His Window on the World.

I thought I might use my blog for a little public service announcement today.

Last summer our son Drew had his first eye exam per recommendation of the health department school screening system. What we learned is that he has deep Amblyopia in his left eye.

Amblyopia, also known as "lazy eye," has many causes. Most often it results from either a misalignment of a child's eyes, such as crossed eyes, or a difference in image quality between the two eyes (one eye focusing better than the other.)

In both cases, one eye becomes stronger, suppressing the image of the other eye. If this condition persists, the weaker eye may becomes useless.

This is precisely what was going on with Drew, and we were unaware. His eyes were not crossed, and he never complained of not being able to see anything because his right eye was seeing everything clearly. During the school screening, while covering his strong right eye, his left eye failed the simple testing. He was 5 years old at the time. Five years of decreasing vision in his left eye.

Can anything be done to treat amblyopia and prevent vision loss?

With early diagnosis and treatment, the sight in the "lazy eye" can be restored.

When should treatment for amblyopia begin?

The earlier the treatment, the better the opportunity to reverse the vision loss.

That is key. Early dianosis and treatment. Had we known in infancy or during Drew's toddler years that he had amblyopia, through eye patching we could have restored some of that lost vision. If you don't use it, you lose it. By patching the strong eye, the weaker eye is forced to be "used"

At his age the percentage of restored vision is significantly lowered. It makes me sad that NO ONE told us while our children were babies to have their eyes examined, and I imagine many of you were never advised as well.

I want to get the word out that there is a Public Health program which provides FREE eye exams to infants in the first year of life.
It is called InfantSEE

Please check into it if you have young ones at home. Especially if your child has a family history of vision problems, lazy eye, glasses. It can make such a difference on how your child will see the world for his entire lifetime.

you gotta love this guy...I do.

Yesterday was a busy day to say the least.   The kind of day that makes you forget things.   

Per normal on the first day of school, something slips through the cracks.   Yesterday I sent the boys to school with no beverage.  No water bottle, not even an artificially flavored box of juice!    You can about imagine the tongue- lashing I received after school from my precious sons!

After the day wound down and I was brushing my teeth,  I turned to Dan and asked,

"Did you already take a shower?"

Looking confused he said something like,

"Yes.  

Wait, did I?"

He couldn't remember if he did or not.

I then talked him step by step through the evening.  We still had no real evidence on his level of cleanliness.

What he said next was classic.   

"Well, there's only ONE way to find out."

If you know Dan,  you know how he solved the mystery.

Like I said, you gotta love this guy!

summer daze

Ah, to be a kid again and run around in concentric circles.

Goodbye summer 2008, school starteth tomorrow.

"Church. The way you remember it."

I actually read that nebulous description on a church sign while driving to a doctor's appointment this week.

"hmmmm." I thought.

Interesting tactic.

As I thought more and more about it (I had only the baby with me in the van, allowing me time with my own thoughts for once) My best guess is, by putting that on their church sign they intend to turn folks on to church by tugging at their nostalgia bone (I think it is one of the rib bones) ;) I thought of even more teasers they might put on their sign:

"Come to this church--you can return to the Sunday traditions you knew and loved.

"Fed up with new, modern church-ing? Join us today!!"

"Church, the old school way"

I won't deny putting that "Church. The way you remember it" will in fact attract some people. Some folks (myself included) have warm fuzzy memories of church and the traditions therein.
If one has left the church community, or worshiped elsewhere for a spell, they might find peace and rest in joining such a church in which they feel comfortable.

But...

what if you don't remember church?

what if you remember church as a place of judgement, exclusivity, and legalism?

If that is you, you might not feel at all attracted or invited to come to a Church. The way your remember it. Mission not accomplished.

This post is not meant to be a springboard for a debate on worship style, denominational ties, and tradition. I simply wanted to toss out the thought that if doing church the old way doesn't reach the lost, or the searching, or those hurt, is it really the best way to forge into the future?

Let me be clear. I love my church, I love the important traditions it holds dear, the way I remember it. I also love people. Jesus was about people, reaching them with sometimes untraditional means. I am ready to change some the "ways" of church to keep it alive!

I want my kids and those who may not yet know what church community is all about to be able look back someday and remember how they were touched by God and and His church in a real and eternal way. So they can say with joy "you know what I remember about God's church?"

Grace.
Love.
Acceptance.
Support.
Forgiveness.
Salvation.
Friendship.
Koinonia.

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...part two

Many good, some flattering, and other just plain odd guesses by my fellow bloggers.

Some of the following made me smile:
Professional Blogger? I'm positive I make too many grammatical errors, and could I really make $$ droning on about MiniVans and Macs?

Hair model? I have always thought of my hair as severely lacking...but that guess was closer.

Cheerleader? Come now, many of you have seen me dance. Too tall, white girl rhythm, anyone? I have one dance move, and it isn't smooth.

Mac Salesgirl/nerd? Well, I hate to say that I didn't start my love affair with all things Apple until about 2001 with my very first used iMac. Believe it or not, I very rarely used a computer until then.


If I had a "do over" in career pursuit I would have gone to cosmetology school and learned the ins and outs of cutting, waxing, curling, and styling! How invaluable this skill would be for me now as a mom at home, and as a woman who must always tweak my hair on a regular (some might say excessive) basis.

Simple really, but it is one of those I could just kick myself moments for not pursuing it back in '94.

Is it truly never too late??

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...

Tonight Dan asked me when exactly I see myself going back to work. A trick question for sure.

It was about this time a year ago I told Dan I was pregnant again. One of the reasons he was not as thrilled as I with the news was that another child would set me back a number of years from getting back into the working world full time, and contributing to our family's income.

I've been playing that game in my mind. You know, that one that says:

"IF YOU HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?"
It seems unproductive to think about such things, yet I wander there anyway. Who would not like a do over or two??

Specifically speaking about a career do over, I know what I should have done after high school, I wish I would have done it, and I really could not do anymore.

Can you guess what I woulda, shoulda, coulda done?

#300 and your weekly Don Johnson sighting.

300 posts already. Where has the time gone? Oh, right. It was wasted on 300 blog posts.
We decided to celebrate 80s style yet again.
Actually we were fortunate to attend another gnarlly 1980s par-tay last Friday. I think we are starting to get our money's worth out of the Miami Vice get up. Dan doesn't look quite as excited to be wearing it again. Poor guy. What's not to love about a pink shirt and a plastic badge?

Here's to 300 more blog posts, and many more occasions to celebrate!!

Family Fun.