This morning John Francis and Jose had appointments with an opthalmologist. The neurosurgeon said that it is important for kids with spina bifida to get their eyes checked, especially if we know they have hydrocephalus, because they can see if there is pressure on the optic nerve. Jose was diagnosed with a cataract when he was a toddler, so this was to see how his eyes are doing now that he is in school. We got very good news for both--Jose's cataract has disappeared and his eyes are doing great. John's eyes are very healthy and he has normal vision. I am a thankful mommy today! Therese will have her eye appointment next week, and we are also waiting for the urodynamics testing to be rescheduled that got cancelled this week.
This afternoon is the big cooking day for Thanksgiving dinner, and I will be making all the pies--1 shoo-fly, 3 pecan, and 4 pumpkin, and cooking all the components like rice and millet and cornbread that go in the carrot loaf and dressing. Now that we have eaten a plant-based diet for several years, we have developed a traditional menu that is vegan and low in fat. I also make the fresh cranberries into a delicious sauce without sugar. My sister found the recipe a few years ago and I just love it. The leftovers taste super on pumpkin waffles with maple syrup! The kids love to see Mom cooking all the good stuff. John seems very excited about his first Thanksgiving in the USA. Of course he likes eating at any time, but the pies are the first he has ever seen me make, and he is enthusiastically pointing out things and saying, "I like it, this one! My favorite, this one!" I'm not sure how he will like the main dish of carrot loaf, but with pie for dessert I'm sure everyone will eat their assigned portions of that and veggies.
