Every family should have a Kacey!

I think it's safe to say that when one has a child, most of us parents hope that the child will turn out to be like us(at least the good things) and eventually maybe even surpass us in abilities and accomplishments one day... down the road. I had no idea that my first born daughter would surpass me in almost every way possible by the time she was 28!

Kacey is the consummate leader. You would probably think that it wasn't necessary to have any more leaders in a family with two red personalities such as David and myself, yet it seems like it is always Kacey who has the best plan for the day and actually makes it happen. She has a way of leading people and making it fun, unlike me who is the resident "fun sucker" and David who can be counted on for fun but not much leading. Kacey is the perfect blend of both of us.

She has always been very capable but now she has added new accomplishments to her repertoire like cooking and sewing. She cooks way better than I do! She uses spices I've never heard of. She gets these bountiful baskets of fresh vegetables each week from the farmer's market with the contents being chosen for you, and instead of throwing out the ones she doesn't recognize (like I would), she researches what they are and finds something delicious to make with them. To be fair, I wouldn't intend to throw them out. I'd leave them on the counter and stare at them for a week fully intending to figure out what they were and how to cook them, but they would most likely go bad before I solved the mystery and then I would throw them out.

She made these delicious truffles for David:


I think I can probably still sew better than she can but not for long because she sews every week with her sewing club. Yes, sewing club!

Look at this adorable pillow she made me for Christmas!


She made matching Christmas pajamas for her kids:


And sewing club is at her house while throngs of small children run amuck! I don't know how to spell that word but I bet Kacey does because she reads a ton too. She has a book club too that she started herself. I think it's still going, but with or without the peer pressure of a book club, she reads a ton!

She is the best mother. I can't even go into how many wonderful things she does with her kids. All I did with Kacey was turn on Sesame Street and let them teach her the alphabet! (Although, in all fairness to me, my method was extremely successful with Kacey. She could recognize her letters at 20 mos. I know that because I was keeping a journal for Kacey back then. Those were the days!)



Asher is 5 months and still not sleeping too well at night. Kacey has to get up with him 2-3 times yet she seemed to have more energy than anyone else at our house at Christmas. She never took a nap. She is like the energizer bunny!



All through the Christmas holidays while everyone was home, she just keep organizing us all and getting us to play games and other activities, all the while planning and cooking what we were going to eat in addition to taking care of her three small children! She does not pawn off her kids on other people like most of us do - well, maybe just me. Isn't that what family's for? Pawning off your kids on their grandparents and aunt and uncles to get the much needed break you deserve? Not Kacey. She will allow us to play with them and will accept some offers of help but insists that they are her burden (I mean blessing) and no one else's.

Well she sounds great, you say, but does she have any other tricks up her sleeve? Yes, she does! How about training for the half-marathon she is going to run tomorrow? Seriously! Her baby is 5 months. She ran 12 miles when she was here. That is out to Moses Pointe and back to our house with an extra loop around the Peninsula. Moses Pointe!!! I get tired just thinking about driving that far.

She is the best older sister! She helps her sibs with whatever they need, whether it be advice or actual help with a project. Kacey is the one to turn to or the shoulder to cry on. I swear Kacey is wiser than I am and has been for years!



I could really go on and on extolling her virtues but it would just make everyone else feel bad. I never got her birthday blog done because as many of you know I was busy celebrating her birthday in Florida without her. The least I could have done is get her blog done, right? Geesh. She would have gotten mine done if the tables were turned. Wow, now I feel really bad. Hopefully this impromptu tribute will suffice.

Her husband, Jon, is a pretty remarkable guy in his own right, but this blog is not about Jon so he will have to wait his turn. He does deserve one, though.



Yes, Kacey is remarkable and I just feel bad for any family that doesn't have a "Kacey" because she is the turning out to be the family event planner we never knew we needed. Kacey just handles things like a pro and can juggle ten things at once. She puts me to shame. I get overwhelmed with chaos and too many things going on at once. I do better one task at a time. Or maybe 2 or 3, but anything over that and I'm like a dog chasing my own tail.



Thanks, Kacey, for making our holidays so joyful! Good luck on your half-marathon tomorrow. You're my idol!

Mom

PS - Did I mention she brined our turkey? Delicious!