Mommy.... It's my favorite name

  Today was a long day! Jimmy and I left early this morning to drive to Mercy Children’s in Kansas City, MO only to   return back home all in the same day. BUT…… Today is the first day in a long time that my favorite ten-year-old could hear ‘normal’ for the first time!   It was just Jimmy and me in the car for 10 hours and I would do it all again tomorrow to hear him say as we walked outside for the first time, “mom, I can hear you so well! Mom, I love your voice!” For anyone who has listened to my worry, my fears and my tears as I tried to work through what was the best path forward for my son, THANK YOU!!! Today was it!!! This all started 18-months ago when we received a note home from school saying that Jimmy had failed two hearing test and that we needed to see a third party audiologist. I truly thought nothing of this, ‘maybe he had an ear infection? Or likely just wasn’t paying attention because he’s an 8-year-old boy?’ But In June of 2020 (still the height of COVID), I brou

 Signing my Last Baby Up for Kindergarten I just signed up my last baby for kindergarten. I was newly pregnant with her when I did this the first time with her oldest brother, and I blinked and she’s old enough to go.   She is beyond ready; I almost wish I could have sent her last year. But thankful for one more year of daycare, one more year to be insulated from the ‘real world’ Our schools are amazing, but it’s heavy on a mama’s heart to let them spread their wings a bit. The real world isn’t always kind. It can be unforgiving and ruthless. And while I continue to hope that our world evolves the obstacles that girls (and women) face is different than their male peers. The love I have for all of my children is the same, but as a woman I know the challenges that lay ahead. Addi Jo, I cannot wait to see what you do next! My prayer for you is that you maintain your powerhouse, bigger than life personality. It okay to be “too much” for some people, the right people will like you as you