Day #1 Continued.....

After M & M World, we walked across the street (no easy feat), to the New York- New York hotel. The entire hotel is a replica of everything New York... the streets, the architecture, even a Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor in front of the hotel. We walked around, had ice cream, and went to Coney Island.... which is the entire upstairs of the hotel... complete with rides, arcades, and the Coney Island fortune teller! Here are some photos of New York and Coney Island:

Fun Day #1 in Las Vegas...

Everything went smoothly.. other than flying on Delta Airlines.... got the rental car, and had some time to kill prior to checking into our hotel... the Blackstone, which is not directly on Las Vegas Blvd.... the Strip,.. but a mile or so off the main drag where it is slightly quieter. ____________________________________________________ So, we parked the car at the MGM Grande and started walking thru the hotel looking for the Lion Exhibit, only to find out that the lions are no longer there:(, as they are doing a renovation of the MGM and creating a new "image". Kind of wish they would have removed that part off of their website:((( We wanted to see the lions because they are the direct descendants of the original MGM lion... oh well....so, we started walking down the strip and came to the 4-story M & M World... a huge touristy store with nothing but every possible item relating to M & M's. I told Jasmine that she could buy only one item.. and of course.. she went to this big wall full of different colored M & M's and mixed them all in a bag... which is what you are supposed to do. She had her choice of earrings, necklaces, clothes... or many other things.... and of course, she chose the big M & M wall!!! Next, we went to a 3-D M & M movie inside the store. I figured it was all Jazzy was going to get for Vision Therapy for the day:)) When I asked her if she could see people, etc popping out at her, at first she said "No", then she said "Yes", ... so I think she did... but maybe not as much as other people do. ______________________________________________________ Hello Kitty was on the side walk, and of course .. we had to have a picture taken with her.... _________________________________________________________A fiasco: trying to find our car. We walked around every entrance to the MGM that we could find.... looking for our car. We spent over an hour just walking, and both of us were getting very tired. We finally had to ask one of the bell guys to drive us around to find it. That one hotel is bigger than all of the terminals of the Las Vegas Airport put together. I am really not exaggerating!!! ___________________________________________________________ Finally made it back to the hotel and to dinner at PF Chang's China Bistro... only because it was across the street from our hotel. We had other plans for tonight... but there is NO WAY we are doing anything. We are way too tired.

Salt Lake City....

Stopping for awhile (involuntarily) in SLC on the way to LV. Delta does not have a direct flight... so we are taking a 1 hour flight... and stretching it into 4 hours. Only one nice thing.... flying directly over the Grand Canyon. I don't think I've done that in years.... just reminds me how vast it is.

Vision Therapy to Vegas!!!

Busy day getting ready to go to Vegas. First, Vision Therapy a day early. Jasmine has progressed since last year, but is still not fully seeing stereoscopically. That is the issue for people with amblyopia- they can see somewhat clearly at a distance, but not 3-dimensionally. When we first moved into our house with stairs, she fell down them often...because they just looked flat to her. She is doing better with that, but still not fully seeing 3- dimensionally the way she is supposed to. Doing various exercises in Vision Therapy with Linda Hardee, CVT (Certified Vision Therapist).. whom Jazzy just loves! Playing "tetherball" with special glasses. Doing an exercise where she has to color triangles pointing up or down, right or left ... with different colors using both the left and right hand... with special colored glasses that make the more damaged left eye work harder. Using the glasses again, and using more of the left eye.. and circling A, B, C.s... Then we did 100 errands, got pedicures, and took Jessie-dog to babysitter Tina Smith.. where she gets to play with little creatures of her own species for a change. She loves other dogs.... and cats... and kids.... so she it is like a little "summer camp" for her:)!

Funny:)

Every Friday... the Dobson Academy group goes to the Chandler Water Park. Apparently, today the lifeguard told the kids that if they pee in the pool, the water will turn purple!! So, today... in a very serious tone Jasmine asked..."Mommy, is it true that the pool turns purple if you pee in it".... I said "That is absolutely true!!"... "And make sure you tell all your friends"... That prompted alot of other questions.. "Well, how do they do that?" "What is the name of the chemical?" "What IS a chemical"... SO many questions just from one little statement! Apparently, a police officer came to Dobson Academy today to talk to the kids about something or another... rules/laws/something. I heard that Jasmine raised her hand and asked the cop, "What happens when you put handcuffs on someone?"...I'm not sure exactly what he said... "Well, we take them to jail". And that prompted many other questions... Never ending questions:)) !!

Day 3 of two week Swim Camp...

With Coach Brett..... Swim Camp for two weeks at Aspire Sports Center in Chandler.....

Drama Presentation....

Jazzy and friends performed a dance to "Moves Like Jagger", a couple of other presentations... then each group of 3-4 kids did a commercial. Now I found out where the laundry soap answer came from.. but I still cannot figure out the chocolate connection. Each group had to "produce" their own commercial, create and sing a jingle, make a "background" of some sort, then perform it as if they were on TV:)) Jasmine's group of 3 girls did a commercial on laundry soap... and her only line was "that's amazing"!! The "amphitheater" was outside, and their performances were in a semi- outdoor room. I almost had heat stroke since we waited outside in 108 degrees for them to practice for a few minutes.... then do their performances. Couldn't get cooled down for hours, but it was worth it. After the show, Jazzy went to the Hamilton Chandler water park with Briannah and some of her other friends!:) I've never been there, but they apparently have all kinds of slides and big water guns/ toys. When I picked her up, I asked her if she was too tired to go to ice skating lessons, or maybe we could wait until Saturday morning and do a make up class..... "Oh, no, no, no.... I definitely want to go ice skating". Ten seconds into the car ride, she was snoring away.. then didn't want to wake up to go into the ice rink. I said "too bad, so sad"... we're going in now. So right now she is skating and will probably collapse in the car in a few minutes!!:) Performing the laundry soap commercial:) The whole group. Jasmine's friend McKenzie is the taller girl, second from the right, upper row. Her left shoulder is turned toward the front. MacKenzie also goes to Dobson Academy, as well as the same gym.. "Gold Medal Gymnastics". Jazzy and McKenzie hang around together whenever possible!