Isabella was STAR STUDENT OF THE WEEK!!

Sometimes, no matter how you feel, you have to GET UP, DRESS UP and SHOW UP!  Isabella was STAR STUDENT of the week and they asked me to be a Mystery Reader to the class last Friday.  How on earth was I going to make this happen?!!??  It had been one week after I had surgery on my ankle and had my metal plate and screws removed.  I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t walk AND it was really icy outside! 

Make it HAPPEN Sandy.  That was all I kept thinking!!  First, I called the library and asked them to set aside several books to read to 2^nd graders.  Then, I called Tom and asked if he could take me to the school and run a few errands.  He picked me up and our first stop was the Dollar Store, where I picked up 30 pairs of Mardi Gras sparkly sunglasses.  If I was going to read to Isabella’s class, we had to have PROPS!  Right?  Props make everything more fun and exciting.  Next stop was to pick up a bouquet of flowers for the teacher.  She works hard every day at her job and deserves to be appreciated.

Off to the school we went.  Isabella had no idea I was coming.  Before she left for school, she was in tears, telling me that she felt bad for me because I couldn’t come to her school because of my leg.  “Mommy, I am STAR student of the week!”  “I wish you could be there and am sad you can’t!”  “You know mommy, I won’t be a STAR again for another year when I am in 3^rd grade.”  It was breaking my heart to hear those words out of her mouth, however I did not want to ruin her surprise.

When Tom and I walked through that door, her eyes were as BRIGHT as the stars in the sky.  Her SMILE was priceless.  The first thing the teacher said to me was, “Isabella has been sad all day thinking that you were not coming.”  I looked at Isabella and said, HONEY, I WOULD NOT HAVE MISSED YOUR SPECIAL DAY FOR THE WORLD!!! 

Isabella passed out the sparkly sunglasses to all of her classmates and then Tom and I went on to each read a book to the class.  They were all so excited to have a mystery reader and wear special sunglasses!  Afterwards, she reviewed a poster with her class that she made that was packed with stuff about her!  She had so much fun making it.  Here are some of her favorites:

Places she likes to go:  Aruba and Florida

Things she likes to do in the community: Volunteer

Things she likes to do at school: Have fun with her best friend Brooke

Books she likes to read: Dr. Seuss, Frozen and Hello Kitty

Things she likes to do at home:  Sing, and play with her best sister, Giselle

Songs she likes: Frozen, Kids Bop, love me like you do

Favorite Movies: Frozen, Trolls, Inside Out, My Little Pony

Favorite Foods: Pizza, grilled cheese, corn, butter bread, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, ice cream

Favorite subjects in school: Math and Art

That evening, my ankle was very swollen and I was miserable!  But I wouldn’t have missed her special day for the world………..

Happy 6th Birthday....Ms. Giselle Eloise

Happy 6^th Birthday Giselle Eloise!  When I look at you, I do not see the passage of time.  I see my little girl, playing dress up, running through the yard, playing on a swing.  I may not be able to carry you in my arms anymore, but I will ALWAYS carry you in my HEART.  KEEP SMILING BIG GIRL!! 

We asked you what you wanted for your birthday and your wishes were so innocent and sweet.  At first you said, “Whatever you wish to get me.”  Then, after further questioning, you asked for another teddy bear, so TEDDY could have a friend, a ball of yarn, an “Inside Out” cake, make-up and SHOPKINS!

Your day started at around 4:30 a.m. and you didn’t even know it.  Daddy went to the donut shop and got special sprinkle donuts for the birthday girl and wrote a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign for you to see when you woke up.  Then, at 7:00 a.m. you came with Teddy and crawled in bed with me.  You knew it was your birthday and you wanted to CUDDLE, as you ALWAYS do.  At 7:17 a.m., you said LET’S GO DOWNSTAIRS!  And the celebrations began, for your special day.  You and Isabella wanted to go to gymnastics, so we went! 

When I asked you what you wanted for dinner, you said “Let’s go for THAI food!”  And we went!  You ordered your favorite, edamame, egg rolls and chicken pad Thai!  One of my favorite things that I love about you is that I really believe you’re a KODITEK at HEART.  What does that mean?  One of your favorite THINGS in life is EATING and FOOD.  LOVE watching you dance your happy dance when you’re eating.  A day wouldn’t be a day without you asking at breakfast…WHATS FOR LUNCH?  And you powerhouse girl! YOU LOVE FOOD!! Betty would love to watch you eat!  Many nights, you eat 3 full dinners and I honestly don’t know where you put it….

We finished the day off with presents, cake and the INSIDE Out movie!  As I head to bed for the evening, I know you are dreaming about all of your teddy friends!  LOVE YOU BIG GIRL!  Keep Smiling……

And here is the Giselle fun fact for the day….  Did she eat the CAKE and/or the DONUTS today? 

Happy 2017!

Happy New Year!  What did everyone do to celebrate the New Year?  We made a yummy dinner of ahi tuna and oysters Rockefeller and then spent a QUIET evening together as a family on the couch.  Can you say BLISS?  I really enjoyed cuddling and snuggling and reflecting back on 2016.  And what a year it WAS……

One of my favorite quotes is “Collect Moments, Not Things.”  We had an adventurous year as a family and were fortunate enough to create everlasting MEMORIES traveling to Disney World, my mother and father’s house in Florida, Nashville (Giselle LOVED Nashville! OH BOY!!), Mackinaw Island (The Grand Hotel), Galena, Michigan, Palm Springs, Kentucky (Celebrating Bob’s ALUMNI weekend), Anguilla, St. Maartin, AND our annual tradition of a weekend at the Peninsula, Chicago before Christmas.

As for the girls, I enjoyed volunteering for a week in June for the Girl Scout Camp.  Loved spending a week with all of those little girls and their all so very different personalities!  Isabella and Giselle made new friends and explored the outdoors.  Both girls completed beginning gymnastics for 12 weeks.  Isabella struggled with balance while Giselle flipped around those bars like nobody’s business.  Both girls are in Girl Scouts and continue to be active within the community.  Last week, they finished up their chess program and continue to LOVE chess.  And just recently, Isabella has been rocking out her skills with her basketball team which goes until the end of March 2017.

They say Tomorrow is the FIRST blank page of a 365 PAGEBOOK.  Make it a good one!  I can’t WAIT to see what 2017 holds for ALL OF US!  I am NOT, (I WILL NOT) RUSH IT.  Not for one second.  I will say this…. My CUP RUNNETH OVER.  And what that means to me is this:  I am super thankful that all of my family and friends are HEALTHY.  I am one lucky girl.  Period.  I LOVE each and every one of you!  Happy New Year……. THIS IS YOUR YEAR TO SPARKLE!  Make it SHINE!   XOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXO