her way....
eesh.

Parents .. kids will be kids..
They are not always nice .. they are not always silent ........... they are not perfect.
They're just trying to find their way.
Let them experiment .. let them experience ..
Let them be KIDS for crying out loud!

FIO360

I'm beside myself.
The new FIO360 school will be opening in Atlantic Station this year. I would give my right arm ... well, maybe my left ... to get the girls into this school.
Of course, all that 'fabulousness' comes with a price. $1,605 per child, per month to be exact. Of course... there's the gratious 10% discount for siblings .. sure, THAT helps out. Ouch.

Where's Ed McMahon knocking on your door when you need him??

http://fio360.com/FIOAnnouncementRelease.pdf


(btw .. if any of our gratious readers would like to fund our little darlings for the next few years .. we're not too proud.....
Just sayin')

The girls seem to understand the concept of genetics ....

.. and it worries them.

You may remember the photo below from last year ..



Well, it seems that Reese has the same concerns that Kaelin did. She was watching a show today and I caught her "stuffing" ...

Maybe no one will notice ....


busted... poor thing looks so defeated. I have a feeling that's a face I'll be seeing again in high school. Sorry kid.

sissy love

Autism Speaks

The band, Five for Fighting, will donate $0.40 to Autism Speaks for each time this video is viewed.
The funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure.
Please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family.

http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214

Kaelin ... Dragon Slayer

Yesterday the girls and I took a trip to TRU to return a Christmas gift that had a missing piece.
As we were walking down an aisle Kaelin screamed, "Princess!" I had to stop and try and figure out what the heck she was talking about. Finally realized that she was pointing to a sword.

huh???

It took me a second to come to the realization that my little girly girl who loooves to dress up and act like a Princess wanted to be ..

..a KICK ASS Princess.

I handed her the sword and she said, "Yeaaahhhh .. Princess" and then held the sword up high.

Damn straight girl.

MY Princess fights her own battles... slays her own dragons... and rescues herself.
Heck, maybe she'll even rescue a Prince or two along the way.
God I love her.

Kaelin


Kaelin


Reesey at the park


Reese's inevitable Christmas morning meltdown

new photos

Visit to see Santa

My favorite Christmas video

Kind of tradition to watch it relentlessly during the holidays. The girls giggled at it too .. although it will be a while before they get it.

Without further adieu ..



Merry Christmas!

Got the tree this weekend!

We have had an artificial tree up on the upstairs landing for a while now .. ya know, one for all of the girls' handmade ornaments and character stuff. This weekend we cut down the tree that will go in the living room. The girls had a blast and are sooo excited to have it up and decorated. Amazingly enough, they haven't touched one ornament. Good thing because most of the ones on there are glass. They just stand and stare it .. little "wow"s whispered here and there. Love it.

Reese playing in the cotton field on the way to find our tree


Kaelin decided we needed some Christmas rocks ..

When the tree finally came down, the girls were a tad nervous. Reesey kept saying "uh oh!" in a shaky little voice. We were close to a melt down but as soon as we told them we were taking the tree to the house they got excited again


Reese cuddled up with the farm dog, Daisy


Pulling the tree to the car

Mommy and Reesey

First day at the beach we were in shorts and t-shirts .... Second day at the beach and we were in coats, hats, and mittens! Crazy.

A little late ..

Kaelin's first glimpse of the ocean ... (Thanksgiving @ Wrightsville Beach)

Running excitedly towards the waves!


Taking a moment to think it all over


and finally wondering what the big deal is ...



Sheesh. Already jaded at two years old.

What Kaelin thinks of Australia

In response to the recent news story.........
{excerpt}
"SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.

Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute."


Puh-lease. This is what we have to say about that ......
Here's hoping for many offended Australians.

Reese has a suggestion for Christmas.....

"charge it"

Sheesh.

After a long day taking care of every whim of two year old twins .. what do I get? That's right .. I get this look ....



Suddenly I get the statement that every mother makes eventually
"Just wait until you have kids Missy."

I can't wait to be a Grandma ...

Mommy's makeup is fun

comet 17P/Holmes

In case anyone is a star dork like me ...
The map below shows where the comet can be found. (Just to the left of Perseus)

I should know better ...

What happens when you ask a two year old what she wants to wear in the morning?
You get a outfit consisting of red rain boots, a tutu, rock and roll shirt, princess necklace and earrings.
Yes, we did all of our errands today with her in the get-up.
Truth be told ... I think she looked fabulous.

If only she had thought of this before school picture day... I'm kicking myself for missing that opportunity.

The latest

I had the Holiday Showcase Craft Fair on Friday and Saturday. After all was said and done, the two things it was really good for was to give me a deadline to get all of my samples done for my website, and also to show me how the whole vendors fair thing works.

The collection of vendors there were very different from me. Their stuff was obviously aimed at a completely different market than mine. While most of my pieces are in the $65 range, their stuff was selling for MUCH cheaper. I told my mom that I felt like the Ritz Carlton in a sea of Super 8 Motels. Ha!

There was a vendor directly across from me selling decorative accessories for children as well. She had frames and wall plaques that were painted a solid color and then decorated with stickers ..... stickers! She sold a lot of stuff because the prices were so cheap and because she had items that could be bought and taken right then. All of my stuff was was for orders only. Kind of painful to watch tacky wall hangings decorated with fifty cent stickers flying off the shelves while I'm sitting with pieces that took hours to think through and complete. Ouch.
I did get two new ideas from looking at her stuff though .. of course, I will be doing them more upscale (does that sound snooty?) but good ideas nonetheless.

I did get a number people who wanted to talk further about doing some custom pieces, so that's good. Also, a lot of my flyers went home with shoppers, so at least my name is getting out there. In the next two weeks the website should be completed and online. Now I have to figure out ways of advertising that won't cost me an arm and a leg!
I plan on taking my flyers to different locations and will look into the cost of advertising in some of the local parenting magazines. I will also send my site to some of the more well known baby blogs that get a lot of traffic and will see if they are interested in reviewing my stuff.

I'm happy with the way that my product line has turned out and am so thankful that the hard part is over and done! Finally .. samples!
My friend, Laraleigh will take the photos for the site and David will get it up and running within the next two weeks.

Two friends showcased their stuff there as well. Definitely check out their sites .. they are wonderful!

My friend Stephanie makes THE most adorable pillowcase dresses, the girls are proud owners of three of them already. Im sure that there will be many future purchases as well. When the girls wear them we get so many compliments on how adorable they look! (and she has some pretty cute models on her website too! shameless..)
If you have a little girl .. or know someone who does .. these are a MUST! Her prices are phenominal too .. these dresses sell for MUCH more in the Buckhead boutiques!
Get shopping!

http://www.bellagraceboutique.net/

Laraleigh is a professional photographer who can do anything and everything you need. She is based here, but has traveled all over to do shoots for weddings.
She is amazing with kids too. She can get the girls to behave and pose for the camera a lot better than anyone else we have ever worked with. Definitely better than Momma! She will create books, make prints, or put photos on chipboard in arrangements that are artistic and breathtaking. Brilliant! Another great thing about her services is that you can get all of your shots on cd so that you can decide what to do with them as far as printing. That's huge considering that most photographers retain your negatives in order to charge you an arm and a leg for prints in the future.

http://www.theellestudio.com/

Before I go....

A little procrastination never hurt anyone ..
A few pics from the girls last Music Class this morning.

Reese gets down on a drum


Kaelin dancing along to one of the songs


I thought the girls learned a lot in their class .. until I noticed that in the pic they are playing their drum upside down. Oh well.