Coming out of the fog

Wow... last post was in April and it was super dooper outdated.  All I can say is SORRY!  There is really no way I can even begin to catch up from where I left off, so I guess I will just have to give you the short list and attempt to not slack off anymore.

Life is crazy busy... that is fact, not an excuse. 

If I am not going 90 to nothing, then I feel like something is wrong.

Where are we now....
 
Todd-

• Still the associate principal of a school full of middle schoolers. 
• Still an avid hunter with no time to hunt and a deer lease that tends to be more of a place to go work your butt off for the weekend rather than hunt. 
• Gone garden crazy... we have lots of different veggies and herbs planted.  Sometimes I think the multiple gardens are just a way to take over the space that I keep claiming as the spot the pool will be built.
• Still running on occasions.

Kaelin-

• started 1st grade and is LOVING it.  She feels like she is such a big girl because she is at "big school"
• still doing jazz
• still doing gymnastics
• still playing softball
• has become such a great helper with Macie
• she LOVES her little sister

Macie-

• will be 2 in about 1 month
• the "terrific" 2's started quite a while ago
• total tornado (best way to describe her)
• she talks non-stop and has a vocabulary far beyond her age (sassy attitude far beyond her age too)
• she absolutely idolizes Kaelin (when she grows up, I really think she wants to be Kaelin)

Me-

• still running when I get a chance
• still working as the district coordinator for student assessments
• should seriously trade my car in for a taxi because I am constantly shuttling someone from one place to another
• had an unexpected trip to the hospital at the end of August (worthy of its own post later)

That about sums up the Hicks' and the whirl wind we call life. 

Cake Time

Last birthday blog... I promise.  This is by far my favorite part of Macie's birthday. 

Bring it on!!!  Macie was ready and patiently (for about 30 seconds) waiting for the cake!

Fire scares me a little... don't you remember when I grabbed the candle off of my cupcake a few months ago.

Ummmm... this stuff is pretty good.

Ummm... this stuff is REALLY good.

Dig in...

I think I will give my birthday cake a little massage.

Birthday cake... where????

All that cake make a girl thirsty.

Drink time is over... back to the cake.

Can you see all the cake in my mouth?

I might need a bath after this.  (In fact, Macie got hosed down with the water hose before being allowed in the house).

LOVE THESE 3 Kids!

Party Time

Such a fun day with some really great friends that came out for Macie's 1st birthday party.

Kids coloring their Rock Star posters... who knew kids would be able to sit still and enjoy something like that. The posters turned out great.

Stephanye and Kinley Jo... such sweet friends

Heather and Brandi... love these crazy girls. I am blessed to have such great friends.

Macie was thinking about coloring (or maybe just eating a marker)

Macie was just trying to help Kaelin (who has pink hair and a truck load of pony tails in her hair)

The look on Macie's face is screaming "I desperately need a nap".

Introducing The Rock Star

Hello Rock Star....

Yes... she has a Mohawk....

and I sprayed it pink....

after all... it is a Rock Star party and she had to look the part. Her dress says "Being 1 Rocks" which was half of the inspiration for the Rock Star theme, the other half was Macie's wild personality. It only seemed fitting to have a party that reflected her personality. Zebras, mohawks, guitars, and a rock star stage are all things that scream Macie.

The Rock Star birthday cakes

Continuing on my procrastination journey... I am still updating from Macie's birthday party. But rest assured, I will get off of the birthday party and move to Thanksgiving and Christmas and then sometime over the next year, I might even make it to some topics that are currently going on. Wow... staying current and up-to-date is a daunting task. Don't think I am just running behind on blogging... this is a direct reflection of everything I do right now.

Macie's big birthday cake- fit for a rockstar

Macie's smash cake- wow... wait until you see the "smashing" she did.

Macie's 1 year breakfast

Poor Macie... She looks so sad. She was ready for a nap. She got the breakfast birthday pancakes with a candle in them. (I have done this for Kaelin for the last 5 years, so it is time for the tradition to be carried over to Macie as well).

Enjoying the birthday pancake

Yummy... now I need a nap before my party

Party fit for a Rock Star

Macie's first birthday (remember... this was back in October but my busy life and procrastination got in the way of getting this posted)

Macie's 1st birthday party was fit for a Rock Star.

I was inspired to do a Rock Star theme because of my Rockin' Wild Child. Rock Star just fit her personality. Then I found a super cute dress that just sealed the deal on the party theme. (pictures of the dress and the Rock Star to come in a future post)

The Rock Star Candy Bar- tons of goodies

Rock Star inspired chocolate covered oreos

Rockin' Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

Cake Balls... Yummy

Chocolate covered pretzels

More candy... sorry parents... I am not footing the dental bill

"Girls Rock" blinged out sign

Rock Star Stage

Inflatable guitars for all of the little rock stars

Fun things... the kids made Rock Star posters, colored Rock Star coloring books, and made guitar ornaments.

The VIP table... each little Rock Star got to pick up a back stage pass, some cool 80's inspired glasses, and get their hair sprayed a funky color

The backstage pass

The Rockin' 80's glasses and the Rock Star tatoos. (each of the tables had pictures of Macie throughout the last year- that was probably my favorite part. I just loved seeing where we were and where we are now.- WOW)

The drink table- we had "It rocks being 1" juice and water

This was a super fun party. The theme was very Macie. Although Kaelin left the party saying she wants her next birthday to be Rock Star themed.

Good Morning 1 year old

This was what I went into the morning of my babies 1st birthday. She still has hair equivalent to a wild chicken.

What a year....

We battled a couple of different illnesses (thrush, RSV, etc.) I am not wanting to rush her childhood, but I can honestly say I am glad to put this year behind us from a health standpoint. It was exhausting....

However, I am missing the little baby. She is now such a big girl.

As a one year old... she is crawling... standing... but was not walking on her first birthday. (She began walking about 1 week after she turned one).

She is wearing a size 12 month in clothes.

She is still deeply attached to her binkie.

She says Mama, Dada, Moe Moe (the dog), bye bye, Ninin (Kaelin), and probably a few more words.

Macie can only be described as a live wire. She is a free spirit. She prefers NO SHOES, NO BOWS (yes... I am a little devastated). She pulls her socks off and if you don't have pants or shorts on her, she will pull her diaper off too.

She is definitely a little stinker, but I would NEVER trade for anything in the world. She is perfect in every way.

Her sister is deeply in love with her. I am not sure Kaelin could even imagine life without a Macie in it. This makes my heart so happy.

Pre 1

This was the last picture of Macie as a "Pre One Year Old"

Wow... how the time flew by. I am really not sure where the year went. In fact, there are parts of it that either never happened or must be blocked from my memory because there is truly no way that 12 months passed. In 12 years, I am sure I will be reflecting on the same issue. Time needs to slow down so I can savor it. I feel as though I don't even have time to put events into my memory because they are coming at me in lightning speed.

(Reminder... in an effort to catch up from my blogging hiatus, this picture was taken on October 21)

The Zebra Fairy

In an effort to catch up, I am going back in time. These pictures seem so long ago now because Macie has grown so much. But, in reality, they are just from October.

For Halloween, Macie was a rocking Zebra Fairy (with no shoes because shoes are way too confining and this girl does not do confining)

If that face does not spell trouble, then I do not know what does.

I AM BACK

My blogging hiatus is officially over.
My procrastination is over (or at least on a dwindling pace).
My being late to everything is becoming being late to some things.

Last year I said "no New Year's Resolutions". I would just wait until the end of the year to see what I accomplished and those items would be retroactively put into place as my 2011 New Year's Resolutions.

So I ask myself... How did that work out for you?

Not so well...
In reflection, I accomplished nothing.
Which is probably not true, but having no goals, missions, or even a TO DO list results in just a feeling of no accomplishments.

I managed to raise a baby into a 15 month old WILD CHILD.
I managed to get my big girl through her first semester of kindergarten with a willingness to return for semester two.

New Year's Resolutions 2012 will come later (they have been established, but I will share later when I have time to put them into an organized fashion).

Wardrobe Change

This is just a downright funny story that I will repeat at Kaelin's graduation, wedding, and any other function that calls for a funny Kaelin story.

This happened about 6 weeks ago, so I am a little slow getting around to posting it, but it is sooooo worth sharing.

Shortly after the start of kindergarten, Kaelin came home with a little bag of her clothes and a note that said she had an accident in her pants at school.

I always send a little bag of clothes in Kaelin's backpack, just in case she gets dirty - or has an accident.

So, Kaelin and I talked about the accident. No big deal. Right?????

I was thinking, new school, new rules, she just must not have down potty routine yet.

So... about one week later...

Another bag... another note...

Kaelin and I talk AGAIN... I give her the whole "you don't want to be the kid that pee's in her pants at school" story.

I think I got through to her...

A couple more days go by...

ANOTHER BAG.... ANOTHER NOTE

REALLY... this time Kaelin and I talk, but there is not "oh it is okay... accidents happen..." mess. This time I mean business. What is going on???

Kaelin's response "Well... I just needed to go and I could not make it".

A few more days go by...

ANOTHER BAG... ANOTHER NOTE

Another talk, but this time with Dad.... This talk does not go the way Kaelin thinks it is going to go. He has no sympathy. He tells her there will be NO BAG... NO NOTE. She seemed to understand... so we thought...

A few more days go by....

I go up to Kaelin's school to surprise her for lunch. As soon as I checked into the office and walked around the corner, I ran into Kaelin... with a bag of clothes in her hand. She was going to the nurse.

Kaelin had a deer in headlights look on her face.

BUSTED...

I go into the nurses office with her to find out what is going on. Is she not being allowed to go to the bathroom???? Is she nervous???? Is she scared to ask????

I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

The nurse and I talk for a little bit. We try to figure out if there is a time pattern to her coming in. In the mean time, I send Kaelin to the bathroom. I tell her to just change her panties. She tells me no that she needs to change her whole outfit. I say "no, just your panties".

The nurse and I talk a little more.

I then go into the bathroom to help Kaelin. She has not changed one thing. She looks like she is about to cry.

I said "what is wrong".

She says "I need to change my clothes because I might get hot on the playground."

DING DING DING...

The light bulb in my head goes off.

I felt her panties... DRY as when she put them on after her bath.

I feel my face getting hot. My blood was beginning to boil. But part of me was relieved.

I said "Kaelin, you did not wet your pants. Why did you come to the nurses office?"

She suddenly realizes she has been figured out.

She says "Well, I might have wet my pants." What... might have wet your pants... like if you did not go to the bathroom all day, you might have wet your pants... Really... this was the response I got.

I said "Kaelin, you are not changing clothes. Have you been wetting your pants at school or just changing your clothes?"

No response.

I already knew the answer.

Kaelin had found a way to have a wardrobe change during the middle of the day.

I walk her back to lunch and we talk about this situation a little more.

I said "Kaelin, all of the kids in your room think you have been wetting your pants. What do you think they think about that? They are going to make fun of you."

She says "Oh mom, they don't care, they don't make fun of me". So, I am wondering if they knew her game all along or if they truly just did not care.

After lunch, I walk her back to her room and I talk to her teacher. I tell her teacher about meeting her on the way to the nurse. I tell the teacher the little game Kaelin has been playing. Her teacher said she was beginning to think something like that might be occurring.

When I left the school, I called Todd. I explained the situation to him. By this time, I was beginning to find some humor in it. Todd found NO humor in it at all. In fact, I thought he was going to leave work, come check Kaelin out of school, and give her a piece of his mind.

So... she has not come home with any more bags of clothes and no more notes from the nurse.

No more wardrobe changes for the little diva.

Super Star

Kaelin got to participate in an exciting dance program a few weeks ago. The Crosby High School dance team held a clinic for the school age girls to participate in. They spent a Saturday learning some dance moves. They also learned a routine that would be performed during the next Friday night Crosby football game.

Well... this was right up Kaelin's alley.

Dancing... with the big girls... Performing... in front of a crowd...

LOVE IT!!! LOVE IT!!!!

Kaelin at her Saturday dance rehearsal

Miss Sassy pants getting ready to perform

She is trying hard to pay attention, but that might be short lived. The excitement was just about to get to her.

Group photo- they all seem to be wiggling in my picture because my lack of photo taking skills kicked in. I took several great pictures - no flash-. Then I realized the err of my ways and this was the best I could do before the natives became too restless.

Of course, she could only sit for so long. Kaelin began doing cartwheels.

and round offs

and any other gymnastics move she could perform before going to do her dance.