Okay. So there are a lot of trials and tribulations to raising young children. The energy requirements alone are enough to make you faint. I still am lobbying the government for Sundays off from motherhood. Oh, and I would love some monetary compensation to call my own.
Besides these obvious pitfalls, there is a fantasic upside.
My boys are still at the age where spending time with me is almost as awesome as the impending summer release of Transformers 3.
Full Speed beams during our regular Thursday lunch on St. Patrick's Day.
I’ll take the good with the bad and spend as much time with these guys as I can while they still let me.
Life hands you challenges sometimes. When you are faced with these, it is often difficult to understand why.
I have two young boys that were born with a rare genetic eye disorder called ectopia lentis.
I don’t know exactly why this happened.
All I do know is that it has put us on a path in life that is beyond anything we expected. We have been connected to amazing people we never would have met otherwise. We have had to test our mettle over and over each time victorious in the knowledge that as a family, we can overcome any obstacle.
So, I may not know exactly why vision challenges came into our lives. At least now I’ve had time and growth to realize some of the amazing lessons that have gone along with it.
If we can do this, we can do anything.
Think about any challenge you have lived through or are living with right now. If you can do that, you can do anything, too.
The sky’s the limit.
This is a pic of the boys being introduced by the director at the Vision is Priceless annual fundraiser. We are very thankful to this organization for all they do. Check out their link in my blog roll.
I had my annual eye exam yesterday. I figured if I volunteer for Vision is Priceless and I expect my boys to go through all the machinations of maintaining their vision and eye health, then I should be first in line at to get my own eyes tested. It was painless, quick and I finally ordered a pair of prescription sunglasses. Trust me, daily driving in the Floridian sun demands dark shades.
During the appointment I felt disproportionately anxious and emotional to what was actually happening. Here is why:
1. I was awake. Folks, that’s pretty much all it takes for me to feel disproportionately anxious and emotional.
2. Having to go through some of the necessary and slightly uncomfortable steps of my eye exam, like the pressure check with puffs of air and dilation drops, made me sad that my boys have had to do so much of this stuff at such an early age. I don’t like having to stand by and watch them cry as they get dilation drops or the doc struggles to keep them still to get a photograph of the inside of their eyes.
The woman that had walked me through the first steps of testing leading up to my actual exam asked me if it was all going alright. I confessed that I was thinking of my boys and their eye history. Since they are very well known at the optometrist, she understood my meaning.
She said that actually I’m quite lucky that my boys have been to exposed so much to doctors. She said she has fifteen year olds that refuse some parts of the eye testing because they are scared, defiant and/or crying.
So, my concern will no longer be feeling bad about their familiarity with all things medical and optical. I will be thankful they are learning to respect doctors and any tests that are required of them. My real concern is that soon, T.Puzzle and Full Speed will attempt to usurp the testers and run the show, equipment and the eye testing all on their own.
It’s a fine line for sure.
vision has never held these boys back, not one minute, not one second. We are very fortunate.
1. Champagne mojitos are still the way to go. Trust me, I tried every variety known to man such as frozen, straight up, fruit flavored and what have you. The golden (and delicious!) standard of the original Royal Carribean champagne mojito cannot be beat.
our first day aboard with Mad Dog's parents. They thankfully enjoy champagne mojitos as much as we do!
2. Getting your hair braided in Coco Cay, Bahamas is just as much fun today as having it done in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico when Mad Dog and I got engaged eight years ago.
3. When you are a Mom who rarely gets time away from her kids, something as simple as walking down a street with no Hotwheels, animal crackers or wipes in your purse, or better yet, absolutely no purse at all, is extremely liberating. It almost feels like your are breaking the natural laws of the world and it feels fantastic.
4. Sometimes, after a few hours have slipped by, you may find that you kinda of sorta miss the kids you left at home. This twingey guilt can be quickly remedied with another round of champagne mojitos (see Lesson 1).
5. This vacation helped solidify exactly how much Mad Dog must love me. He willingly posed for so many pictures, it is possible we may have set a ship record. For a man who greatly dislikes being photographed, he obviously loves the woman he is posing with. Thank you, Mad Dog!
one of the several posed shots taken by the ship's photographers
6. This cruise was the best I have ever experienced. I have several theories as to why this is. The most likely being that if you have achieved a level of happiness and acceptance in the life that you are leaving behind for a few days, it only multiplies in a setting of rest and relaxation. And this time, I was more content than ever to return home and continue my adventures of motherhood.
It’s good to be home and even better to hug my boys.
It’s that time of year again. Mad Dog and I are setting off on our annual cruise. It’s amazing how much more patience you have for your children and laundry when you know in a few days you will be sailing across the ocean. Oh, and like I told my good friend, the prospect of unlimited champagne mojitos helps, too!
I will return next week and I’m sure I will have some stories to share. Thanks for reading my little blog. I appreciate it.
Bon Voyage!
On South Beach in Miami where our first cruise launched.
