Superstar

Ashton made the news. His school had a halloween parade and the local news station was there filming it. He comes in at about 33 seconds, and is in between a bunny and a girl dancing around in a princess dress. He even briefly holds up his arms to show off the spider costume I made. 

Click to watch Ashtons 7 seconds of fame

Step aside Beethoven

2 Teeth Missing

This morning Ashton was brushing his teeth and another tooth fell out. He was really excited and came running downstairs to share the good news. This is what Ashton had to say about it...

"It is like a party in my mouth and two people left"

Add one to the list

Today Tal and I had a date to Children's Mercy Hospital. I've never been and really only seen the commercials asking for donations. All I knew was it was one of the most well known and best children's hospitals in the country. Driving up to this place it looks like freaking disneyland. There are fountains and kid themed sculptures twirling about. If I was a kid I would totally be fine with going there. I'm an adult and want to find a reason to be admitted!

The purpose of our visit was to have a chat with the allergist. First, though, we had to find a parking spot and overcome my disorientation. I've never been so lost in my life. There's hospital hill and Rainbow Road and a few others that I can't remember,  and on no sign to I see any Mickey Mouse glove pointing to the allergy clinic. After asking about 14 people I was finally on my way up Hospital Hill which IS actually a freaking hill. Me, with my hurt back, carrying 26 pound Talan, and 15 pound diaper bag up a 3 story hill. The best part? There were elevators right outside the allergy clinic. Nice. 

So we get in the room with the Doctor. Turns out he used to be in the airforce as a pediatrician and just came to Children's Mercy 3 months ago to learn to be an allergist. It takes 2 years. By the end of the appointment I felt like we had accomplished more than when we saw Dr. Mante who has been an allergist for several years. He said that both skin tests and blood tests are equal. Skin tests are nice because they tell you immediately what you are allergic to, but blood tests give you an actual reading of how extreme your allergy is. They, however, don't test for anything that he hasn't had a reaction to.

I allowed him to do the skin test. He did 5 pricks: dogs, peanuts, eggs, histamine (control), and saline. Much easier than I expected too. Tal didn't even know he got pricked. After 15 minutes the results could be read. The skin test told us Tal is allergic to peanuts and eggs. The next step was having a blood test so we can see what his levels are. This is important because when he is tested again in a couple years we want to know if the levels are going down or staying the same. 

The doctor said that he thinks it is best to completely remove the allergen from your diet and that gives you the best chance of outgrowing it. Even though Tal has been eating things that are made with eggs, he's never had a reaction because it has never been enough eggs to cause a reaction. The problem is he is still feeding to the allergy. I do think he will grow out of the eggs, the peanuts are another story. He said just from looking at his skin test his peanut allergy was most likely not going to go away any time soon. 

So we somehow found our way to the car after 37 elevator stops....no freaking joke. Tomorrow starts the new diet. Tal can have anything except for, of course, peanuts and anything made with eggs....oh, and no flu shot since the vaccine is made in chicken embryos. 

Just like dad

Ashton and I went on a run tonight. When we got home he was talking 10,000 words a minute about how he could run the Army 10 Miler with Brad and his unbelievable lightening speed. At some point this is what came out of his mouth.

A: Man, when I'm like 20 if I'm still this skinny I'm going to have to start running with my shirt off.

Me: Why? What does that do?

A: It helps me get married faster. Girls just like to look at boys with their shirts off. 

talan gave himself a makeover...

Seriously, is 2008 over yet? This has to be the absolute worst year of my life! Either that, or I have broken too many mirrors, walked under too many ladders or came in contact with too many black cats. 

Today started off bad when Tal decided not to nap. Because of this, he was a very unhappy child by the time 5:00 rolled around. Ashton was doing homework at the table. His very first homework assignment EVER I might add. I was sitting next to him with Tal screaming on my lap. I reached my arm over to Ashton's paper to point at his homework paper. That is when Talan thought it would be a fabulous idea to fling himself forward and ram his face into the corner of the table. He started crying even more. I kept checking his face out, but couldnt see where he had hit. I was sure he hit his nose and it was broken. His face made a loud sound on the table. I didn't see anything besides his bright red face from screaming for the past hour. 

We finally sat down to dinner where Tal enjoyed bananas and texas toast. I glanced at him and saw something funny in his mouth. I thought he had eaten something not on the dinner menu. When I got a closer look this is what I saw....

I can't even handle it. His mouth is going to be this way for the next 8 or so years! I will have to tell him to smile with his lips closed. Snaggletooth

Due to an incident involving Ashton, a dog, a glass door and a piece of cement the size of his face he was grounded "from anything that looks like it might be fun" was I believe how I worded it. I should know that I need to be more specific. 

At dinner Ashton asked if he could have dessert. It was decided that dessert would be fun so the answer was no. Ashton retaliated with "dessert isn't fun! It tastes fun but it doesn't LOOK fun." I will chose my words more carefully next time. 

The lives of Ashton and Talan

Ashton likes doing "man stuff"

We are so not buying that, Ashton!!
Would you walk into target with this? I've given Ashton complete freedom to dress how he wants. Sometimes I wonder what he is thinking, but its only clothes, right?

The laundry basket in the kitchen has provided a ton of fun!!! 

Tal doesn't know it, but his future wife is in the laundry basket. He enjoyed pushing her around the kitchen. 

We are soon going to have to upgrade from a hand towel. Although, I guess it really doesn't matter. He usually only makes it to the doorway before he rips off his towel and streaks through the house.

The illegals across the street had music so Tal paused to show us some moves.

His hair is looking more red.
Mid Toys-R-Us shopping Tal decided to pause and practice his Michael Jackson move. Julie....he's ready for the birthday dance off.

Talan and I have been enjoying the park lately. I've never taken Tal to the park by himself. He is always the tag-along when we take Ashton. In Virginia he only liked the swings, he couldn't really do anything else. 

Since the weather has been so perfect lately, and since Tal has been really wanting to explore outside I wanted to take him to the park a few times before it gets cold. He is definitely a toddler. Ashton was much more laid back. Talan doesn't give me a chance to sit down. He is always moving. He no longer likes the swings becuase that is way too boring  just sitting there. He practically screamed like I was ending his life when I put him in the swing. No....he's a slide guy now. The entire stay at the park is spent going up the ramp, down the slide, up the ramp, down the slide...repeat until it is time to go home. Sometimes he makes me nervous when he gets too excited and forgets to sit and tries to surf down the slide, but he has so far reached the bottom without a scrape. The best part of his slide addiction is his hair. He has the most amazing static slide hair I've ever seen. 

If I get zits when I'm older then that means Heavenly Father is back-sassing me.

--Ashton