Translate This Page To: Spanish German French Italian Portuguese Norwegian Brought to you From FreeTranslation.com Give a gift in honor of this child. Colton M. Current Page Page One UPDATE: 3-14-07 Thanks for checking in! The kids are doing fine. Their spring break is coming up but I don't think I'll be able to take them anywhere. Still, they are looking forward to their vacation. Both boys love to play runescape.com so they're going to have fun online. Maybe I can take them to the park or the movies if my back feels better. Please keep praying we sell our house. We actually had three couples look at it this past weekend but no offers as of yet. I dropped my price 60,000 and it's a great price for our beautiful home. Keep your fingers crossed! I'm starting water therapy this week and very much hoping I can stay away from Opiate therapy. I'll have to see how my rehabilitation goes. Life- so stressful- I can understand why Anna Nicole ran off to the Bahamas. If I had the money I'd do the same thing. Please keep my kids in your prayers UPDATE: 3-9-07 The boys are at church tonight so I thought I'd take a couple minutes and update the page. Both kids are doing well in school. Today they had their piano lessons. They don't like to take piano but I'm hoping they might appreciate my insistence in the future. I am hoping they will be able to finish out the year at their private school but at this point I'm not sure of anything. I dropped them off at church this evening and a little boy ran up to the boys with a b-day invite for this Saturday. Colton looked so happy. I'm glad- I try very hard not to let my problems interfere with my children's happiness. Tonight at church they ate Sloppy Joe's and chips. Colton always runs a plate out to me- he is so thoughtful. :) I was thinking about Bronson tonight and I just can't believe he's already fourteen! Time just flies when you watch your kids grow up. I might not be updating this page very often. Thank you in advance for your understanding. My doctor just took me off on disability for six months as I undergo therapy for my back and try to see if we can get the pain under control. I had no luck with the "level one" pain killers such as "vicodin," so next I have to try step two -- drugs that are in the Opiate family, and include substances like Oxycontin (sp?) or methadone. We shall see if I have luck with those. Maybe I won't have to take them if physical/water therapies work. I have to start therapy next week, 3x/week. Thank you again for stopping by and checking on our family. Please pray we sell our house and also please keep my kids in your prayers. And, as always, please remember to donate to the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Thank you UPDATE: 2-11-07 Our family has had a traumatic event take place today. I don't wish to discuss it with anyone but ask for your prayers as we make adjustments. I will most likely be offline for a short period of time. The boys are in church right now. Wednesday night is the night I get a couple hours to myself- no work, no kids at home... It's a nice little break. The weather here is so cold although I hear the storm is moving east across the country. The little town of Buttonwillow (twenty miles from us) had snow yesterday so everyone around here is wanting to wake up to some white one of these mornings! Nothing much is new. The boys are doing ok in school. I guess they have a field trip coming up or something- not sure exactly when but it's to an ice skating rink so they're excited! My students at school are fine too and it's nice to have a hand in teaching special ed kids things and to actually watch them learn. Our house is still sitting for sale and who knows if we'll end up selling or what. UPDATE: 8-30-06 I just hope they find a cure for Colton too... The boys are doing fine. Colton got a bloody nose today, maybe from the heat. We are VERY excited to go to the race this Sunday but more excited to see Jeff! We'll post our article after it's online... we have one coming out in the Shafter Press (small local paper) on Wednesday and an article in the Bakersfield Californian on Thursday. Those are always good to help raise awareness as well. The one on Thursday will be at bakersfield.com. Thank you for checking in! Laura UPDATE: 8-24-06 I took Colton to the doctor yesterday because he has an enlarged tonsil on one side. I took him a couple weeks ago and the first doctor said it was nothing and gave him some allergy meds. He also gave him something for swelling but that did nothing. The second doctor said he sees enlarged tonsils in kids all the time and not to worry- Colton NEVER gets sick and is so full of energy. He didn't give him any meds... then I was looking on the internet tonight and it said something about cancer- geez! I'm sure the doctors are right but I worry, worry, worry... If Colton starts to get other symptoms I'll take him back. But I guess for now I need to just relax and take their advice. I had no idea that kids could get enlarged tonsils. Our air is SO bad here. I think Colton has allergies as well. I wonder if part of this is allergies? We traded in our Ford Explorer sport for a 2005 Ford Focus tonight. Our Explorer was just taking up too much money in gas and I couldn't do it anymore. The boys love the new stereo! :) Thank you for checking in!!! UPDATE: 8-14-06 Well, it's Sunday night and the boys are snug in bed. They start back to school tomorrow and I couldn't be happier. The past week they've been fighting like crazy. Colton had to go to the doctor on Friday because he said his throat hurt. It was very swollen. The doctor gave him pain medicine, something for the swelling, and something for allergies. I'm hoping it's nothing serious. I don't think I can take much more stress. Well, not much else to report- except to please keep your fingers crossed nothing else is wrong with Colton. That throat swelling concerns me. He did say he feels better today but I don't know how much of that is true and how much of that is Colton not wanting mom to worry. Thanks for checking in!!! UPDATE: 8-4-06 I have two weeks before I report back to school- the boys have about three... the summer vacation, as always, has been too short. We are so grateful to have been given the chance to go to Challenge Aspen. My kids will always remember that experience. I just spoke to my publisher today and I just ok'd the final copy- so our book should be going to print by early next week. I will get the first copy- to ok- then the printer will whip up my order of 50 and then shortly thereafter everyone should be able to order them from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. I am hopeful the book will be a success- for lots of reasons. Nothing much is new. Swimming lessons are over and we're just doing things to get ready to go back to school. We got our race tickets the other day. We'll get to see Jeff on September 3 and are very happy about that! Well, thank you for checking in. Love, Laura and her boys UPDATE: 7-31-06 We just flew in yesterday. We had a GREAT trip! I was a little bored but the trip was mostly for the boys anyhow. They had a BLAST at camp. Last Monday was the first day. I brought them for their check-in. They were paired up with their "buddy" who helped them for the week. Bronson was a "buddy" to Colton but he was also a participant. Last Tuesday we enjoyed a nice bar-b-que in the mountains at a ranch. They had live entertainment and they were very good- a couple guys who sang and played the guitar. On Wednesday the boys went rafting with Blazing Adventures, the company who runs the rafting trips. I think that was their favorite part of the whole trip! On Thursday they had dress rehearsal for their play and Friday was the play. They put on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I can't even begin to tell you how sweet it was to watch all those kids in wheelchairs and such on stage. As a Special ed teacher I can tell you that special kids are often overlooked. It was great to see them be included in such a nice production. The lady who directed it did a great job as well. We didn't take too many pics- mostly because the boys stayed so busy they didn't get the opportunity- and I wasn't there to take photos. We did take some pics on the plane and in the evening though. We are also supposed to get a CD in the mail of the play and the highlights of the week. When I get that I will try to have someone help me post it on here- probably MJ because she can do ANYTHING! Both boys played "Oompa loompas" and their outfits were GREAT!!! Oh, the boys wanted me to tell you that their MOST favorite part of the trip was the pool. We stayed at the Pokolodi Lodge and they have a nice pool and spa. My boys went out every day after their activities and swam. Colton did back flips and Bronson enjoyed sitting in the spa. If we do get the opportunity to move to send Colton to a special school I am hoping our next home will have a pool. It's nice to know Colton can enjoy something without his vision. BOTH boys love to swim and play in the water. My best part of the week was watching my boys have fun- to watch Colton have a blast without having to worry about his eyesight- and to be out of the bad air we have in Bakersfield. I think all three of us went ALL week without our usual coughing. That was nice. So Amy Grant- Thanks for a wonderful and memorable week. Laura and the boys. UPDATE: 7-13-06 I could really get used to not working full time. The boys and I have just been spending time around the house, relaxing, and getting ready for our big yard sale this Saturday. Since I've been off from work I have had some good days- this is always a nice reprieve from back pain. I decided to take the kids to Fontana for the race in September. We're hoping to be able to see Jeff as well. We missed him four years ago in the Dupont Hospitality tent due to traffic and the boys would like to hear him speak. I'm hoping everything works out. We'll be going to Aspen soon. There is a week full of fun activities planned, including river rafting! The kids are so excited to be going there. They've never been to Colorado before- well, Bronson has been to Colorado- but not Aspen. He was a baby so he doesn't remember Colorado at all. Poor Colton... he asked me when he was going to the eye doctor at UCLA- I told him next summer. He asked me if I thought his eyes would get better. I had to tell him "no," that he has a disease and that his eyes are just going to get worse and worse. It's a hard thing to have to tell a little kid but honesty is the only choice I have. He always asks me about cures, when I think he will lose all his eyesight. It's obvious he has a lot of anxiety over it. I think sometimes he asks me that same question over and over thinking one day I will tell him they have a cure now- or an operation... but it's always the same depressing answer I have to give. Hopefully one day that will change. I am so glad my son's condition is not "terminal," but by the same token, things just get progressively worse for him-they never get better. I have seen lots of Caringbridge families who lose children from cancer. That is so heartbreaking- truly... but then in another year or two many of those mothers give birth to new babies- they laugh again. For us, we never get that happiness. Things just go from bad to worse. Maybe one day things will get better for Colton when I announce to him, They've found a cure for your disease." I think the other thing that's hard for me is when people remind me, "Well, at least he's not going to die- he's only going blind- that's not so bad. Why, I knew a 70 year old man who still had a little vision..." blah, blah, blah.... they fail to realize that the 70 year old man was not diagnosed at age four but at age 40. They fail to remember that my son will never be able to live a "normal" life, such as drive a car, etc... or that one day he will have to give up those things he loves, like video games. Yes, he can always do some things- true. But his quality of life will be impaired. Looking on the bright side and trying to stay positive only works to a point. Kids deal with a lot of emotions too- and for a little kid to slowly lose his eyesight is a very cruel thing to endure- and to watch. Thank you for checking in. Please stop in and say hello. Love, Laura, Bronson, and Colton UPDATE: 7-06-06 We're done with summer school and it's nice to be able to sleep in a bit. I work so hard all school year it felt really good to stay in bed until 7 or 8 am these past few mornings. The boys are enjoying it too! We are working hard setting up our yard sale for next Saturday. The kids had fun on the 3rd and the fourth of July! On the third we watched the fireworks show that our little city put on-- and then last night I bought the kids a package of their own fireworks to light. It was fun. Well, not much else is new. We have a few weeks off and are excited to go to Aspen. That will be the definite highlight of our summer vacation! Still hoping they find a cure for Colton but I guess we've pretty much resigned ourselves to his fate and are just trying to move on- and maybe find other avenues to help him. May not be on much this summer. I'll be sure to update after we get back from Aspen. I guess you could say I need to take a mental break from our reality. These type of situations drain a person if they dwell on it too much. Thanks for checking in and for always keeping my son in your prayers, Laura UPDATE: 6-28-06 Summer school ends for the boys and me on July 3- is that next Monday? I'm going to keep my name on the sub list at my other job in hopes I can get a little subbing in. It hasn't been real fun researching schools across the nation but it is an eye opener. Fremont is too expensive for us to live- and with Idaho closing their school and Oregon possibly closing theirs, if we move... it would be pretty far. One of the best schools is in a place called Talladega, Alabama- the Helen Keller school for the blind- but the teacher pay and benefits are so poor I wouldn't be able to support my kids. With such bad back pain I live with, it is necessary I have good insurance/disability benefits. My back doctor told me I might end up like Elizabeth Taylor when I'm old. We have the same disorder. I am hoping that won't be for another 20-30 years! Tennessee does look good- but it's far as well. Tennessee is a beautiful state, however. I know my kids would be happy there. I hope I win the lotto- then I can just concentrate on finding a good school rather than having to worry about trying to make a living too! In many ways I wish we could stay here but Colton would really benefit from a special school and I know that. I really LOVE my job and house here, but I cannot be selfish. Hopefully everything will work out as it should. We're doing ok. It's been very hot here lately- like 105-110 on some days. The last couple days have been looking like it would storm, then it just passes over us. I guess the people on the east coast are dealing with bad storms so we have them in our thoughts. I'm sitting here thinking about what's new, but not much is... just working and looking very forward to a few weeks off. The kids are excited to go to Colorado next month- and we have Amy to thank for that! I'm glad that she offered to send Colton to that camp for the disabled. Well, we thank everyone who checks in or who leaves messages of support. Take care, Laura and her boys UPDATE: 6-21-06 I haven't wanted to say where we want to move yet because there is so much more I need to research. There are THREE things I need to keep in mind when relocating to send Colton to a school for the blind: * Job opportunities/salary for mom * Cost of living in area * Good school for the blind. So now you know what we're thinking- and maybe also why this is so scary for us. Until you actually move to a place you don't know how it's going to work out. So please keep us in your thoughts that we make the right choice. UPDATE: 6-10-06 Our first week of summer school went well. The boys are in my class and it's fun being able to spend all day with them. I have three more weeks to go and then I have about six weeks off- I can't wait! The boys are very excited to go to Colorado as well. I have decided that I need to move and send Colton to a special school. I am in the process of finding the right state-- with a good blind school, a good secure job for me, and affordable housing. I have found it but I don't want to say yet... you know how I change my mind! I really love our house here- and I love my job- and I love the boys private school.. BUT I am watching Colton grow up without the skills he will so desperately need in his future. His private school can only do so much. They are not trained to teach Braille nor should they have to do this. I realized that I am being selfish staying here.. taking the easy way out. Just because I am comfortable here doesn't make staying the right decision. Anyhow, I am going to put our house up for sale this fall or winter and see if I can get a good price. If I can walk away with 100,000 I can buy a nice house in the south for 150,000- even with a pool if we want! If I could get a 500/month mortgage it would be ok when I take a 30,000 paycut. I make good money here but our mortgage is 2,000/month and I am not able to save for the kids college. Anyhow, I have been mulling this over for quite some time and I just made the decision to move the other day. If we stay here, the boys will get an excellent education- but I will have an 18 year old son who is good at academics but who won't be able to cross a street or Braille a letter. The public school I sent him to in our other town did not do a whole lot to help him... when we move I will have to put him in public school at first- then he will transition to the school for the blind. I am very terrified to move... but I am more terrified to think of Colton trying to get by in the world without his basic living skills. This was not an easy decision to make. I am very worried but I just hope and pray everything works out because I feel that I need to put Colton first and I know he would benefit greatly from a special school. My book is just going into formatting so I should have a copy in my hands in a couple weeks. Then a few days after that it should be available for purchase. We are excited and really hope it sells well. Besides putting away money for my kids I hope to sell enough to give some "real" money to Colton's foundation as well as Jeff Gordon's foundation. I will keep my fingers crossed and see what happens. I'll only get a dollar a copy-- but then, who knows? If I sell a bunch of copies we could make more money. The money aspect of moving is always a worry to people, I suppose. It's getting warm here. The boys have some friends who live a couple blocks away who have a nice pool. I've been taking them there every few days to swim. In addition, I put Colton in swimming lessons starting next Monday. He will go on Mondays and Wednesdays. Bronson is a good swimmer but Colton mostly dog paddles and floats. Thank you for checking in. Please stop in and say hello. And thank you for supporting us as we prepare for our next BIG adventure in a few months! UPDATE: 6-2-06 We heard on the news today that the US Army Corps of Engineers took the blame for the New Orleans flooding and deaths. Well, the Army Corps are the same who are telling us not to worry about the Lake Isabella dam- that hovers right above us. Hopefully we won't have a major catastrophe here. It is a bit unnerving. This past Tuesday I had to do a picket line with my fellow teachers. The district is not giving the teachers their COLA (cost of living increase) so the teachers are about ready to go on strike. It's a little worrisome. I hope they eventually work things out. I didn't feel very comfortable holding a sign (since I am not tenured yet) but there is a lot of pressure for teachers to stick together. So I walked with the others, holding an extra sign a teacher had made. Today I checked out of my room and tomorrow is our staff breakfast- then next Monday I start teaching summer school for a month. I'm very excited because Colton is going to be in my class! This will be the first time I've taught with Colton in my class. Bronson is coming too- He is going to be my "student assistant" and he will get paid 5.00 a day. Over a month that will be 100.00 so he'll have some spending money this summer. Colton is mad I'm not paying him too. He has a little trouble understanding the concept that Bronson will be helping me and he will be a student. The kids are still so excited about all their awards from school. They have their trophies proudly displayed in their bedrooms, on their bookshelves and dressers. It's nice to see the kids excited about that. Neither of my boys really dig school so I'm glad they earned those awards. The staff at their school really care about student achievement. The boys are getting excited about Aspen, Colo next month. I am too, but of course they always get more excited about going somewhere than I am. I'm a homebody. :) I am, however, happy about another opportunity to take them somewhere, especially Colton. Thank you for checking in on my boys. I do appreciate all your good thoughts and prayers. When I get a definite date on our book I will let you all know. Love, Laura and her boys UPDATE: 5-30-06 It's been a few days since we updated. Well, we just got home from a camping trip to the mountains above Santa Cruz. We went to the "Roaring Camp and Big Trees" campground and also to the festivities on Saturday. There was a live re-enactment of the Civil War. It was very interesting! The boys went for their Honor Roll trip. All in all, it was a fun time. We didn't bring a tent and although they had an extra two man tent, the boys and I decided to sleep in the car. Big mistake... we froze and I only got an hour of sleep. Still, it was a thing to remember! That camp has many Redwood trees and you know how much the boys love their Redwoods! We went up on Friday night and came back Saturday evening so it was a short trip- but very fun! The boys are now out of school and my last day is this next Friday. Although I am going to teach summer school I am excited to only work half day. I have my name in to sub for my night job only because I'm broke and have to- if I can. I'm going to switch to "twelve pay" this next school year so I don't have to scimp through the summers. My book is supposed to be available anywhere from mid-June to the end of June. When I get an actual date, I'll let you know. It is in the final stage of production so we are very excited. That stage could take one to three weeks so alot will depend on that. Now we just need to sell a million copies so I can take the boys back up north or live somewhere so Colton can attend a school for the blind! I know how much both my kids love their school; but their school isn't preparing Colton for life as a blind man- and I realize that. Their school is very wonderful but protects kids from the "real world..." which isn't a bad thing anymore- but Colton is just not getting those Braille lessons or mobility training he so desperately needs. It's not the fault of the school- but the law that states if I choose to put Colton in a private school he loses most of his services. Well, another week and I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT OF SCHOOL! I am pretty tired. Thank you for checking in and Happy Memorial Day! Laura UPDATE: 5-21-06 Well, the boys had their awards ceremony last night. Last year neither boy received an award. This school year, they cleaned up!!! Colton was voted, "Most likely to be on the news- good or bad." Bronson was voted the best artist in the entire school! Colton and Bronson both got two trophies. Both received the same exact award in trophies- second place in their classes for "most paces completed" and "Supervisor Award," which means both boys are second in their classes. They also each received four or five "dog tags"- for different things. Bronson received a certificate for scripture memory, a certificate for achieving the second highest grade point average in his class, the "best artist" in the school certificate, and an honor roll for first and second semester. Colton received the same honor roll certificate in his class, a scripture memory certificate, a certificate for receiving no detentions during the school year, a certificate for achieving the second highest grade point average in his class, a choir award, and.. are you ready for this? "Most likely to be caught daydreaming in his class" award! All in all, I was very proud of the kids!!! Seeing that neither boy really digs school, I would say they did pretty well! Their school is very small so competition is not fierce for these awards, however, they still had to work hard to get this special recognition. It was very sweet... The vice-principal gave a speech about Colton-- about how he has "touched" the students at the school. She spoke about how they all help Colton, look out for him, etc... One student even received an award for learning Braille right alongside Colton- to help him... it was very emotional, to say the least. Thank God I am able to keep the boys in this school. It isn't easy for me but last night was such a wonderful thing for me to see- and for the boys to experience. When I gripe about having to work overtime and being so tired I should really be grateful for the opportunity to earn extra money to keep the boys in this nice school. Tonight we are going to attend the steak dinner and graduation exercises at the school. Our book, French Toast, A White Cane and Memories, is slated to be out around June first- but it won't be on barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com until around the middle of June. Please pray that we have good sales. We are using the money from the book for college funds, to give to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and to possibly relocate one day to send Colton to a special school for the blind. If it sold a TON of copies, I could even stay home- write, help Colton with Braille- what a dream come true.. a "pipe dream" but nevertheless... Well, that is "if" we make any significant money. My publisher emailed me last night. She and I are working on the last "edit" before it goes to print. She told me how wonderful she thought the book is- and that she got emotional when reading it. I am going to keep my fingers crossed it has a good reception. It was written from the heart- the best place for writing to be born. Thanks so much for checking in- and for those prayers as well! It seems your good thoughts and prayers are really helping Bronson and Colton. :) Thank you for checking in! UPDATE: 5-15-06 Thanks for all the nice Mother's day wishes! We went to church this morning, came home, and did the usual. It was nice just spending the day with the boys. Last Wednesday at church Colton ran to the car, crying that some boy in his class kept calling him, "four eyes." As a parent we really do feel the hurt of our kids. I comforted him the best I could but was really at a loss to know what to say. After all, his eyesight is only getting worse all the time. My friend whom we had borrowed the piano from had it picked up... so we were without a piano. So yesterday, Colton's piano teacher showed me a very small piano and I put a deposit on it- he sold it to us for 500.00. I put a deposit on it and will bring it home in September. It's very small but for the boys it is a better size than the HUGE one we lost. It's getting very hot- like we seemed to have jumped from winter to spring. I have three more weeks of regular school and then will teach summer school. Then we'll get a whole FOUR weeks off before next school year. I can't wait for our vacation. I've been very tired. The boys get off school later this week. Tonight the boys are working on one of those "two sided" puzzles. They're getting pretty frustrated. I think I better go help them. ;) Thank you for checking in- and for your love and prayers. We appreciate all of you even if we don't say it nearly enough. UPDATE: 5-1-06 We've been under the weather this weekend- either from colds or air allergies- not sure which. We've had a good relaxing weekend so hopefully this next week will be better. Thank you for checking in on Colton and for your good thoughts and prayers. Please remember the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Thank you, Laura UPDATE: 4-28-06 It's 9pm. Just got home from work so thought I'd do a quick update. Well, both boys have little colds, but nothing too serious- I hope. The weather here has been strange lately- rain one day, sun the next. Yesterday it rained, last night we had thunder, and then today it was around 80 degrees. Bakersfield just acquired the wonderful distinction of being NUMBER ONE in the nation for smog. A lady I know is moving (lucky her) and going to Oregon to get out of this bowl of smog. Luckily her husband has a job where he can move anywhere. Her son has asthma so they don't have a choice. I am happy for her and wish them the best. Bronson and I have bad allergies too but we just deal because we don't have a choice. Well, not much else to update really. Four weeks to the end of the school year and we're excited! Even though I should be teaching summer school I'll only have to work 30 hours a week rather than 55. That will be a nice break! The kids are also looking forward to having a little vacation. They have worked harder this year and I am proud of them. Thank you for checking in. When the book on my boys is out, I'll let you all know. :) UPDATE: 4-20-06 Wednesday is always a good night for me to update. The boys are at church and I get two hours to myself. Not too much is new. We went back to work and school on Monday though it was wonderful having a one week break. I had all this housework planned but ended up doing nothing. We went to the dentist last Monday for cleanings and check ups. The boys are fine but I need to have a little work done. I had a dermatologist appt last Monday and had a mole removed (exciting stuff, huh?) I hadn't been in about 15 years so I wanted to get a skin check. On Wednesday I took the kids to the eye doctor but I already updated about that last time. Bronson is fine (thank you, God) but Colton is worse and now has double vision. I am still waiting to hear from the insurance company but I am hopeful they will cover his treatments. On Friday I went to the back doctor and have to go to a specialist next month. Six weeks until I get out for summer vacation but I am hopeful to get a summer school job. My boys get out a week earlier than I do, I believe. If I get a job I'm enrolling Colton in school again. Colton's county person (Braille teacher) is now "blowing up" his work so Colton can see it better. His "paces" are now about 18 inches tall instead of ten inches. It's kind of strange to see but I want them to do everything they can to help my son. Well, I have to go pick up my boys. I guess that's about all for now. Thank you for pulling for our family. UPDATE: 4-13-06 Got back from the eye doctor a couple hours ago. There is good news and bad news. The really good news is that Bronson is still looking ok! Though I do need to get him checked annually... So far he is not showing any real signs of the disease- and my doctor said she won't send him to UCLA unless he shows more signs of RP, like continued thinning of the retinal blood vessels. So keep your fingers crossed he won't develop this wretched disease too. Thank You! The bad news is that Colton's field of vision is getting worse. Though his ACCUITY is about 20/70 (which isn't too bad), it's his FIELD OF VISION closing in that is causing the blindness. It's very heartbreaking but there isn't anything more I can do to help him. On top of that, Dr. Love said Colton has developed "double vision" and needs vision therapy. She doesn't think it's covered by insurance. If it is, he can start right away. If it isn't, he has to wait until the fall when I can pick up another night job. I'm tired now working 60 hrs a week but what is a mom to do? The therapy is 500.00/month (125.00 a session 4 times a month). I already pay that much on the kids private school and I'm not a blankety blank money tree! That part is discouraging, I'll be honest. The doctor did say the treatment was "optional," but Colton's quality of life is already bad enough without this new problem. If I can do something to help fix this double vision then that is what I'll do. Colton has to suffer so much anyhow; I don't understand why VSP won't cover it. I am going to check with Blue Cross tomorrow morning and see what they say. Since RP is a medical disease I believe the should cover it. Oh well, story of our lives. Not to sound depressing, but it's one thing after another. I paid 40.00 to Colton's eye doctor and she's going to write a letter to the insurance company appealing to them. That is the customary charge for a special letter. Let's hope that works. On another note, thank you for checking in. Please keep both my boys in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you, Laura UPDATE: 4-10-06 The boys and I are on spring break for NINE days! Today we did some shopping, cleaned house, and so forth. This next week we have several Dr. appts. The boys have their eye appt on Wednesday. Please pray and hope that Bronson is ok and that Colton isn't too much worse. This is so stressful and painful. I will update after Wednesday. Thank you UPDATE: 4-1-06 Happy, happy Friday! Just got home from work- we get out early on Fridays. The boys got out at noon as they only go to go to school half day on Fridays. Colton is feeling much better. As usual, his illnesses are pretty short lived. We have spring break from April 10-14 so we're pretty excited about that! Bronson has an eye appt. in a couple weeks and I'm nervous about that. The great thing about the next life is that there will be no health problems. I look forward to that- esp. the no blindness thing. It will be wonderful for all the children who have died from childhood cancer and other diseases to be reunited with their parents again. This life is just not fair- esp. when children are striken with fatal and incurable diseases. There must be some reason for it- maybe in the next life we'll understand. I wish I had been striken with RP instead of Colton but there is no use crying over spilled milk. I can't change things- I just have to help him achieve the best he can be in this life- despite his illness. I got a newsletter yesterday from the Foundation Fighting Blindness. There is some promising research concerning retinal implants. Thus far, that has been an impossible operation. Maybe in the future they'll be able to perform those. I hope so. I guess there's nothing else to report. Both boys are doing fine in school though neither are very "academically" motivated. I continue to fret and worry about Colton but I'm making myself ill so I've just given it over to God and hope He will help our family. I have a lot of crazy dreams anymore and I guess that's due to worry over all our problems. Last night I dreamt we were on a ship and some foreign soldiers were looking for us. One by one they fell into the ocean. The boys and I were hiding on the ship. Evidently, those soldiers must have been the enemy! Very strange dream... I have lots of dreams where I experience FEAR. Hopefully I'm working out things in my mind. Well, please sign in and say hi to Colton. Have a nice weekend and a great week next week. Please keep my children in your prayers. UPDATE: 3-27-06 Everyone's bummed out here in Bakersfield. This morning Buck Owens passed away. I never knew him but I did see him perform about five years ago. He was totally awesome- just very talented! Anyhow, keep his family in your prayers and thoughts... Colton had to be picked up from school on Friday. He threw up. We all got flu shots so I'm hoping it wasn't the flu and maybe just something he ate. I got up early this am and did my errands for the weekend. Everything else we have to do we can do at home. I hope to take the boys to church tomorrow but if we don't feel well we will stay home. I'm going to try to stop worrying so much about the school for the blind. If Colton doesn't pick up Braille he won't pick it up. I'm only one person and I can't do it all. I can't teach Colton Braille on my own and I don't think I should have to decide between him getting an education or learning Braille- because that's the choice when it comes to putting him back in public school. No teacher can attend to my son while teaching 29 other students- he just requires too much help. I can't afford to move to Montana or NC and take such a huge paycut. I have bills besides my mortgage and I can't put my kids at risk of going hungry just so we can send Colton to a special school. I'll just have to hope the school district Colton is in (the one I work for) will increase Colton's Braille instruction; and starting next summer, I'll try to travel to Braille summer programs. We can live in Arizona or Texas next summer. Those schools might have summer school for the blind. I'm going to check and see if North Carolina has summer school too- of course I also need to check into "residency requirements." If we are not residents we might not be able to go at all. :( I have checked with some of the blind schools and most just offer a summer "camp" and not an academic program. I look into things everyday- try to figure out how we'd make it if we moved- look at houses on fmrealty.com even- but in the end I remember the boys just have me and nobody else to support them. I can't take such a big risk all by myself if it could hurt their standard of life. It would be foolish to throw away everything and start over in a new place on my own. I am healthy besides my back issues-- but those are severe and I worry about my back failing one day. We'd end up in the poor house. At least out here I have some security where that is concerned. Unless I make money on my book or win the lotto, a school for the blind is just a "pipe dream" for us. I've been fighting depression for some weeks now and I don't want to go there again. That won't help anyone. I am going to try not to dwell on this anymore and just concentrate on what else I can do to help my son right here. There isn't much else I can do that I'm not already doing- but to worry about this issue is causing me lots of heartache. Bronson has an eye appt. soon so keep your fingers crossed the doctor doesn't send him to UCLA next. I'm pretty worried after the last appointment with Dr. Love. I don't know how we'll deal if Bronson gets hit with this disease too. After she told me she saw some thinning in his blood vessels last summer I have tried to remain positive- but that gnawing worry never lifts. It rained this morning and was so nice. Soon the 100 degree weather will set in so we enjoy the rain and cool weather while we can. Thank you for checking in. Remember to give to the Foundation Fighting Blindness if you can. Thank you, Laura and her boys UPDATE: 3-22-06 I've just been a mess this past week- since I learned that Colton can't even see his schoolwork anymore. I was so hoping this blindness would come around age 20, not age 9 or ten. I told Sue that if I had to, I'd quit my good paying job and go work anywhere just to get my son some help. I don't know what to do. On one hand I do want to just pack it up and move to Montana or North Carolina- send Colton to a blind school- but the fear of losing everything if I get sick weighs on my mind. There are lots of options. I might have to put Colton back in public school for a couple years so they give him Braille on a regular basis once again. Of course if I do that I can count on him losing academically because no teacher is ever able to give him the time he needs- with 29 other kids in class. I thought today that I could take on another part time job and ask Colton's braille teacher if his blind daughter would work with my son a couple days a week. But I already work over 50 hours a week and I can't run myself into the ground. If there's one thing I have learned having a child with a disability or illness: there are no clear cut answers sometimes, only a thousand "options" and none of them are ever easy. Our book should be out around June. I would love to sell a million copies! I'd send Colton to a special school without having to worry about a job or money... I'd give big donations to the Foundation Fighting Blindness and Jeff's foundation too... we'll see... we've had some dreams and wishes come true; maybe God has more in store for my kids. I have to believe so. UPDATE: 3-22-06 What a depressing day! I took my car in to get an oil change and they told me I needed new brakes. I drove by the high school after that and there was a news truck parked on the curb. Ricky Barraza (graduated 7 yrs ago) died in Iraq yesterday morning. I feel so badly for his family... I thought I found a way to move to Montana and take Colton to that school for the blind... by transferring my retirement to Montana I could become automatically "vested" and eligible for better benefits- but they don't allow that. I have looked at a lot of the schools for the blind and Montana has one of the best. In addition, it's a great place to raise kids. If it were my wish, I'd take my kids back to Crescent City area. But lately I guess I realize the importance of Colton being in a school for the blind. I have been forcing him to practice Braille every day but I think he needs to be immersed in order to learn. When we bought our house three years ago I wanted to settle here and raise the boys in this small town- but three years ago Colton's sight was looking like it might hold out for a few more years. So anyhow, keep us in your prayers... that we make the right decisions- and that the right doors will be opened for us. UPDATE: 3-17-06 I spoke with the principal at Colton's school today. She said they are having Colton's Braille teacher enlarge all his work now-- they have noticed a real decline in his vision over the past year. Bummer. I downloaded all the listings for the blind schools in the USA yesterday. There are about 40. Then I spent hours researching each one, house prices, and job opportunities. Out of all those schools the only ones that would be possibilities was the one in Austin, Tx. and the school in Arizona... (Tuscon?) ALL the other schools are either located in areas where I would lose 50 percent of my pay-and all the districts only offer 5-25,000 life insurance whereas here I have 300,000- or they don't offer "short term disability"- a very important benefit to a single parent-- or they are possibly closing (Idaho)-- poor teacher benefits-- they only accept deaf/blind or blind with multi disabilities, etc... We fell in love with the area of Great Falls, Mt. and they have a great blind school but I would take a 30,000 pay cut and their district offers no "short term disability" benefits. Those are so important and I realize how spoiled I am here! If I were to move the kids to another state and then (God forbid) get a brain tumor, I would only be allowed 30 days to recover and go back to work or receive no paycheck. Of course they offer long term disability through their state retirement system but you have to have worked there for five years. I was surprised at just how many districts across the USA are like that. And in Indiana I would have to pay 19,000 a year for health insurance and my salary would only be 38,000! I did look at the school in Fremont, Cali but it's just not possible. That entire area is too expensive! A 2 bedroom 1 bath house would be 550,000 and I would take a 10,000 paycut. It's about 2,000/month to even rent a home in that area and most don't accept pets. Of course we could live two hours away and drive every day but that's too much. I phoned the school today and the lady told me to just put Colton on an airplane at LAX every Sunday night and then pick him up on Friday evenings! RIGHT! How many parents can do that to a 9 year old child? She said some do but it's just not something "I" would be able to do. She told me I need to "let go" a little-- and she might be correct-- but placing a small child on an airplane and signing over legal custody to the state 5/7 days of the week is not something I want to do. Well, I guess starting next summer I'll just have to take the summers off from work and try to get Colton into some school somewhere for a summer program. Four weeks of intensive training is better than nothing. I discussed the possiblity of moving Colton back to public school at least half day but his school doesn't want to do that yet. They promised to keep trying to help him learn Braille. How I wish we could win the lottery and just move so I could send Colton to a special school. I know time is running out for my son to see this world and to learn the skills he needs to get by. He's so unmotivated that I think he needs the structure a blind school would offer. Oh well. I can't just go move to help my son and end up losing everything we own. I can't take that chance. Their lives would even be worse then. Life is really depressing at times. UPDATE: 3-13-06 Well, we didn't have snow here yesterday but we did get HAIL! It was a pretty neat site for Bakersfield, Cali. It's been raining here on and off the past few days. I am worried that Colton is not going to learn Braille unless he goes to a school for the blind- he is just so unmotivated and nothing I try seems to work. I went to google and downloaded the list of schools for the blind. Little Rock, Ark, Indianapolis, Ind, Vinton, IA, Louisville, Ky, Jackson, MS, Macon, GA, and Pittsburgh, PA have schools that actually have websites that look good- esp. Macon, GA and Jackson, MS. The houses there are pretty cheap too. Of course I wouldn't earn anything but if I didn't have a house payment I wouldn't have to bring in much. I like the idea of going to Raleigh but I couldn't find the site for the Gov. Moorehead school for the blind. Of course if my son would be more serious about his studies and buckle down he might be able to learn Braille without having to move. There is a school in California but it's in Fontana and that area is way too expensive for us to live! I keep going back and forth about wanting to move back up north and relocating so I can send Colton to a school for the blind. It's a big worry on my mind. Both boys are being naughty today! Colton lost the game system I just bought him-- so I took away all computer, games, etc... until both kids find it. Granted it was only 80.00- but it's the principal... so anyhow, they are rebelling and it's no fun. We hope you all have a nice week. Thanks for checking in, Laura and her boys UPDATE: 3-9-06 Got home tonight to an email that Jada Press is merging with Star Publish. I'm a little nervous but the owner of Jada assured me that she will still be there for me... so keep your fingers crossed that everything works out ok. It rained here Monday and Tuesday but not today. Last night (at my night job) my students and I could hear the rain pounding on the roof of our portable. It was a nice feeling. :) The boys are both doing fine. Colton, however, has lost ALL his coats! This am he had to wear a "girl coat" (of mom's) to school because he couldn't find his own. Both boys are at church right now so when they get home we'll have to work on finding those jackets! I put both boys back in piano after a short hiatus. The man who had been coming to their private school couldn't come anymore so I'm taking the kids to his church now. Wednesdays will be long days for the boys- school all day, piano from 4:30-5:30, then church from 6-8pm. Then Colton has to practice Braille when he gets home. (yawn) They ought to sleep well on Wednesdays I suppose! My other district has asked if I can start working on Wednesday nights too so I guess we'll all be busy on that night! Thank you! Laura UPDATE: 3-4-06 Hi Laura, I have read your manuscript and find it absolutely delightful. We will be honored to publish it for you. I look forward to working with you and spreading the word about Colton and the difficult obstacles both of you have endured and overcome. You are both very strong and determined people and little Colton, even more so. He is "one fine little fella." Thanks so much for sharing your poignant work with me - job well done! Writer hugs, Glenda Ivey UPDATE: 3-2-06 The boys are at church tonight for another half hour then I need to go pick them up. We all got our hair done after school today so we feel like new people! Colton went to Chuck E Cheese last weekend for his b-day but there were so many people the kids couldn't do any games. They took their tokens and we'll use them next time. I took Colton to Player One and he bought a little handheld game system-- there are so many out there I can't even remember what he bought! Then we went to Toys R Us and Colton used his gift cards. I asked him if he wants a pizza party this weekend (like Bronson had) but he hasn't gotten back to me on that. I should know the fate of our book tomorrow so keep us in your thoughts. I didn't win the lottery- maybe next time. There's a house up in Crescent City for 250,000 that would make a fine blind camp for kids! I think it used to be a halfway house. I called up the lady at that place in Bakersfield for disabled kids and told her what I thought of her-- asked her why the blind aren't included. It felt good to tell someone what I think. :) The kids are doing fine in school but Colton has been behind- he missed two days of school last week due to his ear hurting... hopefully he'll catch up soon. The boys are real excited about going to Colorado this summer. We should be leaving right after summer school. Thanks to all of you who stopped by the page to say hello to my son on his b-day. That was special and he got a kick out of all those messages! I guess not else is new here. Oh, one of my students stabbed me in the hand today (with a pencil, not a knife). I dug the lead out so I should be ok. (Please God, help me retire!) It rained here a little bit last weekend and it might rain on Friday. I think spring is on the way. Thank you for supporting the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Both boys have to go to the eye doctor next month. I am most nervous for Bronson. Pray for a cure. UPDATE: 2-25-06 TGIF! Well, about another month of work and we get spring break! Yippee! Colton had to go to the hospital the other night because his school called to tell me he had an earache and a 100.7 fever. We went to the hospital on Wednesday night but he didn't have any infection. So, lucky Colton got to take Thursday and Friday off from school! I'm sure he'll go back next week (unless he becomes more sick) My book is all done and it's with an editor right now. I'll keep you posted as things develop. I bought a lotto ticket for Mega Millions tonight. It's up to 212 million. If I win I'm going to give my vice principal (David) a million bucks so he can retire- long story. Then we'll move to the ocean and start a blind camp! :) I just can't believe Colton will be NINE years old on Sunday! He still looks so young. Another nine years and he'll be an adult! WEIRD... I have him practice his Braille but he's just not into it like he is his video games. I wish he would be more excited about learning Braille... Just for fun I phoned the school districts up in the Fremont, CA (where the California school for the blind is located) Their school districts would pay me 15,000 less a year and a house to RENT would be about 2,000/month- forget about buying a house. Anyhow, next summer I might start sending Colton to their summer school program. It goes from about the beginning of July-beginning of August. On Sunday we're going to church and then perhaps Chuck-E-Cheese. I think Colton wants a pizza party at home too... like Bronson had for his b-day... but Colton wasn't at school the past two days to invite any of the kids. So... we'll most likely have his "real" party next weekend. We never did get our snow. Oh well... I think spring might be right around the corner. We hope you all have a wonderful week. Thanks for checking in. Love, Laura and her sons UPDATE: 2-18-06 TGIF once again! This past Monday night we went to Bakersfield College to hear Joan Brock speak. She's the lady who went blind while working at a school for the blind. She is also a native of Bakersfield. I watched the Lifetime movie, "Joan Brock, More Than Meets The Eye" last year and was pleased to read she was coming to town. I don't know that the boys understood everything she said (paticularly Colton) but I hope they remember the "spirit" of her talk. She spoke about the loss of her eyesight-- and though it was tragic-- there are things much worse in life-- like death-- and that we all have to deal with adversity. I bought her book and had it autographed afterward. Ms. Brock is very nice and I was glad the kids had a chance to meet her. Last week I was driving downtown and saw a sign for "disabled children of Kern County." I phoned them and asked what services they provide. The receptionist told me about transportation services, summer camp, equipment, etc.. I asked her about services for blind children and she told me they don't service blind children. You see what I get frustrated??? When I win the lotto I'm going to open a little camp in C. City--where it will be JUST for blind kids! I'm so sick and tired of everyone turning Colton away because he's not Down's syndrome or autistic! It's not that we "want" things for him-- but it would be nice if people would acknowledge that the blind have special needs too. And some people do-- but so many do not. It's pretty sad. Well, there is a twenty percent chance of SNOW in Bakersfield tomorrow! It will probably just rain, but how cool is the idea of snow here? I think the snow comes about once every 5-10 years. A friend of mine from work told me the last time it snowed here was back in 1999. Marsha (Hugs and Hope) is helping me edit my book and it should be going to the publisher sometime next week. Keep your fingers crossed! Got my back therapy AND needles after work today so for a couple days I should feel a little better! Please continue to hope and pray for a cure for childhood blindness. Thank you, Laura, Bronson, and Colton UPDATE: 2-12-06 My boys are getting FIVE days off from school! They had an honor roll field trip last Thursday to Knott's Berry Farm but I didn't have the sick days left so they had to skip the trip. I'll take them one day. :) On Friday, their school had an "inservice" for the teachers, so they had that day off too. The boys have this weekend off and then they get Monday off as well- we get two President's day holidays, Feb. 13 AND Feb. 20th! You can't beat that! The kids and I went to a few yard sales this morning but mainly it was just fun spending time with them. Last night they both made me cards with heart cut-outs. These two boys are my very favorite Valentines! I think we'll be going to Aspen, Colorado in either April or sometime in July. We will be going to a ski camp that runs year around activities for people with disabilities. We're excited-and it's just another great place for the boys to see! Since we rarely go places besides up north, it will be great for both boys to experience a new and different place. This is an activity that Amy Grant set up with the people at Challenge Aspen. How cool is that? She is just such a sweetheart! One of the main things the camp does is to teach disabled people to ski. And I believe it all started with the owner being intrigued with the idea of teaching a blind person to ski. I'll keep you all posted on this newest adventure for my kids as I get more information. I have to make eye appointments for both Bronson and Colton in a couple months. Colton will be getting new glasses and Bronson will be checked again to see if his blood vessels have continued to thin out- I hope not... I can't stand the thought of my other son going blind as well. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Valentine's Day to all! Thank you for stopping by and please sign in and say hello! Thank you for keeping my kids and me in your prayers. From our home to yours, Laura and her sons UPDATE: 2-4-06 Well, thank goodness for Fridays! I'm so glad the weekend is here! Bronson had a nice birthday last weekend. I bought him an electric guitar from K-mart and a video game. I baked him a cake but it was kind of last minute.. so, his "real" party is tomorrow. At 2pm he is having several friends over for a pizza party. I still can't believe he is getting older... I had my spine decompression treatment today after work and it took some of the pain away, thank goodness. I am hoping to win the lottery and retire. One day... Both of my boys made Honor roll again! Bronson had a B+ average (92% or so) and Colton's school average was 98% so he made Principal's Honor roll! I am so proud of both of them. No matter how tired I get, raising these two kids forces me to keep pushing forward. When I get such good news it helps me stay focused on them and not on my own pain. Thank you for stopping by to check on my boys. Please sign in and say hello. Please remember the Foundation Fighting Blindness and click that link above. :) Love, Laura and her sons UPDATE: 1-24-06 I got a phone call at work today and had a message to contact the local leader of the Boy Scouts of America. When I called him he told me he had seen my boys on "Three Wishes" and wanted to extend lifetime memberships to me and my two boys. He also said the Scouts would include their uniforms and textbooks-- that they like to reach out to disabled and ill youth. I had thought about putting the boys in Boy Scouts but when Colton was diagnosed everything kind of went south. The man is sending out applications today and when we return them the boys will be registered. I haven't felt well lately so this was a nice thing to happen for the boys. That's our exciting news for the week. :) UPDATE: 1-23-06 It was a fairly uneventful weekend. We went to the grocery store and a yard sale yesterday. I did housework all day long on Saturday and part of today. This morning we went to church, then came home and had lunch. Real exciting, huh? :) Weekends just seem to fly by, yet the weekdays drag on. I think everyone can agree with that. I worry a lot about Colton learning Braille. He does practice but I have to get after him. I just wish he were more thrilled about it. But how exciting is learning Braille going to be to a little boy who would rather play with his video games? Not very. I do explain to him that Braille will be his way of communicating on paper one day but I don't know that he really understands. It would be neat if someone could create a "fun" way for kids to learn Braille but I haven't found anything out there. Colton's Braille instructor stopped by his school the other day to check on him. Colton promised he will work harder. I am hoping he can learn to "Z" by June. He knows A-I now- and that has been in THREE years! Of course he didn't really try until this year either. I think I was so devastated by his disease I didn't push him as much as I should have either. It's been a hard last three years, to say the least. Colton told me his teacher just started having him practice at school- but he should have been practicing all year long. I'm sure George (Braille teacher) had a little talk with his teacher. Hopefully it will stick and she will set aside a little time each day for his practice. I do the best I can but I have such limited time during the week with my kids too. Sometimes I feel that I am teaching him all on my own and that's a lot of stress on me. Bronson helped me do housework this weekend. My back has hurt all weekend. I had acupuncture on Friday and even though it helps in the long run, I get achy for a couple days afterward. My chiropractor told me I should expect my pain to NEVER go away so I was pretty sad at that news. I asked him if he could prescribe some painkillers so I can sleep better at night but he just told me to take Tylenol PM. My back has progressively worsened the past few years but this past year or 18 months has been very hard. It affects my hips and legs now too. If I sit too long I can't walk when I get up. I am so stiff. The doctor said there is nothing they can do for me. My back feels best if I lie on my side or walk around so I do alot of that on the weekends. Ever night I pray to God to somehow let my back last me another 25 years to retirement. Anyhow, Bronson has been better about helping. I don't complain to my kids but I think they know I'm sick. I guess I do tend to use this page to vent so just bear with me. I would rather gripe on a computer than let my kids know what's happening. I can't believe Bronson is going to be THIRTEEN in a few days! It seems like he was just in Kindergarten a few years ago- and now I will have a teenager! Ahhh!!! Before long he will be moving out- or going to college... a strange thought. When Bronson was in Kindergarten he went to private school up in Crescent City. He loved it! Colton was just an infant so he was in daycare. Everytime we go visit we drive by the school and Bronson has fond memories. This last month Bronson went by to see his friend, Josh. Actually I took all three boys to the movies and to Ocean World. They had fun! Josh is looking like a teenager so it was very strange. It's just strange to see your kids grow up- I don't know how else to put it. When we were up north I saw that someone bought my dream house. Well, good for them! I could never afford it anyhow though I did have fantasies of having a camp for blind kids. Maybe one day. I got some bad news I don't think I have shared yet. Well, I had submitted that book about two years ago. They wanted to keep it and said they were definitely interested. Anyhow, I phoned the other day for an update. The man told me they are going to mail back my book- not because they didn't like it- but because they had a "research company" come in and tell them that they should only print books that are already in print- in other words, they should only take EXISTING books and turn them into Braille. The man was very nice and apologized that they had kept my book for so long. I wish they would have known that before but I guess they didn't. Two years is a long time to hold onto a product before returning it. The bad thing is that one of the secretaries told me not to submit it to anyone else while they had it. So, two years wasted. I don't even know if I'm going to shop it with another publisher. I'm tired. We get a week off at the first of April and I'm looking forward to some rest. I'm not sure if Challenge Aspen will work out or not. I hope so. I think that would be fun for my kids. But if there is a huge cost, we will pass it up. Colton loves the snow but I don't want to take advantage of anyone's generosity. Have a great week, Laura and the boys UPDATE: 1-19-06 It's been raining here today- on and off- but mostly off. The boys are at church tonight and I think it's raining again... I stayed home. I came down with a rotten cold- which is what I deserve for bragging that I haven't had a cold in nearly a year! Luckily it seems to be going away and I am starting to feel better today. Colton had his Braille teacher come the other day and he promised George that he would learn all his Braille letters. I know it's hard for my son but he isn't working up to his potential either. Every night I have him practice. I just hope it's enough that he catches on one day. I wish he loved his Brailler as much as he loves those video games! I need to order a copy of "Hugs, Hope, and Peanut Butter" and see the boys illustrations. That will be fun! It will be neat for them to see their work in a book too. Bronson is a real talented artist. His b-day falls first, then his little brother's. Bronson wants an electric guitar for his b-day. I saw one at Wal-Mart for 110.00 that includes a "how to" book. I think I might surprise him with that on his special day. I go to the chiropractor and acupuncturist on Friday and I can't wait! I'm in so much pain. Just a couple more days... We still miss Crescent City and I always search for those "telecommuting" jobs but they just aren't there. We do have a beautiful home, a wonderful school for the boys, and I have a great job. For that, we are thankful. But we never stop dreaming of going back... UPDATE: 1-13-06 Monday, January 9, 2006 11:19 PM CST My boys went back to school today. Everything went fine until I saw Colton at dinner tonight and noticed he had a huge egg on the side of his forehead. Evidently he had walked into the classroom door. I never will get used to all these accidents. I took the boys to pizza tonight at our local Italian restaurant. It cost a pretty penny but we don't go out to eat too much so we splurged, what can I say? This week we have another three day weekend. I can't believe the school year is already 50ver! I am hopeful we can go to Aspen, Colorado over spring break. We shall have to wait and see. That would be another great experience for Colton! Thanks for checking in and have a great week, Laura UPDATE: 1-3-06 Well, we arrived home at about midnight last night. Needless to say, we had a great time! We didn't do much up north- it was raining hard every day we were there- but we love it up in Crescent City so we didn't mind. One day the boys took Josh (their childhood friend) out to see Cheaper By The Dozen 2 and to Ocean World. The rest of the days we just went shopping, hung out with some friends up there, tried to get in touch with Louise (another friend of ours) but had no luck... on New Year's it stormed very hard! We stayed in the motel that overlooks the ocean. The winds were about 70mph. It was wild! The drive home was bad- it took 15 hours instead of the usual twelve. We couldn't get down via highway 101 so we had to go over the "199" to Grants Pass, Oregon and then over and down the "5.". We were stopped on two mountain peaks due to snow, were rear ended by a big truck, and so on. (The road was slippery!) I did the drive on ZERO sleep as I was the "designated driver" the night before. And then last night I only got six hours of sleep. That's ok- I'll get to bed early tonight. We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and we wish a happy new year for everyone! Thanks for stopping in and saying hello! Love, Laura and the boys ADDED: 7-6-05 Condition=Retinitis Pigmentosa Comments: Colton Chase is the adorable son of Laura, and brother of Bronson. He is facing blindness from a rare and incurable eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa. Please feel free to drop us a line! Happy July Fourth! In our town we watched fireworks last night so tonight the boys are just doing some fireworks in our cul-de-sac. We spent about twenty bucks and bought some snappers, "crazy eyeballs," "snakes," etc... oh- Bronson also added, "Purple Rain." They're just little firecrackers for the kids. Last night we went to the fireworks show and I couldn't help but wonder how long Colton has left to see them. He had to squint because his glasses are still in another state somewhere, getting new lenses. I'm hoping he gets them back pretty soon. He's all bruised from crashing into things. He said he liked the "sound" anyhow, which is better than nothing, right? I have nine days left to teach summer school and then I have a whole month off! Woo Hoo! I hope to take the boys to a couple places but mostly we're just going to take it easy- I have some cleaning projects around the house I need to do. I had planned on going to check out North Carolina but I'm thinking we'll postpone that trip to December. Just too little money- but that's ok. I am so happy to be working close to home I just can't tell you! It will be cheaper in the long run- and easier for the boys and myself so that's what really counts. My last paycheck was June 30th and I don't get my next one until September 30. I do have a little money in my regular savings account and I will have my summer school check. We'll be fine- just no trip this summer. Last night my dad called me and told me to turn on PBS. They were doing a special on the four corners of California and last night they featured the "Northwest corner" of the state. WOW! They interviewed the people who run Battery Point Lighthouse as well as the man who runs the Ship Ashore resort. They drove right past the street we lived on! It was a great show and the boys and I all watched it, feeling homesick. Bronson made the comment that he is still "acclimated" to that cool weather. I told them we're so lucky mom landed a great new teaching job so close to home- but if we win the lotto we'll move back- or to somewhere cooler-- and maybe start a school for the blind. I don't obsess about leaving but a person shouldn't give up their dreams either. I really like to help kids. Teaching is nice but it's not as "child-centered" as it used to be, thanks to our government. I wish I could be involved in full-time charity work. And truthfully, Bakersfield is a lot bigger city than we're used to- we are small town people at heart. We do live in a small town on the outskirts of Bakersfield but it's still too close- too much smog, etc.... my allergies are going crazy and I haven't stopped coughing for three weeks. I thought it was just a leftover symptom of my cold-- but no, it's allergies. In a couple more weeks we have Colton's UCLA appointment- which I am NOT looking forward to. I'm irritated we have to go down on TWO separate days instead of just one, but that's out of our control. I worry that my older son will develop this same disease. Worry, worry, worry... Oh well. It will all be over soon enough. Two more weeks to testing and three to that dreaded appointment. My b-day is the 16th but I am not celebrating it as I'll be worried too much. I'm too old for parties but my kids usually bake me a cake every birthday. What I always do is take them somewhere special on my b-day- like to Chuck-E-Cheese. Perhaps I'll try to do that. No use showing them my fear I suppose. We wish you and your family a wonderful July Fourth holiday. God bless our troops and bring them home soon- and safe. Love, Laura and her boys