Summer Project Completion

For years, Jim and I have talked about wanting to improve our deck, and by improve I mean rip down the whole thing and start from scratch.  You see, our deck was small; too small for a patio table, too small for many people to stand on (you get the idea).  It was also falling apart.  Stairs were sagging and sinking into the ground, nails were popping out, and some boards even looked like they might be starting to rot.  Well, rewind to the beginning of June when we finally decided that this summer would be the summer we rebuilt our deck!

Fortunately for our bank account, my annual yard sale almost paid for the entire project (well, at least the lumber...and yes, it was a good yard sale this year).  The painstaking work began the following weekend and Jim realized that the old deck wasn't going to be as easy to take down as he thought.  It took many weeks, lots of sweat, and some arguing (because what home improvement project is complete without an argument?) but we now have a completed project!  It's nice having a handy husband!

Here is what the deck looked like before...

Disregard the pinata, I just have very few pictures of the old deck.

And here is the deck after (I didn't upload the "during" photos yet).

Recital, Graduation, and Birthdays, Oh My!

May is a busy month in the Wallace household, and this year it seemed even busier than usual.  It all started with the ending of preschool for Kaci.  That very same weekend was not only Mother's Day, but also Kaci's dance recital.  The day was raining (which affected her hairdo) but she loved every minute being on the stage performing for everyone.  Her favorite part, however, is when everyone gives her flowers at the end of the performance.

The next big event on the calendar was Kelsey's graduation from high school.  Seems hard to believe that 4 years of high school are already over (although, my wallet won't miss paying for private school tuition) but she's now ready for the next phase of life. 

The final big event of the month were Kaci's 5th birthday and Kelsey's 18th birthday.  Since the girls birthdays are only 2 days apart and graduation happened the week before, I only had to throw 1 party!  But I still had to buy 3 cakes.

Although it was a terribly busy month, it was still full of wonderful events that created great memories. 

It's Over

Preschool is officially over and my baby big girl is now officially a kindergartener.  Even saying the word makes me tear up.  Kaci, however, is overjoyed by the fact that next year she will go to school all day, eat lunch in the cafeteria, and will get to begin and end her day coming to my classroom.  While I am excited to enter this new phase of life, and I quite saddened by it all because she is no longer a baby, no longer a toddler, no longer a preschooler, but now a full-fledged big girl.  Just looking at the pictures shows you how much she has changed over the past 2 years.  Where did the time go?

Her first day of preschool - August 2010

Her last day of preschool - May 2012

Soup With Seuss

I am such a terrible blogger lately, but I really do have an excuse and it's called "Graduate School".  But now that my classes are over for the semester, I can start to focus on some other aspects of my life. 

One of the things I finally got around to doing the other day was to upload pictures from my camera to my computer.  I haven't touched that since Christmas.  YIKES!  Anyway, I forgot to share about our evening of fun at our school's annual Soup With Seuss event. 

The Soup With Seuss event began when I taught at A.D.Owens the year I was pregnant with Kaci.  When my dear friend Shannon moved to Crossroads a few years ago, she brought the event with her.  I must admit that this event is near and dear to my heart (somewhat because I had a part to play in it's start) but  mostly because it is a reminder of how far Kaci has come.  You see, 5 years ago (well, 5 years ago back in February) I had scheduled a visit from The Cat in the Hat to visit our primary students and arranged for him to stay that evening for our event.  Plus, I had a bookstore lined up to be at our event selling Dr. Seuss books (which the Cat autographed!).  Needless to say, there was going to be a lot going on from my end that night.  However, the day before all of this was to take place was the day we went to the doctor to find out if the baby I was carrying was a boy or a girl.  WHAM!!!  We were hit with the news that Kaci was a girl and that she had gastroschisis.  As big of a wreck as I was, we knew that school was the best place for me to be the next day (plus I hate to not follow through on things I start...even in the midst of a crisis) so off to school I went the next day (it was pretty much a blur).  That day we wound up going to see a specialist and got some 3-D pictures of Kaci and then Jim and I rushed back to school for the family event (he was such a trooper to work the even with me that night).  I even bought a book that evening for my precious little girl Inside Your Outsides (quite appropriate I thought).

Back to the present time.  Each year Kaci has attended the Soup With Seuss event she has done fairly well, with the exception of one thing - The Cat in the Hat!  Every picture I have of us with him involves her screaming or crying.  She just didn't like The Cat.  Well, this year she insisted that 4 year-olds that are going into kindergarten next year are brave so she would take her picture with him.  Yeah right!  I told her I would believe it when I saw it. 

I guess she proved me wrong!

Shannon reading all the kids a story at the beginning of the event.

Face painting

Shannon, Kaci, Rylee, and Maddy

She even went back to see him again!

Making Horton's flower

Making Thing 1 and Thing 2 handprints

Green Eggs and Ham race (her favorite)

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

No, I'm not talking about the Revolutionary War, I'm talking about my child (and this proves even more how much like me she really is). 

Today, Jim took Kaci for her check-up with the nephrologist for her kidney disease.  She pleasantly refers to him as the pee-pee doctor since he makes her pee in a cup at each appointment.  Well, Jim and I knew that this visit was going to require some blood work to check on her kidney functions since she hasn't had any taken in almost a year.  Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am petrified of shots.  Seriously...petrified.  I hate them with a passion!  I guess I passed this gene on to my child.

According to Jim (hey, wasn't a TV show?), the minute Kaci heard the word "blood" she started to freak out.  She even pulled a classic Mommy move when she screamed in pain as they wiped her arm with the alcohol pad.  And you can only imagine how she reacted when the needle actually penetrated the skin.  YIKES!  It took Jim and the nurse to hold her still long enough to get a sample (and this includes stopping her from ripping the whole apparatus out of her arm-almost causing her to have another needle stick) all while she screamed bloody murder.  It reminded me of the time it took my mom, the doctor, and 2 nurses to hold me down just to get my finger pricked.  I'm also the lady that wasn't afraid of giving birth, only afraid of the IV they would want to put in my arm.  Anyway, Jim said that when they walked out, the whole waiting room cocked their heads and gave them a pitiful look.  The kind that says, "I heard everything and I know your pain."

The truth of the matter is that Kaci will have many more needle sticks in her lifetime and I can only hope the experience gets better, but if she's anything like her mother, it won't.

On a happy note, my baby now weighs 32 1/2 pounds and her kidney function is doing so well that she won't need to be seen for 6 more months (versus 3).  Woo hoo!

Preschool Performance

Earlier this week, Kaci's preschool class performed some nursery rhymes at a parent night.  Here are some clips of Kaci's performance.  Enjoy!

Procrastination

3 assignments.  That's all I have left to complete this semester and I am really struggling to get them started or finished.  I'm always griping at Kelsey or my sister to not procrastinate and now it seems that I'm the one having issues.  I just need the motivation to get them started and finished.  Time to dig down deep and remember that classes will be over in a month and then I'll have a short break before my summer class starts.  Wish me luck!