Bunny YOGA with Meka, Isabella & Giselle

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up and started reading an article about Meka Leach, who became the youngest certified Bhakti yoga teacher in the U.S. at the age of 10!  It took her 200 hours and over 9 months to complete her certification while also attending school and training to compete in the national fencing championship.  Meka's parents told her she was too young to be a yoga instructor and she proved them wrong.  I was absolutely moved by her hard work, dedication and drive!  I learned that she offers yoga classes in our area and she was doing a "bunny" yoga.

I asked Giselle and Isabella if they wanted to go to bunny yoga and they said YES.  They had never been to a yoga class before and couldn't believe that a 10 year old was teaching.  There were about five bunnies total that hopped around the room while Meka guided us in yoga.  At first, Giselle was really nervous about the bunnies going near her, however by the end of the class she warmed up to them and they were surrounding her.  Bella wasn't really interested in the yoga portion of the class, she just wanted to play with the bunnies.

Meka made a homemade bunny for every attendee to take home with a kind note reminding everyone to give themselves and others a compliment daily.  The girls have been giving compliments daily ever since.  We had a super special morning together and when I asked the girls if they wanted to do yoga again, Isabella said no and Giselle said yes.  Since that class, Giselle and I have taken 4 other yoga classes together.

MEKA's take home gift

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions......

From the gateway, I have always told my girls, that at any given moment in time, they can always come and talk to me about ANYTHING.  To always be proud, never be scared, fearful, nervous, shy or ashamed.  There is never a stupid question and I ALWAYS have a listening ear and will never pass judgement.  As Forest Gump says in the movie, "My momma always said, Life was like a box of chocolates,  you never know what your gonna get."

And boy is Forest's mothers quote ever so correct!  You never know what your going to get, on any given day.  The other day, Isabella came to me and asked me to take her to get her hair cut short.  I told her, sure, I will talk it over with daddy and think about it, but meanwhile, google pictures of how you want your haircut and show me.  She came back with pictures and she wanted her hair cut above her ears.  The same exact day, Giselle (who is 9 years old) came to me and wanted her ears pierced.  "Mommy!!!  All of my friends have their ears pierced and I want mine done too!!" 

There we are....back to decisions, decisions, decisions.......  We do have to pick our battles in life.  Large or Small. Daddy voted no on Isabella's haircut (he likes long hair) and no on Giselle's ear pierced.  Mommy voted yes to Isabella's haircut (hair does grow back after all and it is our own personal decision) and no to Giselle's ear piercing (you can't fix a pierced hole).

Check out Isabella's before and after of her haircut!  She got 6 1/2 inches cut off and feels super refreshed!  Swimming in chlorine water all summer long really damages the hair and she got a clean break and looks super cute!  Who doesn't after a fresh haircut, right?!  Even her new girl, Lily loves it and is enjoying while she plays the flute.

AND.....you know the old adage about hair right?  They say "When a woman changes her hair, pay attention; she's about to change her life.......   (Can't wait to see what beautiful changes you make Bella!)

As for Giselle, the only ear decorations she is getting for now is earmuffs.  See picture below.  There is no rush on getting holes in her ears.  She is 9 years old.  She is an active gymnast, soon to be an Olympian medalist and jewelry interferes with performance.  We will let her make that decision when she gets a little bit older, but for now, preserve your youth little one and don't just do something because everyone else is. XOXOXO

Front Before

Front After

Back after

6 1/2 inches cut off

Lily loves Bella's new haircut and flute playing

Giselle - Ear muffs

 

January today February tomorrow....

Can you believe that tomorrow is February 1, 2020?  LEAP year! As January comes to a close, there were several noteworthy dates to remember.....
On January 3rd, Giselle Eloise celebrated her 9th birthday.  She spent the day rocking out gymnastics as she always does and then after wards, we had a little impromptu celebration.  We ordered cheese and sausage pizza from Chesdan's and it was complete with a cake with her admirable TEDDY.  Aunt Dawn happened to be in town, so she got to enjoy the celebration with us.  Pictured below is her and Lily Bear, who is now 8 months old and filling the void of our beloved, missed Baxter.  She is a bit (ALOT) bigger than any dog I (we) have ever had....but HEY!  She has got potential.....Right?  Only if she STOPS digging holes in the yard and eating my plants and trees!

Aunt Dawn & Lily Bear

Grandpa Dale, Bear & THE Birthday Girl

Mommy!  I want my cake to have my BEAR on it!!

On January 19th, we celebrated Bobs birthday.  He had a hankering taste for homemade pizza, so he went to Trader Joe's and got all the goodies.  He made two pizzas, one with cheese for the girls and then one with everything for us.  They were super delicious!  I love when he gets in the kitchen and has a masterpiece of a recipe in mind!  Bob didn't want cake for his birthday, so we celebrated with three pieces of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory - key lime pie, double chocolate Godiva and plain cheesecake with strawberries.  We stuck a candle in each slice and each of us girls serenaded him with HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  May the SUN SHINE on you each and every day!  We are going to Nathinal Ratliff!  YEAH!

Bob making the PIZZAS

The finished product!  YUM

3 Cheesecake Slices for the Birthday Boy with his girls!

Also, on Bob's birthday, Isabella and I took a ride with Grandpa Dale to an adoption event held by Rescue Warriors Corp held in Bolingbrook, IL.  What an EPIC day!  It was there, that Grandpa Dale fell in love with his "Fuuuuuurever" friend, who is a 9 year old female Yorkie, now named TRIXIE (formerly Pixie).  She weighs 4 pounds and loves to cuddle and be loved.  She found her match made in heaven, that is for sure.

Grandpa Dale, Trixie and the Pet "Whisperer", Isabella

Isabella & TRIXIE on the ride home

The last couple of weeks have been a little hard, Isabella was home sick with Influenza B and high temperatures for one week and missed school.  And this week, Giselle has been out of school for the week with the flu and high temperatures.

Tomorrow is February and its going to be 50 on Sunday!  Unheard of in Chicago this time of the year! Sunday Superbowl = lots of homemade snacks and food in the kitchen.  Shakira is going to be better than JLO.  For sure.

Baxter Allan (a.k.a. BIG GUY)

Baxter Allan
08-25-04 to 12-28-19

Baxter Allan, as we named him was a Dach/Yorkie was born on August 25, 2004.  On one gloomy November day, (11-27-2004 to be exact) Bob and I were dating and we ventured to Petland in Joliet, IL to look at puppies.  It was that day, that Baxter won over our hearts and we decided to bring this loving creature into our lives.........and the rest is history filled with lots of memories!! 

On December 28, 2019, we had to say good-bye to our beloved Baxter.  For the past couple of years, he had been struggling with an auto-immune disease, and later, also cancer.  He was on several medications that he had to take daily and it was becoming very hard for him to maneuver around, eat and even drink.  The weekly blood tests were not showing that he was getting any better.

Losing a pet of 15 years is very painful and never easy, however we have been actively reflecting as a family on the "Big Guy" and that provides us comfort at a time of loss.  He was one of the BEST dogs we ever had.  When I was as big as a house pregnant with Isabella, he would lay on my big belly every night at bed time.  And he did the same thing when I was pregnant with Giselle.  He LOVED to "photo bomb" any picture that was being taken - he always made his way into every picture.  The dog loved coffee, he would drink your coffee any chance he got.  He was Bobs best friend.  Isabella adored him.  Giselle was indifferent. I loved his beautiful, big brown eyes that always stared at me and his demeanor.

In honor of Baxter, our veterinarian Dr. Marcus Taylor of Colonial Manor Animal Hospital, made a donation to the Pet Memorial Program at Mizzou College in Missouri.  His gift will not only make a difference at the college, but in advancing veterinary medicine therapies for cancer and other diseases affecting animals.  What a beautiful and thoughtful way to make a difference for our future animals.
Today, we officially change the name of our blog from "Isabella, Giselle and Bax" to Isabella, Giselle and Lily.  While we are starting a new chapter in our life and turning the page, Baxter will forever be in our hearts, we will always cherish our memories with him and we are comforted knowing that Baxter's long life was a testament to the LOVE and CARE we provided him.

We love you BIG GUY.....FOREVER and EVER!
 

Summer at the Stables

Young Isabella and Giselle can walk and trot a horse like a professional at the mere ages of 10 and 8. (Must be that their daddy went to Kentucky and their love for horses, the Derby and Kentucky Downs, in which they have gone several years!)

Their mere love for stately animals aside, what helped them flourish was the staff at Cedar Stables, a family-run horse farm here in Homer Glen.
This marks the second year in a row that the girls have participated in this camp.  It is beneficial for them because it gives them the opportunity to learn more about the animals and their day-to-day care.  In addition to riding lessons, the children at the camp get a chance to learn how to clean stalls, feed horses, take care of saddles and bridles and how to tend the barn.  At the end of the week, parents are invited to watch them ride and see what they have learned.
I really enjoyed watching Isabella and Giselle blossom from last year to now with their equestrian friends named Trouble and Louie.  Can you guess which little girl had which horse?  Kind of ironic that Giselle's horse was named "Trouble."  Hmmmmmm……..

To my surprise, the Homer Horizon came (our local newspaper) and WHO was featured on the second page of the newspaper?  MY GIRLS - Giselle and Isabella!!!  They were SO EXCITED that they got to be interviewed by a reporter and that their story was in the newspaper!

All in all, it was a great week and in addition to horse camp, because it was so close, we took the back roads every morning and I let each girl drive the gator to and from camp.  Giselle was a pro at driving and Isabella almost crashed us a few times and rattled my soul, but that's why they call it "lessons."  Pretty soon they will be ready to drive a car!

Isabella on her horse

Giselle, with her horse..."TROUBLE"

The horseshoe craft the girls made with a photo of all the girls

Giselle driving.  I couldn't get a photo of Isabella because I had to concentrate!!

The Homer Horizon newspaper article.  Giselle is pictured in top right and Isabella is pictured bottom right

Another Soccer Season.....

Giselle finished another soccer season with a medal!  When I signed her up at the beginning of the season, I signed her up to play 3rd and 4th grade.  Well that was a mistake!  She was supposed to be playing 1st and 2nd grade soccer leagues!  She was the smallest player on her team and the only girl out there often times!  Epic mommy fail moment.....

With all the rain this season, several games and practices were cancelled so we didn't get a lot of field time, however Giselle continued to grow stronger and refine her soccer skills.  As always, we enjoyed watching her play out on the field making her competitive faces and Isabella enjoyed the season playing at the park and petting all the dogs.

Receiving her medal

The 3rd and 4th grade team

Last Soccer Game in the Rain!

Schools Out For Summer!!

Schools out for summer and we couldn't be more excited!  We are enjoying sleeping in a little bit, no homework, not packing lunches and freedom!!

Isabella EXCEEDED her IEP goals for the school year and finished strong with 7 A's on her report card and 1 B!  She finished 4th grade with a BANG!

Giselle finished 2nd grade strong too with 6 B's and 2 C's!  We are so very proud of how hard both girls worked this school year, especially improving their reading and math!

Now it's time to celebrate and enjoy the summer.  We have a few camps planned with activities that the girls enjoy participating in.  This week they are attending Invention Camp where they are using recycled items to build creations!

Great job ladies and we are on to 5th and 3rd grade this fall!

Giselle's Report Card

Isabella's Report Card

LAST DAY of 2nd and 4th Grade