I spy with my little eye....

We just hit another milestone that breaks my heart a little bit. Recently, Harrison started going crossed-eyed so I took him into the optometrist. The doctor announced that Harrison had the worst far-sightedness he'd seen in 16 years of practice. SO, we got some pretty thick little glasses and he's been adjusting to them for the last day-and-a-half. He's a trooper and takes the whole thing very seriously.

Somehow, as a mom, it's just upsetting to know that he's struggled for that long, unable to perceive the world in the way he should. I'm really happy that we're able to fix that for him. But then, on the other side, is how I feel everytime I look at him in his new glasses. They magnify his eyes dramatically, and it makes him seem like an entirely different person. He seems more vulnerable and I want to protect him every way possible. He confided to my sister Katy that his glasses aren't cool, and I find myself faced with what I'm sure every parent has to deal with, but just a little bit earlier than I thought I'd have to. It's not that I want to fix him; I just want to make this world perfect and safe so that it can't hurt him, you know?

Anyway, I'm sure I'm getting just way too emotional about a rite of passage that tons of us have gone through. Here are some pics of my little star rocking his new specs.

Politics as Usual

When I was in the 4th grade, our school held a mock presidential election: Bush vs. Dukakis. Though we all know who won in real life, at West Burlington Elementary School, it was not cool to vote Bush. Josh Gahn and Nick Anderson wouldn't let me play four square when they learned of my political leanings. I became a closet conservative. But no more! The boys got their first taste of practicing self expression today.

We rocked a TEA (Taxed Enough Already) party armed with signs. It was a lot of fun, and it really felt good to come together with so many other people with concerns like ours. The turnout was great, and people couldn't get enough of Harrison and Truman in their ball and chains. They were definitely the camera's favorite.

After trying out various little flares, rockets, sparklers, poppers, etc., Truman decided the snakes were his favorite. He deemed them worthy enough for him to attempt to say, "Nake, nake!"

We also played on the beach and enjoyed an airshow, and I put Harrison to bed early so that he can go out late with Mom and Dad to ride the Ferris Wheel and catch the fireworks. I love this country. I love our heritage. God bless America!