September 2009
Today I am bittersweet! Like the chocolate in my Starbucks coffee....
This coffee I am drinking probably has more calories and sugar in it than I should have in my whole daily allowance, but yet it makes me feel so good! It tastes good! It is warm and rich and is going to help me make it through this day.
But yet...It makes me feel so bad. I can physically feel my pants getting tighter with each sip and I wonder if I calculated the amount of insulin
Kaci would have to take to drink this one cup what"magic number" I would come up with. Well, let's just say, I would rather not know.
Today is the last day of school. I am unlike most of the mom's out there. Most mom's can't wait for school to start. They can't wait for summer to be over so that they can have their "me time." (if you are one of those moms- I don't judge....to each his own)
I, on the other hand, am the mom who can not wait for summer to get here! Often I think I am more excited than my own children as the last week of school rolls around. I am the mom who cries more than the kids the last week of summer just thinking about the first day of school. I do not like for my children to be away from me- even though I know they need to be. I know they need to become independent, responsible adults...able to speak for themselves and live without me, because- unfortunately, I will not always be around.
So - I know I am a little "all over the place" with this post, but I promise there is a point to it all. As you might have guessed already ...today is the last day of school. YEAH! I am so happy! NO more alarm clock, no more morning rush, no more homework, no more projects, no more reading logs!
YIPEE!! No more being without my kiddos for 8 hours a day. Summer also means no more work for me! DOUBLE
YIPEE!!
However, with this summer also come BIG changes for next school year. The budget cuts affected several people at our school this year. It affected several teachers, office aids, library aids and I am sure- even more that I am not aware of.
Most importantly (and most devastating to our WHOLE FAMILY) it affected our school nurse, Mrs. Cindy Scott. She will not be returning to our campus next year. Yep- there it is!! Sucker punch to the gut!
There are no words to describe how I feel about this.
I am going to keep typing- as there is so much going through my mind right now. I am not sure if it will come out in a way that any of you will be able to understand, but here it goes.
I met Cindy 2 years ago about 3 weeks after
Kaci was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We had gone up to the school to get a 504 in place for the start of 2
nd grade. On that day we met with the principal, the assistant principal, the school counselor and the nurse. I was a nervous wreck. I spoke of
Kaci's insulin ratios and her schedule....
I talked a lot that day- I knew very little.
I was still new at all of this myself. I was trying to tell someone how to take care of my daughter while she was at school all day- when I barely knew how to take care of her myself! I remember Cindy taking notes on a clipboard and smiling the whole time. She told me that day that she would take care of
Kaci- that
Kaci would be fine. I left that office- and I will admit- I didn't believe it. I didn't think that anyone would be able to take care of
Kaci. At this point, I wasn't even sure that I was going to be able to take care of
Kaci. I went home and cried! I thought about home schooling, I thought about a lot of things. In the weeks and months ahead I continued to cry and be sad and feel sorry for all of us. I hated the hand we had been dealt....why
Kaci? WHY!? She was only 7, she was so young, she was so shy, she was such a good girl, she was my baby...the list goes on and on and on....I lost over 25 pounds over the course of the year. I quit my job. I cried on a daily basis. I struggled to get out of bed more often than not. I had several panic attacks - calling both Clint and my parents on several
occasions unable to breath.
That school year I was at the school every day at
Kaci's lunch time. I quit my part time job at the
pre-school so that I could be at the school. For the first few weeks I gave
Kaci her shot after lunch. She liked to count to 5, then poke, then count to 5, remove the needle and shake her arm.
I did it everyday at home and everyday at lunch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, poke.....1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pull out and shake, shake, shake her arm!
After a few weeks- she agreed to let Mrs. Scott try. So,
Kaci would sit in my lap and Mrs. Scott would count to 5, poke, count to 5, remove and shake, shake, shake her arm. Just like Mom!
After many months of this....I started sitting outside of the nurse's office and
Kaci and Mrs. Scott would do it alone. At this point-I knew that Cindy could take care of my baby. I knew that she would make sure that she was safe- yet I continued to come to school everyday! I continued to call her (sometimes several times a day) just to check and see if
Kaci had come down feeling high or low. She never made me feel silly. She never made me feel like I was bothering her. She never made me feel anything but grateful. Grateful that I had someone so wonderful and caring to take care of my daughter everyday at school without fail.
This past year,
Kaci and Bailey were supposed to attend a new school. A school that is much closer to our house. I requested that they be allowed to stay at
Teravista. I was DENIED. I appealed to the Assistant Super
Intendent. We did not want to lose Cindy as our school nurse. Our request was granted!- I was able to go back to work part time at the
pre-school. It was good for me. Good for my mind and for my body. I was able to give back to families what Cindy and so many people at
Kaci and Bailey's school had given to me. I loved and protected a group of eight 4 year
olds all year long. I hugged them when they got boo- boos on the playground, I shared stories with them and I
listened to theirs. I gave my mind some much needed rest from worrying about
Kaci and her diabetes all day long.
However, I still called Cindy on a daily basis to check on
Kaci's numbers! So much so - that before long Cindy recognized my number on caller ID and would often answer the phone with
Kaci's blood sugar reading for the day!
LOL! I didn't need the formality of a "Hello!"
So....picture this....RING, RING, RING.....126! or 186! or 264! I loved it! I appreciated it!
So- this brings me to the title of this post....
“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”
Of all the ways to say it....this is the best that I have found. I know they are not my "original words" but they say it all.
Cindy- You mean the world to me, to
Kaci and to the rest of our family.
Everyday in your office, the "medicine" that saved my daughter, could also kill my daughter. In your office (on many,
occasions) a juice box and a roll of sweet tarts saved my daughter's life. In your office, my daughter shed her blood everyday. You have kept logs and logs of
Kaci's daily numbers. You have given
Kaci too many shots to count and more love than I ever expected from a school nurse.
Type 1 Diabetes has lived in your office for the last two years and you have lived in our hearts. We are going to miss you so much! Thank you for all that you have done for us the past two years. We love you!
In the happy moments PRAISE God.
In the difficult moments SEEK God.
In the quiet moments TRUST God.
In EVERY moment THANK God.
Bailey May 2011
Bailey August 2010 
A nice way to end the day after grilling burgers and steaks at Amber's house....
I can already tell this is going to be a great and busy summer!
I've made some cherished memories 
And look forward to the next year....
May 2011
Pink flower
Purple flower
Kaci wanted to make something special for her 3rd grade teacher and her school nurse for their end of year gift. What could be more special than a hand-drawn, hand- painted canvas!? I just love these two- it will be hard to see her give them away. We have been very blessed to have these 2 ladies in our lives this year. Kaci and I adore them and will miss them very much over the summer and next year.
Kaci's entry into the Ford Motorcraft Race Car Contest. Go vote for her car to win!
Stuffing School Walk folders for JDRF!
Field Day 2010- I remember being so nervous about her blood sugar on this day and following her around with her Diabetic Bag. I love this picture!
Our first Say Boo to Diabetes Walk, October 2009.
December 2009- We wrote out in coins how long Kaci had been diagnosed with Type 1. It had been half a year at this time. Sent the coins in to JDRF.
The first Halloween after she was diagnosed. She was Hannah Montana!
Kaci and Bailey at the Boo Walk 2010.
Kaci at Painting with a Twist- painting butterfly canvases for the Hope Ball 2011. Wonder who scored these in the auction? Hope they brought in lots of money- because they are PRICELE$$!
Kaci and Bailey on the morning of their schools Kids School Walk to Cure Diabetes.
Boo Awards 2010 with Miss Amy Hyman .
Kaci missing the first day of 3rd grade due to Low Blood Sugar.
Trip to the beach just 2 weeks after being diagnosed. We almost cancelled the trip but the doctor insisted that we go.
More School Walk folders.
Kaci's 8th birthday (her first birthday since diagnosis)~! Notice the insulin pen in my hand. This was right after birthday cake! 
