A New Challenge for Kyler......

So back in December I got a note in the mail from Kyler's school. It stated that Kyler had failed 2 hearing screenings back in October and that they were recommending we see a doctor to follow up. I really thought nothing of it at first. I mean I know he can hear! I thought he probably failed because he didn't want to take the test and therefore, didn't raise his hand when he was supposed to. I thought it was an attitude thing more than a hearing thing.

Kyler already sees a doctor every month because of his ADHD, so at his January appointment we told the doctor about the hearing screanings. He told us, that it was probably nothing. "If he is doing fine in school, then he can hear." Just what I had been thinking! But to be on the safe side, he referred us to an audiologist.

So last week I took Kyler in for his appointment. It did not take long before I knew something was wrong. I was sitting next to Kyler. He has the ear phones on and was supposed to raise his hand when he heard the whistle. I could hear the whistle and I didn't have the head sets on! But Kyler was just sitting there. Nothing!!! I just kept trying to send him mental telepathy "Raise your hand, Kyler!!! Raise it!!!" That didn't work.

So here is the deal. Kyler has moderate to severe hearing loss in his right ear. His left ear was pretty close to normal. So basically he can't hear anything (especially high frequency sounds) from his right side and has been compensating with his left ear. He needs a hearing aid.

How could we not have known this?!!! Kyler had spinal meningits when he was a baby and hearing loss is a very common side effect of the illness. But Kyler passed his inital screening and we never had him retested. We never noticed that he had a problem. I am definatly feeling a bit guilty. But also releived that Kyler will be getting some help and is not behind in school.

Right now we are waiting for the paperword to go through and then he will be seen at Phoenix Children's Hospital sometime in February. I will keep you posted.

Scott Sears, RN

It is official! Scott passed his nursing board exams and his license was issued today. He is a nurse!!!!! It has been a long and exhausting road. But I am so very proud of him!

Updates

Nothing photo worthy to show you today. Weird, I know.

I have been extra busy with classes. I have 15 credit hours this semester which is much tougher now that I have 4 kids than it was when I was 18! One of my classes is a photography class :) The class is actually a bit under my skill level. Some of the students in the class use their cell phones for their photo projects! But the class is required before you can take the more advanced classes, so I am sticking with it. The rest of my classes are online and have a ton of homework and busy work. Not fun!

Scott just took his NCLEX exam yesterday. It is the exam required to get your RN license. We don't know yet if he passed but should find out Monday. However, I really don't think he has any reason to worry. He finished the test in just 1 hour and the program kicked him off after 75 questions. I personally think that is a great sign! Scott also got work that he is being hired as an RN at Phoenix Children's Hospital. That is exactly what he wanted when he started nursing school, so he is very pleased and looking foward to starting the 6 week training program at the end of February.

The kids......well at the moment they are kinda bored and stir crazy! We have gotten more rain in this past week then we got all last year combined!!! And the wind was crazy! So our parks and backyard look like ponds. Today is the first sunny day in quite some time. So during the week we went to the movie theater, rented movies, played board games, went to preschool, dance, piano, and MOPS. But the kids so want to go outside and ride bikes! Soon!

Disney On Ice

On Friday, I took the girls to US Airways Center to see Disney on Ice! It was my first time seeing it! So fun! Of course the girls dressed up like princesses!!! We say Mickey and his friends, the characters from cars, Little Mermaid, Lion King, and Tinker Bell. I think the girls loved Tinker Bell the most. But Little Mermaid was a very close second! It was a great girl day!!!

Happy 6th Birthday, Kyler!!!

I cannot believe that my baby is already 6!!!! Slow down already!!!!
He had a fun day. He requested pancakes for breakfast and so of course that is what he got. I met him at school for lunch with a McDonald's happy meal. Then he had cupcakes with his class. After school, which was a half day, he spent a couple hours playing with Laynee and the dogs in the backyeard. When the twins got home from preschool, he opened his presents. He LOVED them!!! We had pasta casserole for dinner because he asked for it. And then we surprised him with a trip to Cold Stone for dessert. He was a very happy boy! On Saturday he is having a party and we have 52 people coming!!

Howdy Partner!

We had a fantastic family day on Saturday. It was a gorgeous 70 degrees. We took the kids to a cool park for a picnic lunch. Then we spent a couple hours at Rawhide. After that we went out for some ice cream and played with the kids in the backyard. The day ended with a steak bbq!! Perfect day! Here are some cute pics of the kids at Rawhide....

Out of this World!

For Christmas, we gave Kyler a new room!!! His room was decorated in a sports theme since he was about a year old. But Kyler doesn't like sports!!! So it really wasn't a room that showed his personality. Now he has an outer space bedroom! He has glow in the dark planets that hang from the the ceiling. He has outer space bedding and a rug. He has the coolest remote controlled moon! And a rocket alarm clock!!! It looks awesome at night. So here is a scrapbook layout about his new room....

Who Let the Dogs Out (Preschool version)

A little song the twins learned in preschool that made me laugh!

Zoo Day

We love to take the kids to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson. It is a nice small zoo that is easy for the young kids (and old parents) to walk. The animals are easy to see and the price is unbeatable!!! So I took the kids to the zoo last Monday and then we went again as a whole family this past Sunday. The first day- it was chilly and overcast. But on Sunday it was sunny and 70 degrees. It was the perfect day for the zoo and a picnic in the park! So here are just a few pics and at the bottom there is a really cute video that Scott put together!

Some Layouts for the scrapbook!

Can I brag a little???

I mean it is my blog. So a little bragging is acceptable, right?

Since October I have lost 21 pounds!!!! I have gone from a size 12 down to a size 5!!!!! (And my size 5 jeans, I can pull down without unbuttoning them!)

I may be the only person out there that lost 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's!

I have never been successful with a diet before so I am so proud of myself for having such will power. It is not easy to prepare a delicious meal for the family and then watch them eat it while having a salad for the millionth time!!! But it has been so worth it. I am loving my new size! Now it is time for some new clothes shopping!!!