We took a trip to Phoenix Easter week-end to see Claire's eye doctor again. She has Exotropia, which means that her eyes turn outwards. She is having trouble with depth perception and biocularity (which means eyes seeing together). This may be a reason for her difficulty at school. Claire can read very well and is so much fun, but she often has difficulty focusing and carrying out instructions. Most people with this condition need corrective surgery. Claire will most likely too. But right now, we patch the better eye, to try and strengthen the eye that turns out the most, for a couple hours a day. We'll go back in three months.
Our trip was a little adventure. Our van decided that it didn't like it's water pump anymore and that it wanted a brand new one. Oh the vanity. It decided this 10 miles north of Fountain Hills on the Beeline highway (in the desert). It almost overheated and we lost a lot of fluid when we opened up the radiator. After a prayer and adding what seemed like a ton of water, we decided to risk driving the 10 miles to civilization. We made it to a Jiffy Lube (not exactly a mechanic) but they were able to give us a temporary fix and Claire, Alex and I took a taxi to the doctor's appointment.
We were able to get the car towed to a mechanic, find a rental car and a hotel for good prices thanks to AAA and Aaron's smart phone. After all was said and done, a trip that was supposed to cost a tank of gas, a dinner, and a copay turned into $1000. Thank goodness for tax refunds.
But the hotel was a nice end to a stressful day. We found a 3 1/2 star hotel on hotwire for $66 for the night. So after taxes we paid about $80. It was lovely and comfortable even though we all had to sleep in the clothes we'd been in all day. I highly recommend the Orange Tree Golf Resort (even for non golfers). The concierge was so helpful and their were robes in the room to lounge in.
The next day we went to the train park and played games at Peter Piper Pizza until the van was fixed. Thank goodness it was fixed and it is doing fine. I guess a guy came in right after Aaron and had overheated his car with the same problem - needed a new head gasket. We feel very lucky and blessed. What was a very stressful experience turned into a kind of fun week-end.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Spring Break 2012
These aren't in any real order. That is kind of the state of our lives over the past year - not in order whatsoever... but we are happy and we love each other and life is good.
Alex and Claire and I at the Phoenix zoo
In Scottsdale at the train park - a nice fellow passenger took this for us
We took this one ourselves...
Noel and Claire in the kangaroos pouch at the zoo
Alex at the Phoenix Children's museum. We stayed there from open to close. The kids had a blast.
In front of the carousel in Scottsdale
Noely's 4th birthday cake. He wanted a Mighty Machines cake. We had a few families over to the house to enjoy it with us.
Alex in the tub/sink
Claire in the amazing three story climber at the Phoenix Children's museum.
Aaron had to go to Phoenix for his certified public manager class, so we tagged along with him since it was Claire's spring break. We also needed to see a pediatric ophthalmologist for her eyes. She has exatropia (sp). Anyway, we had so much fun. The kids loved the children's museum, and we stayed there all day from 9 to 4 with a break for lunch with daddy. The next day we had Claire's doctor's appointment and went to Scottsdale to the train park. Noel got lost for about 10 minutes... not fun... but we found each other and went on the carousel and the train ride. Daddy met up with us after his class and we went to visit Claire's preschool teacher and her new baby. Then out to dinner, and to a frozen yogurt place, then checked into a hotel in Phoenix with a police helicopter circling above us telling someone to give themselves up. Yikes... We used to live less then a mile from there. Our last day we all took a trip to the Phoenix zoo. A nice couple in the parking lot gave us free children's tickets. Then we walked around that zoo with the kids until they were exhausted (us too). Then we drove the three hours home. It was so nice to have a vacation and be in a place were there were so many choices of fun things to do. Even though it was familiar, it was so much fun. March is such a beautiful time of year there. I almost wouldn't mind moving back, but the police helicopter and thinking about the heat in the summer reminded me of how good we have it where we are.
Alex and Claire and I at the Phoenix zoo
In Scottsdale at the train park - a nice fellow passenger took this for us
We took this one ourselves...
Noel and Claire in the kangaroos pouch at the zoo
Alex at the Phoenix Children's museum. We stayed there from open to close. The kids had a blast.
In front of the carousel in Scottsdale
Noely's 4th birthday cake. He wanted a Mighty Machines cake. We had a few families over to the house to enjoy it with us.
Alex in the tub/sink
Claire in the amazing three story climber at the Phoenix Children's museum.Aaron had to go to Phoenix for his certified public manager class, so we tagged along with him since it was Claire's spring break. We also needed to see a pediatric ophthalmologist for her eyes. She has exatropia (sp). Anyway, we had so much fun. The kids loved the children's museum, and we stayed there all day from 9 to 4 with a break for lunch with daddy. The next day we had Claire's doctor's appointment and went to Scottsdale to the train park. Noel got lost for about 10 minutes... not fun... but we found each other and went on the carousel and the train ride. Daddy met up with us after his class and we went to visit Claire's preschool teacher and her new baby. Then out to dinner, and to a frozen yogurt place, then checked into a hotel in Phoenix with a police helicopter circling above us telling someone to give themselves up. Yikes... We used to live less then a mile from there. Our last day we all took a trip to the Phoenix zoo. A nice couple in the parking lot gave us free children's tickets. Then we walked around that zoo with the kids until they were exhausted (us too). Then we drove the three hours home. It was so nice to have a vacation and be in a place were there were so many choices of fun things to do. Even though it was familiar, it was so much fun. March is such a beautiful time of year there. I almost wouldn't mind moving back, but the police helicopter and thinking about the heat in the summer reminded me of how good we have it where we are.
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