"I Spent A Day Out With Thomas!"

Just a quick update...I started school on the 11th and have been totally busy since then. I guess school was a little bit easier since I didn't have three kids going "Mom, here your book mom...you need your book?" Anyways...we spent this past weekend visiting a "very close friend" of the family. Some of you may recognize him...as....

THOMAS THE TRAIN!!!

There was a huge group of us that went. My Aunt and Uncle went with us along with my cousin and her husband and two kids and my parents. We had a blast! So, here's some cute pics of the kiddos.

The tents that they set up were red so the pictures that I got were kinda red crazy looking! But here's the kiddos in this pretend train that they had set up.

In the same building, they had a large model railroad set up and the middle train going around was Thomas.

Next, we walked over to where they were loading the trains. The sky looked gross and stormy and there was lightening in the distance. We were sure that we were going to get hit with the rain. When Thomas came around the bend, the boys faces lit up and they started smiling so big!

Rick and Brenden

Landon sitting on dads shoulders watching Thomas come around the corner with all the other kids.Brenden showing off his "A Day Out With Thomas" Tickets

12 Tickets for a Day Out With Thomas: $250.00
Gas to get to Cuyahoga Falls to see Thomas: $20.00
The smile on Brendens face when he saw Thomas coming around the corner: Priceless

My dad holding Peyton on his shoulders to see Thomas b/c he had done it to Landon and Peyton wanted to do what his brothers did.Rick and Brenden ~ Landon and I
My cousin Mere and Dere and their kiddos
The boys Standing infront of Thomas the train. Let me tell you how hard it was to get the kids to look at the camera. They were too interested in Thomas!
Before we left, we let the kids stand by the tracks. They were amazed at how big they were - they always point out "railroad tracks" when we're driving.
Anyways, that's about it for now. I have tons of other cute pics to post but no time right now. So...see ya!

Good News!!!!!!

So...i just wanted to update everyone on the Cleveland Appointment that we had with Landon yesterday. We went to see Dr. Traboulsi (a Pediatric Strabismus Doctor) and discussed with him if the patch that Landon has been wearing has helped any. ***A little background: Since Landon was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma, his had always been a little bit worse than Brendens. When Dr. Singh found the tumors in their eyes, Landons was much Larger than Brendens in his right eye and 2 days later, he became the youngest baby to have a radiation plaque inserted to treat the fast growing tumor. This meant that they measured the tumor and made a plaque of radioactive material which kills the tumor and placed it behind his eye on the tumor. To do this, they had to cut the muscle on the side of his eye to get it in there. They did this once to each eye to get the tumors under control and gone. Since the muscle was cut, Landons eyes turn and also, because of the placement of that first large tumor, Landons vision in his right eye was BAD. His vision in this eye was 20/200 at our last checkup. Our main goal in this is to get the vision in his bad eye pretty much equal to his good eye (20/30) and then do surgery to turn his eye back (tighten the muscle back up). Well, The good news that we found out yesterday after doing 4 months of patching his eye: Landons vision in his right eye is now 20/ 80. That's awesome. That means that with a little more patching, we'll be able to have the surgery done! He asked us to patch his eye for another 4 months and hopefully, it will make the vision better! Oh I am just so excited about this - I had started to think that this is just how he's going to be and that nothing really would make it better. I cant wait!

I also have more great news! A few months ago, we met with the Speech Pathologist at Louisville Schools concerning Brenden and Landons speech. She was impressed but it was through Help Me Grow and I was a little concerned when we had started the program b/c they weren't exactly talking, just pointing and grunting. (What was I thinking???? Now they talk all the time?!) Anyways, by the time they got to see them, the boys had come leaps and bounds with their speech and were in no need of speech therapy. So, the Speech Pathologist that we talked to was so impressed with how much the boys know and how well they do with their Alphabet and Numbers and their other skills that she asked if we would like to place them into the Louisville Preschool Program. Normally, kids are only placed into this program when they need Early Intervention and help with certian skills. In Brenden and Landons case, could be in the program to help out the other kids since according to testing by the school, they're ahead in alot of areas. She said that alot of her preschoolers dont even know what these boys know. Then, she tols us that if we wanted the boys in the preschool through Louisville Schools, that we could be put on a waiting list and maybe they would have an opening and we'd be able to get htem in. She said in most cases, they dont get two openings together and it may not happen until next year some time. They did want to see them at Preschool screening this fall though just to know how far they've come. Well, yesterday I got a call from Caller ID: Louisville Pub (I'm thinking who's calling me from a pub and where is there a Pub in Louisville...... Well, it was Louisville Public Schools and they have two spaces open and they want Brenden and Landon!!! So starting in August, the boys get to go to Preschool! They are more than excited that they get to go to school "like the big kids..." and they're not the happiest that they dont get to ride a bus but mommy has to take them. I think we'll get past that last part but lets hope that they keep loving school and wanting to go. So...that's my good news!