Project Candy Bar

2 weeks to sell 5 boxes of candy bars....do you think we can do it? When I picked Izzy up from school today, I was handed a heavy bag with: "Mrs. Vail, it's candy bar time and you need to work on selling these." My immediate response was: What? Are you serious? You want me to sell candy bars? For what??!!
"Mrs. Vail, the candy bar sales benefit the school - for your child Isabella. Now would you like me to carry them to the car for you?" No - no thanks - I just wanted to know WHY I needed to sell these things. For cry eye - WHY on earth do they hand a pregnant woman 5 boxes of candy bars? I am bound to eat at least half - especially since I am craving sweets! Speaking of - I better be good - my sugar glucose test is bright and early tomorrow morning. I get to drink the sugary liquid, sit for an hour and then give blood.
If you would like to buy a candy bar to benefit twinkle toes pictured above - we have milk chocolate, chocolate with almond, crunch, dark chocolate, and caramel. They are $1 each and help to maintain updated educational materials and equipment, all of which stimulate and challenge (twinkle toes pictured above) emotionally, physically, intellectually and last but not least socially.
Let us know if you are interested...I had one and it was YUMMY....and we just got them today.

Happy Anniversary to YOU

Cowboy Bob!! Thank you for 7 years of smiles, hugs, laughs and monumental moments!! You make my heart flutter, year after year and I look forward to the next 60 years - complete with gray hair, false teeth and more chin hairs. I love you today and everyday!!

The Art Work and More.....

So recently since Isabella started preschool, she has been coming home with different "projects" everyday. Mostly artwork and some letter and number something or others. I decided to put them in a pile and save them for her for when she is older and can look back at her work. Which brings me to my next quandary.
Interestingly enough, my father came by over the weekend and brought me a basket of goodies. In that basket, was an old manila envelope. Well, guess what was in it? I peeked in it and it was things from when I was a little girl. I decided to tackle that basket later. Well, today was the day that I sat down and opened that envelope when I came home from work and before I decided to fertilize the lawn.
Being in my thirties, I thought it was pretty neat that my mother had saved all of that stuff from when I was little. I felt special, happy and confused all at the same time. Artwork, report cards, math equations and writing samples. I had to laugh when I saw the box checked that said "played and/or daydreamed while working time." I showed it to Bob, and he laughed too. I think we all catch ourselves daydreaming now and then, but it appears that I got busted alot as a little girl doing just that.

The things you draw or do when you are a little boy or girl.

But here I am, almost 4 hours after looking through that envelope feeling perturbed.
Now that I have looked at that stuff and I enjoyed looking at it.....WHAT on earth am I supposed to do with it? Am I supposed to put it back in the envelope and store it away somewhere until ????? Or do I recycle my goods from when I was a little girl? Am I supposed to save it and let Izzy look/go through it someday? Bob says save it, it doesn't take up any room. But then what?
It seems that I don't know what to do about quite a few things....like my wedding dress. Bob told me to save it. Why? It is just in my closet collecting dust. Someone could wear it and get use out of it! And what about all of the photographs that were taken before married life. Do you save those, or do you throw those away because you started a new life?
I am going to continue to save all of Isabella's goodies, but I wonder if she will feel the same way someday as I do today.
I don't remember doing any of that artwork from when I was little. What I do remember is laughs, smiles and memories that were created with those that love me and those that I love.

And there it was.....

the answer to why Baxie was so crazy. He wasn't laying across my belly several times in the night staring at me because he was protecting the baby in my belly. It wasn't because he was freaked out by the ghosts Bob thinks we have in our house.
It wasn't because he had to go to the bathroom.
It was a baby bunny killing massacre. And Baxie was guilty. As I walked in the backyard with Isabella after school, smack dab in the middle of the backyard, there they were. Isabella looked down and said "bunny and buggie." The flies were all over. The hole was almost empty and the evidence was everywhere like someone had taken a stick of dynamite and blew up a hole filled with baby bunnies.
There Baxie stood - next to Isabella - almost proud of "his work."
So Bob comes home from work and I tell him there is a "situation" in the back yard that he needs to take care of. Notice my new word "situation." I use that when there is a problem that needs to be addressed asap. As our third wedding anniversary approaches, this proves to be yet another day in our marriage where the conversation is ALWAYS interesting, entertaining OR exciting - read on:
Bob: What's up
Sandy: I need you to go in the backyard and clean up Baxie's killing spree. Come with me and I will show you.
(Both walk over to the "situation.")
Bob: Oh, Bunnies?
Sandy: Yes, bunnies Bob.
Bob: Well, what do you want me to do?
Sandy: I want you to get rid of the bunnies so Baxie doesn't continue to nibble on them and possibly get sick or so Isabella doesn't pick up the dead bunnies and play with them or so when you are mowing the grass, you don't run over and blood and guts go shooting out the side of the lawn mower.
Bob: Well, what am I supposed to use?
Sandy: (Staring at Bob) Well, you can use a shovel to scoop them up or my garden gloves. We don't have a shovel, so I will go get my garden gloves for you.
Bob: That's gross. What do I do with them then?
Sandy: You can put them in the garbage can outside of the garage.
Bob: Nasty. The garbage is going to stink.
Sandy: Bob, it's a garbage can with a lid and garbage cans stink. Besides, garbage pick up is tomorrow night.
Bob: Good point (as he puts garden gloves on). Looks at me and says: Do you have a box or something I can put it in?
Sandy: WHAT??!!! Are you kidding me? Just put in the garbage can AS IS. You don't need a BOX!!!!
Bob: There has to be a box around here somewhere.
Sandy: (walks away to the garage) HERE, I found a brown paper bag. Will that work for you?
Bob: Yes, great. Inserts the "situation" in the brown paper bag and throws away. Throws off garden gloves. Walks in house and immediately washes hands.

And then there was Baxie

It has been a while since you have heard anything about Baxter Allen. Well, let me tell you what's new. Take last night for instance. On three separate occasions in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, I woke up to Baxter completely spread across my stomach just looking at me. I love my dog and everything, but I already have a basketball in my stomach - I don't need to wake up to a 30 pound dog laying on me and for that matter just staring at me in the middle of the night. I wish I had an answer for his odd behavoir. His crying, his laying on me and his pacing of the floor. He didn't have to go to the bathroom because Bob let him out and he didn't do anything.
So tonight, Baxter has lost bed priviledges - for fear of us waking up every couple of hours.
Even though I was semi mad at him today, I still bought him a sweater and I still took him for a ride in the car and let him hang his head out the window to go and pick up his favorite girl.

Harvest Days

As summer comes to an end, a brand new season begins. A season with cooler weather, falling leaves and warm comforting meals with those you hold dear to your heart. Today we kicked it off with Harvest Days - acres of good, old fashioned fun. Complete with hay rides through the country, antique tractors, live music, wagon rides, a petting zoo and some crafts.
Isabella and I made our first Halloween craft today. It was a pumpkin filled with stickers and Isabella's doodling. She got to sit on an antique tractor and cheese it up with daddy. And her favorites were the hay ride where she sat right next to the Mayor, Jim Daley and the wagon ride.

I ran across a "punkin chucker" that I just had to take a picture of. I didn't get to see a demonstration but I would of loved to have seen it in action. I only envision lining up pumpkins, stuffing it to the gills and then ACTION....nailing everything in sight as pumpkins explode everywhere.
Pretty soon, it will be time for our annual pumpkin carving contest and Halloween costumes.

What is wrong in this picture?

At 4:48 a.m., I opened the refrigerator to get my coffee creamer out. Without my first cup of coffee and at first glance, I thought it was normal to see "my little pony" in the refrigerator next to the yogurt. After I closed the door - I said WAIT A MINUTE!! That pony is NOT supposed to go in the refrigerator!!! And then I laughed to myself.
I opened the door and snapped a photo. Priceless! I left him in the refrigerator just in case she is looking for it later. Besides, my little pony could be protecting the ribs.
Lately, this is not the only thing Izzy is putting in random places. Over the weekend, she took off with the computer mouse and now I can't locate it. Last week, it was her cherished bear that she sleeps with - she took it and put it somewhere and we couldn't find it for a whole week. She asked for it everyday, I searched the entire house and couldn't find it. This past weekend, she stormed into the bathroom and said LOOK - IT'S BEAR! She found him somewhere - who knows where.
Two weeks ago, it was the red and black buttons off of grandpa's power washer. Those disappeared too. But thankfully, we found those.
And then...there is the rocking horse. I keep him on the table in the living room. Everyday, she takes him off of the table and puts him next to the chair on the floor in a completely different room. She must want him there.
Could this be the beginning to lifetime of not knowing where things are? We shall see what is in store.

Isabella Marie Turns 2 Years Old

On Monday, September 6, 2010, Isabella was fortunate enough to celebrate her birthday with all of her family (as always, we miss you Dawn, Mark, Syd, Bo & Theo)! This year, she was in to Mickey Mouse - that is before she fell in love with Little Einstein's, so we made her MM cupcakes and a small cake. Last year, she didn't even touch her cake. This year, she just wanted to know what Mickey Mouse was doing on top. Maybe next year she will bury her face in the cake.
As for the terrible two's they say kids have - I don't think Bob and I have experienced that to much with little Izzy. She has been a good girl so far and is full of lots of smiles.
Thank you to all of you for making her birthday so special - being there, all the goodies and making her smile and laugh. She loves YOU ALL!! XOXOXOXOX