Afterwards...

As promised, we spent the last two weeks at home lounging for most of the time. Gracie is spending this week with my mom, but they haven't moved too far from the couch there. :)

Gracie in her new outfit! Yes, she is

apparently becoming a teenager quite quickly!! :(

We had a very nice and peaceful Christmas this year. Gracie was very excited that Santa brought her the EXACT doll she asked for. Imagine that! Santa is good! She worked very hard to leave out cookies and milk for Santa. She also insisted that we leave 18 carrots out for the reindeer. She thought they each deserved 2 carrots! Those reindeer must have worked awfully hard this year.

Gracie on Christmas morning with her doll stuff.

Gracie has also been very busy reading. Her goal is to be able to design a brick on the wall at her school. In order to do that, she must receive 150 AR points this year. Before the Christmas break, she had almost 70, so she is a little less than half way there. Since the break began, she has read 5 books that I know of. She read the entire Wimpy Kid series this month. She also read Anne of Green Gables, The Voyages of Dr. Doolittle, and will begin the Charlie Bone books this week. We are very proud of her accomplishments so far, and even more excited that she has set such a high goal for herself and is working so hard to accomplish it.

Happy New Year to everyone!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Boy, how time flies when you really want it to go slowly. This year seems to have passed in a flash. I can't believe it will be over in only 3 weeks. With that said, we are SOOO ready for Christmas break! Gracie and I have already begun dragging out of bed this week...a sure sign that a break is right around the corner.

We spent last weekend shopping for the holidays. I shopped with my mom on Friday night and Saturday, while Gracie and John shopped on their own. This is the first year that Gracie really wanted to buy presents. She bought everyone in our immediate family (meaning John and I, my brothers, my parents, my neice and nephew) gifts this year. She made a list and carried her own money to purchase everything. John said she was very decisive with what she wanted. He couldn't change her mind. :) With the exception of one or two minor things, we all completed our shopping in one weekend.

We are thrilled to being staying home for the holidays this year! We spent the entire week of Thanksgiving Break on the go, and I really was worn out afterwards. I am looking forward to spending some MuCh NeEdEd time on the couch. Gracie will spend the week after Christmas with my mom at her house, so it will just me John and I. I am seriously considering wearing my PJs all week long. ;)

This is a picture of Gracie we took earlier in the year. It makes me laugh so much. She is such a nut! She will have a fit when she finds out we used it on our Christmas cards this year! ;)

Holidays and Miley

Wow! We have been very busy bees indeed! Since my last post, we have dealt with some pretty big medical issues, traveled what seems like the whole world, and enjoyed having friends over. That is just this week!

Emily and Gracie before Miley Cyrus

The week began with friends coming to stay with us from Georgia. They have a daughter right around Gracie's age, and we took the two girls to see Miley Cyrus and Metro Station on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. They left early Thursday morning to travel back home for Thanksgiving with their family. We really enjoyed having them over though.

Gracie reading during the game

Thursday night after eating with my family, we left to travel to Kansas. We stopped Thursday night in St. Louis, and we finished traveling on Friday morning. We spent some time with Justin, my nephew, who plays football for the Jayhawks. We attended the much anticipated Border Showdown in Kansas City on Saturday afternoon. Although the Jayhawks lost, we had an excellent time. Gracie loved meeting Justin just as much as she did when we met Jeremy.

Gracie and Justin after game

I am not sure what Christmas holidays will bring, but I am sure it will be as adventurous as this one was!

New hair

After a LONG wait for Gracie's hair to grow out so she could put it in the much coveted pony tail....she decided she didn't like long hair any more. Tonight we cut it off! Oh well...it is just hair. She looks totally cute, and I personally prefer her with short hair. Don't tell her though...we may have to let it grow again if she finds out! :)

Football, Soccer, Halloween, and more...

John and Gracie at Memphis ZOO!

We have been very busy over the last month. Gracie is still playing soccer and softball. The weather has not been very cooperative, and her games have been moved all over the place. Soccer will end next weekend (Oct. 31). She is going to take the spring season off (or at least we think she is). Softball season will end November 1 due to all the changes. We are all looking forward to some time off from our sporting events.

Gracie and Jeremy ~ Our Favorite Miner!

A few weeks back we took Gracie to see her cousin, Jeremy, play football over in Memphis. She had never met him before, so she was very excited. We are going to see his brother, Justin, play in Missouri in November.

Princess Gracie

Gracie has decided to be a princess for Halloween this year. It takes forever for her to decide on something, so I was impressed we got this far so soon. The costume looks great on her. She will be with my parents during Halloween this year because John and I will be at the Vanderbilt vs. GA Tech game in Nashville.

In full force...

This week, Gracie went back to school after being sick awhile. She seems to be doing much better, but she still has an awful cough. The flu has hit full force here in Nashville, and so far, we have been very lucky to avoid it.

Gracie also began softball this week. We had practice on Wednesday night, and she will practice again tomorrow afternoon. She has a new coach, and we are very excited about the new season. We think this will be a much better experience than it was in the spring.

Today, we had a soccer game and pics. Our team lost, but they sure played hard. Those kids run their little tails off on that soccer field. It is a blast to watch! They have so much fun and work so hard. They definitely deserve their snacks after the game.

We found out this week that Gracie is qualified for the gifted program at school. We thought she was, but it was finally confirmed for us. She will begin classes for that program this coming week. I am quite skeptical about all this, but I am trying to give things a chance and be optimistic.

To say we are busy is quite the understatement. Some days I feel like I am running so fast I might actually meet myself in the middle somewhere. :-)

Sickness...

Gracie has been quite sick since Wednesday of last week. She developed adenoid virus, which most people have never heard of. Anyway, she missed school Wednesday through Friday. We thought she was getting better, but then she woke up this morning sick again. It just seems like an endless cycle.

On another note, soccer is in full swing again. The team has won the first two games. This week the game was ugly, but they won anyway. The kids are having fun, and that is all that really matters anyway. Gracie begins softball again this week. Her first practice with the new coach is Wednesday. She is busy as a bee with guitar lessons, softball, and soccer. We also try to through in a little schooling every once in awhile. :-)

School, sports, and games...oh my!

The last two weeks have flown by. We ended the kickball season last weekend with a pool party. All of the kids had a really great time. I can't say that I am sad to see it go though. I think next summer we will take a breather, and forgo the scheduled sporting events.

Speaking of sports...it is that time again. Our first soccer game is tomorrow. For the next ten weeks, I will be on the soccer field every Saturday morning. Softball begins in the next couple of weeks too. I will spend mornings on the soccer field and evenings on the softball fields.

School is in full force too. It has been very crazy and difficult. It is a very slow start for Gracie. They haven't been doing much in the line of work at her school. We are hoping it is just a slow start and not something more severe. I guess we will find out soon enough.

Demi Lovato concert

Gracie really enjoyed the concert. I was surrounded by screaming girls of all ages. I was also seated by someone who needed more than one chair...which made me very uncomfortable. Anyway, Gracie loved it, and she said it was great. That is really all that matters. We are going to see Miley Cyrus in November. I think I have lost my mind!

Turning 8

Gracie is officially 8 now! We spent the last few days celebrating this wonderful occasion, and I exhausted! Thursday, we had a family dinner. Gracie made homemade pizza with a little help from us. The pizza did not look the best, but it was wonderful. Gracie selected pepperoni, black olives, pineapple, and cheese for our toppings. We also added mushrooms. We had a soccer cake from Publix after dinner. The cake was better than good. Gracie then opened gifts from us. She had some books, but was most excited about the Demi Lovato cd and concert tickets. We are still hearing about it. It was the best thing ever!! (apparently :)

Saturday, we met 9 kids about Gracie's age at the mall to see G-Force. This was an event to behold! I had 10 kids, a few parents (including my own), and myself. We checked in for the movie, got our popcorn and drinks, and had a seat. The kids and adults all seemed to like the movie. The girls were chattering so much that I am not sure they saw the whole movie.

After the movie, we returned all the kids to their parents. Gracie had her friend Kendall stay with us for dinner. We had dinner at Rainforest Cafe' with more family members. The girls talked the ENTIRE time we were there. I think it was definitely a successful day!

American Girl and more

Wow, what a busy weekend we had! We began on Friday with a trip to Atlanta to the American Girl Store. It was Gracie's first time going, and she loved it! She bought a doll with several outfits and accessories. We also met a couple of friends there with their daughters, Emily and Elaine. Gracie and Emily have birthdays three days apart. We celebrated these a little early with lunch in the American Girl Bistro. The girls had cake and presents too.

After American Girl, we traveled a little farther south to my brother's house right below Atlanta. They were having a birthday party on Saturday for his kids, Brayden and Brylee. They rented a blow up slippy slide. It was a huge hit with all the kids and most of the adults. The party was a lot of fun. It lasted all day it seems. Everyone was very tired after it.

On Sunday, we packed up and came back home. We made a quick stop in Atlanta to visit the Ikea store. It is a very interesting store to say the least. We love to go by there when we have a chance. After that, it was straight back to good ole Tennessee! This is going to be a busy week for us too. We have work until Wednesday, and then Wednesday night John and I are off to St. Louis. Gracie has decided to go home with my parents for the week. She hasn't been able to spend much time with them this summer due to all the crazy schedules. We have more birthday parties in a couple of weeks and then it is back to school for everyone.

Time flies by

It always seems to amaze me how much can happen in a short amount of time. Since my last post (only a week ago), we have been very busy. Gracie started her kickball season on Saturday. They had a quick practice on Friday night, and then their first game Saturday night. Our team lost but only by one point. We are pretty excited about the season. Our team consists of 6 players ages 5-9. They work really well together, and most importantly, they have a lot of fun! The coach (John) also loves it.

Gracie started VBS yesterday too. She seems to like it. I think she likes just about anything where she gets the opportunity to play with other kids. The downfall to being an only child is you rarely have a chance to play with others. We try to keep Gracie involved in activities where she can meet new people and make new friends. She never meets a stranger, so this is not a very difficult task.

On the medical front, I had my 6 week check-up on Friday. Everything is going well. I still have a small place that is not completely healed from the surgery but nothing major. I have been released to do almost anything I want to now. The doctor said by Friday of this week, I should be good to do anything at all. Gracie also has continued to see the various doctors for everything that is going on. She seems to be doing well with the headache meds, and if nothing else, she is sleeping MUCH better than she was before. We have follow up appointments with the neurologist and nutrionist later this month. I guess we will see how she is doing then.

We have a lot going on in the next few weeks. We have two family trips we are taking (one for fun and one for business). We will be going to GA to celebrate my neice and nephews birthdays, as well as, meeting a friend to celebrate (a little early) Gracie and her friends birthdays. We are taking the girls to the American Girl Store. I am sure they will love it! We are also going to try to squeeze in a visit to the Georgia Aquarium. We have been trying to go since it opened but something always seems to get in the way. We are also taking another trip back to St. Louis. John and Gracie will spend their time visiting places, while I work. I am sure it will be an adventure.

To end this month and begin the next, we have a couple of birthday parties to deal with. Gracie is turning 8 at the beginning of next month. After that, it is all down hill. School starts back immediately following her birthday. Such a bummer that the summer seems to be ending so quickly. I really wish that it was a little longer sometimes...but then again, I also like to stay busy.

WOW...

So a lot can happen in the blink of an eye. First of all, we missed all the fireworks on Saturday because the weather would not cooperate. Gracie is DEATHLY affraid of bad weather, so when it started getting very dark in the skies above Nashville...we had to go home. It turned out for the best, since the bottom fell out shortly after we left. Then it rained through Sunday as well. No swimming and lazing by the pool for us!

Yesterday (aka Monday), I received rather unpleasant news about my job. I spent the majority of the late morning and early afternoon hours dealing with this. In the meantime, my phone battery completely died (this will be important later in the story). In an effort to rid myself of the funk I was in due to the job mess, John, Gracie, and I went to the gym for a little exercise. On the way, I dropped my phone in the car to charge. John left his phone at home while we went to the gym. We thought it would be good to get out for at least an hour without people bombarding us with calls. When we returned (in MUCH better moods), all the phones were going off. My parents and brother were trying to track us down.

One of my brothers had been burned at work. He was being taken to the hospital in Atlanta. Needless to say, my 30 minutes of tranquility from the exercise were immediately out the window. We packed quickly and rushed to Atlanta. By sheer luck, my brother is ok. He has several burns on his arms and face, but he will be ok.

We are now back home, and I must say...I could use a vacation! I think everyone needs some time away every once in awhile...time to recover themselves, find their peaceful place. I am in desperate need of this right now! But alas....life is calling!!

Nutrition and more

Gracie and I visited the nutrionist on Monday. We learned all sorts of things about eating and what-not. We decided to follow a specific plan for Gracie. We started yesterday, and so far, it is working ok. We will be taking nutrion classes geared towards Gracie. The first class is at the end of the month. Until then, we are working on a plan the nutrionist gave us on Monday. It is very basic stuff that most people already do or at least know to do. She eats 3 main meals a day with one or two snacks. The snacks are chosen from a specific chart, and Gracie loves almost all of them.

The rash is much better now too. I guess it was just a viral thing. We didn't see any other symptoms with it, so we are very happy about that.

There isn't much else going on around here right now. John is working all the time, and Gracie and I are just trying to find things to keep us occupied. We are all going downtown for the Fourth of July celebration on Saturday. My parents are supposed to come too. It should be an adventure if nothing else. Hopefully, it won't be too terribly hot this year! Other than that, we are just passing time until our next big week of activity comes along. It isn't that far off actually!!

Camp, Hamsters, and Rashes -- What next?

Well, in two days, Gracie has finished softball camp, gotten a new hamster, and developed a lovely rash all over her body. To say it has been an eventful few days would be a HUGE understatement. We also worked in two days of fun in the sun at the swimming pool.

Gracie loved camp, and she said she learned a lot. She had nothing short of positive things to say about it...which is unusual...she usually can find something to complain about.

Leona, Gracie's last hamster, died last weekend. We promised her that we would get a new one this weekend when I had time to go. We ended up going to 3 different stores before we found what she was looking for. She now has a very cute (for a rodent) new blonde and white hamster. It has been temporarily named Blondie. Who knows...the name may stick.

Finally, Gracie has developed a nice, large red rash. We originally thought she was having an allergic reaction to the new medications, but the pediatrician thinks it is just a virus. We are keeping a close eye on this situation as it progresses. In the time it took John to go to the pharmacy, the rash had spread onto her arms and farther down her stomach. It is awful and apparently itches like crazy. She is currently sleeping covered in calamine lotion. I feel sorry for her. I know she is miserable.

After all these medical situations, all I have to say is, "what next?" I really am about at my wits end with all this stuff. I just hope the light at the end of the tunnel comes soon.

Doctors and medicines and phone calls -- oh my!

We spoke to the pediatrician yesterday, and Gracie has been diagnosed with hypnic headaches. These are headaches that usually only occur in older adults (50+). She took her first dose of VERY STRONG medicine last night. It works well for putting her to sleep. She took the med at 8:00, and by 8:30 she was out! She slept all night, and we had very little grogginess this morning. She was very calm though. She will take the second med for the first time today. There is potential for dizziness with the second medicine, so we are waiting until after softball practice. For some reason, I just didn't think dizziness, heat, and softball would work well together.

Gracie still has to see the child psychologist (poor lady) and the nutrionist. By the end of July, we hope to have all these medical issues solved. I don't think the psychologist realizes what she is in for. Gracie will probably talk her head off. I envision this lady ending up on the couch with Gracie solving her life problems! If you have ever met Gracie, you can probably see this too.

I picked Gracie up from practice yesterday, and out of the fence comes this girl in black shorts and pink t-shirt -- SOAKED from head to toe. She was giggling, and the coach was carrying her bag. I asked what happened, and they both said, "we played in the sprinklers." They said this like it is a normal activity for softball practice. I just laughed and put her in the car. I think this may have been the best day of practice so far, as far as Gracie is concerned anyway. I think her expectations may be a little high today...I hope the coaches have the water buckets ready!

Kickball and doctors

Today was a busy one for us. Gracie had softball camp this morning @ Ensworth followed by a rather extensive and long neurologist visit. Nothing major to report yet. We are waiting to speak to the pediatrician (hopefully tomorrow) before we know anything more. She loves softball camp which blows my mind because it is like a million degrees outside everyday. I am thrilled that she enjoys it though.

After all of that, we had our first kickball meeting. Our softball league decided to start up a kickball league for kids to play in during the summertime...just something fun to pass the time. Of course, my husband had to coach. So, Gracie is on his team. They will be wearing green jerseys and called the "Muddy Buddies". Yes, I know it is very cute (I came up with the name). Anyway, there are 6 kids per team, and they are very into kickball. I had forgotten how much fun it is when you are a little person. Those kids were all running after the ball tonight. I think it will be a fun experience for all involved. All three of us are excited about it!!

The rest of this week should be rather calm and uneventful. Now that I have put that in writing, something will be added to the calendar!

Oh, today was one of my brothers birthdays too. He is now the ripe old age of 28.

Knowledge from Gracie

Tonight, Gracie and I are walking out of the store. I bought her a pack of gummy life savers (a very yummy treat). On the way to the car, Gracie says -- "Oh great, daddy is going to be pissed that I got these." To which I reply, "Gracie you shouldn't say that." Of course, she asks why mom? You say it all the time. Just a quick reminder -- be careful what you say around your children. They will always remind you when you are being bad!

I've always said that I wanted to write a children's book or two about the things Gracie says and does. She is definitely a good source of inspiration. One of the many things that still cracks me up is the fact that she thinks a two piece swimsuit (known to some as a bikini) is a "broken" swimsuit. She still to this day refuses to wear one. She first told me this when she was about 3 or so. Now she uses words like "bogus" and "lame". She actually explained to us what those words meant the other day like we were the oldest and dumbest people on the planet. We found it to be absolutely hilarious!

Life can be full of mess all the time, but it is the silly and sometimes BOGUS things that make it all worthwhile!!

Ahhh, growing up fast!

So, Gracie is 7 (almost 8 if you ask her), and I swear I am living with a teenager already. We constantly battle emotions around here. It is quite funny honestly. People always say cherish all the time you have with your children; they grow up fast. Boy are they right! I love the moments when she is just Gracie, the sweet little girl that has been living with us for the last 7 years. She has great ideas and conversations that would blow your mind. These moments seems to be coming fewer and far between now. I have a feeling that I will wake up one day very soon and find that there is a new Gracie living in my house. I just keep my fingers crossed that the new Gracie is just as great as the Gracie we have now (minus the moodiness :-).