Dog is God Spelled Backwards

We got an email from LRR (Labrador Retriever Rescue) today asking for emergency Foster Homes this coming October. Several of our regular Foster Home Families are going on a group trip this October leaving our all-volunteer organization very short on Foster Homes for about 8 days this Fall.

We recently lost both of our precious Labbies in less than a year and we needed a break for a while. Isabelle was still a baby, and we figured we would wait until she was a bit older before we became a dog family again. I figured when the time was right, an opportunity would present itself.

Oddly enough, the friends we went to the concert with yesterday were talking about their dog, and asking us when we thought we might get another one. A few hours later, watching late night cable at Ed's cousin's house, I caught the last half of Marley & Me on HBO and ended up in tears (once again) watching the movie based off the classic book about a "bad" yellow Lab and the family who loved him. I realized that I do truly miss having a warm, wet nose in my life.

Today, the opportunity presented itself. An "emergency" email from LRR asking for foster homes this October. It seemed like kismet with the dog conversation and movie yesterday. I volunteered our home for those 8 days in October, without even clearing it with Ed first. (I told him immediately afterwards, and he was fine with it.)

Granted, we're only volunteering to foster for 8 daysl. But anyone who knows us, knows where fostering Labs has led us in the past. We had 2 dogs at one time for several years (3 different Labs rescued so far). And the director of LRR knows us well enough that she will ensure we get a great foster dog, that she knows we'll fall in love with, and end up adopting. Susan is the quintessential organizer of what we call "suckers" in our LRR organization. Those are the "foster homes" that end up adopting the dogs we're only supposedly providing temporary foster homes for.

So, this might be a bit sooner than what we thought? We said 2011 when we'd start fostering-to-adopt. But I have a feeling that Isabelle is going to have a fuzzy friend in her life sooner than planned. I just pray that we don't have another Winter like last year, for more reasons than just not wanting to walk a dog in 4 feet of snow!

Juicy Butter

I made a turkey & cheese sandwich for Isabelle the other day. And she brought her plate over to me with one bite taken out of the sandwich and told me it need something juicy. Ummm, what?

She further explained, "Mommy, it's DRY!". So I put some butter on the inside of the bread. (I didn't think she would tolerate mayo or mustard and I didn't have any salad dressing she would like either.) Turns out, she loves butter. (But hey, what's not to love?)

So today she got a sandwich for lunch, and I put a tiny bit of butter on the bread and she took the first bite. Her eyes got really wide, and she asked me, "Mommy? Did you put BUTTER on this sammmmwich? I really really LIKE it!"

I do love a little juicy butter on my sammmmmwich every once in a while, ha ha.

The Unmentionable Helmet

Izzi spent the day with Aunt Kim (Ed's cousin), Uncle Chris, and Ronan yesterday. Ed & I went to the Hot August Blues Concert at Oregon Ridge. And the name held up to it's meaning. It was HOT and the music was a great mix of Blues bands. We went to see our favorite live act, Mister Keb 'Mo. We travel to see him whenever he's within 2 hours of us. He's just that great. The headliner was Lyle Lovett and he was fantastic with his FULL band. There must have been 30 guys up on the stage and they sounded superb. He even treated us to our favorite song of his, If I Had a Boat. Fantabulous.

During the concert, I got the attached picture from Aunt Kim, sent to my cell phone. It was sunny and I couldn't see the pic very well so I texted her back thanking her for putting a helmet on Izzi. She texted me back that it was UNDERWEAR! Ha ha.

Her 2-year-old son just got new underwear but has NO use for them yet. He thinks they are hats. So Ronan and Izzi were running around their backyard, riding bikes, with Thomas the Tank boys underwear on their heads.

Viva la Redneck Babies!

Excuse Me, Your Majesty

Tonight while Ed was running through the normal bedtime routine (bath, PJs, book, prayers, thanksgiving, sleepy time), I was STILL working (of course, that's the norm these days). I can thankfully overhear the whole process so I still feel partially involved.

Anyway, tonight, Ed was trying to get a very distracted Isabelle to put her Pajammy-Jams on. And Isabelle turned to him, frustrated, and said, "Excuse me, Your Majesty! Can I help you with something?" Ha ha, not sure where she picked that one up.

Castles and Fairytales

I received the new issue of Boston College Magazine this week. It's a quarterly publication that is written for a reader level far beyond mine. I like to look at the pictures though, ha ha.

I was paging through, reading an article about how much work it takes to plan Commencement ceremonies each year. There is a whole committee that does only that, all year long. They sit down 2 days after Commencement ceremonies to begin planning the following year's event. Now I feel bad that I slept through mine.

Anyway, as I was looking through the magainze, and reading a few interesting passages to Ed, Isabelle came over to see what I was reading. On the page were pictures of the beautiful and magical Boston College Campus with its Collegiate Gothic architecture. The design of Gasson Hall in 1908 actually influenced the Collegiate Gothic style across many other campuses in the 1900s.

Her eyes got really wide and she pointed to the photo of Gasson Hall and said, "ooooh Mommy, it's a CASTLE!". I agreed and told her that I went to school there and asked if she wanted to go to school there one day too, in the CASTLE. She adamantly stated that she did.

She immediately ran into the other room where Ed had gone, and proclaimed very loudly, "Daddy! I want to go to BOSTON COLLEGE!". Atta girl.....now go get a scholarship.

Wherefore art thou, Watermelon Queen?

Sorry folks, it seems that Isabelle ended up on the cutting room floor with the watermelon rinds. The Washington Post didn't use her photo this week as anticipated.

Beach Bums & Hula Girls

I got permission from Clare's Mommy to post pics of her daughter. Clare and Isabelle have become close friends over the past few years, and they get along better each time they see each other. The night of Ed's party, as I mentioned, they played together the entire evening without one incident (at least none that I saw).

Here we have the Beach Bums

And the Hula Girls

Izzi and the Watermelon Queen

Ed took Isabelle to downtown Annapolis this afternoon for some Watermelon Festival thing. I guess Tuesday was National Watermelon Day? Who knew!

So the watermelon farmers from Delaware and Maryland gather each August to promote the local watermelon industry, which I guess is booming right now, and watermelons are at their peak.

I just got a text message from Ed saying that Isabelle was going to appear in the "Living" section of the Washington Post next Thursday in a picture with the Watermelon Queen!!

I'll be sure to pick up a few hard copies of that newspaper so you out-of-towners can see it next time we see you. And hopefully it will also be online. Either way, I'll email the picture and caption once it's published.

Our daughter the star!