Trick-or-Treat

Lauren spent most of the day at her school practicing for Trick-or-Treating. The teacher would go in to the bathroom and shut the door. The the kids would come up to the door with a bag that they made and say, "Knock, Knock...open door...trick-or-treat!" They eventually made it all the way to the kindergarten classes and practiced some more. By the time she came home, she had a bag full of delicious candy. The good stuff, too.

So when it was time for the real deal, Lauren was a pro. We stayed around our neighborhood and went to a dozen or so houses close by. I have never seen a kid have so much fun. And yes, I did her hair. I am about to quit my day job and enter into the cosmetology field.

Phenomenon

There's a phenomenon that happens at my house every once in a while and I can't say it's very fun for me. It happens almost every time and I am beginning to wonder if Lauren likes to play jokes on me.

Lauren and I get up at the same time Monday-Thursday to get ready to go to work and school. Ty gets up with Lauren and gets her dressed while I get ready to go to work. For as long as I can remember, Lauren has gotten up by herself and has come into our room about 5 minutes before the alarm rang every morning.

Lauren didn't have to go to school today since she was leaving later to go to her audiologist appointment in Chapel Hill. I had to get up and go to work. Do you think she still popped into our room at 6:55 am, just like she did for the past 90 days? Nope. She slept until a quarter til eight on the day that I had to get out the door. It couldn't be on Saturday when I can sleep in. No way, on those days, she's up at the crack of dawn. It would be one thing if I told her she was not going to school today. She had no idea that she was not riding the bus or seeing her friends.

For some reason, she sleeps in on the days that I have to leave and wakes up at the first hint of morning on the days that I can drift into blissful slumber. It's almost freaky how she only does it on the days I have somewhere to go. No fair! I think she's doing this on purpose.

Good News

It is official...

No more brace for little Lauren Claire!!!!!

Lauren went to the surgeon that operated on her foot and he said everything looks really good. He thinks that it would be fine if she just wears her night brace every evening and not worry about the brace during the day. I am so relieved! No more wearing the only pair of tennis shoes that fit over the brace. No more breaking a sweat trying to get the brace to fit in the shoe. No more hearing Lauren cry about the boo-boo's caused by the brace. No more strangers staring at her leg as she walks by. It's almost too good to be true.

I am so proud of my baby girl. She sure has gone through a lot in her four short years. But her determination and strength has inspired me more than she will ever know. Nothing holds her back and nothing slows her down. She is truly a blessing!

Now, where's the best place to get cute, girly shoes?

Hopeful

Tomorrow is Lauren's appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon that did her surgery a few months ago. It's been two months since the surgery to lengthen her Achilles tendon. He said we would have to wait until this appointment to see if the surgery would allow her to go without her brace in the daytime. I am hopeful that he will give us the 'all clear'. She has been walking great without it the few times we kept it off. The brace is rubbing her in places and causing her some discomfort. I am holding off ordering another one just in case we get good news tomorrow.

Also, we go to Chapel Hill on the 30th as a follow up with her new audiologist. I am hopeful we will get her brand new, state of the art, hearing aids. The ones she has now are loaners until her new ones come in. The new hearing aids will actually allow her to hear more high frequency sounds than before. They have come out with new aids that compress the higher sounds and allow more frequencies to be heard. They are a brand new type of hearing aid that Lauren will get the privilege of trying.

Hopefully I will have good news to report soon....

Create the Caption

Your turn! Create a caption for this picture. I have a few in mind, but I know how creative you all are. Let's see what you come up with!

This is What Happens....

This is what happens when your four year old learns how to use your digital camera and puts it back so you don't even know she ever had it in the first place. Sneaky little bugger!

Funny Stuff

Lauren and I sit outside to wait for her bus. We sit towards the end of the driveway close to the street so I can see the bus coming around the corner. Lauren sits on my lap and we usually point at cars, birds, or airplanes.

The other day, a jogger comes running down our street. We saw him coming and Lauren asked "What he doing?" She started asking that question anytime she sees something that she doesn't have the words for. Most of the time she just repeats what I say. Unfortunately, that wasn't what she did this time.

As the jogger approached, she asked again what he was doing. I told Lauren that he was running. She didn't say anything, she just watched him get closer. Lauren waited until the jogger was at the edge of our driveway and yelled "HURRY, HURRY!!!" as the jogger trotted by. She even used her hand to motion him in the right direction as if her hand was making him go faster. He slowed down, looked at Lauren, and said in a shocked but pleasant tone, "I'm trying". Thankfully, he was laughing as he jogged away.

We haven't seen that jogger since....