The Bowl of Candy

Due to work and pregnancy fatigue, Zumba has fallen by the waste side. I've been really missing it too. I've especially been missing classes with my favorite instructor from Wilmington - Karson. But this morning I was finally able to make it to her class at Babs McDance. Karson came up to me after class and was so glad to see me back. She asked how I was doing and gave me a hug saying she was so excited to see my news of a new baby. As I left I tried to purchase a punch card that would give me 10 classes at $8 a class as opposed to $10 a class, instead Karson handed me 2 punch cards and told me she wouldn't take any money for them. I think from reading my Zumba blog months ago and seeing my Facebook posts, she has realized just how much Zumba and her classes in particular have helped me. It was such a nice gesture and it made me super excited to be able to come back. Hopefully I will at least get in a few classes these two weeks while I'm home!

Since Marshall's birthday fell during the middle of the week and I was working and he was in Charlotte working on the house, I decided to get some friends together tonight for late birthday celebration at Los Olas. Tina and Jamie couldn't come as they are still getting used to having a brand new baby at home, but the rest of the gang all came out. We had a great time with everyone and the food was as always fantastic. As per tradition, Marshall got the big bowl of candy full of gum and sweets of his liking.

I guess, I should probably explain the bowl of candy since this is the first time during my blogging that someone has received it. Several years ago, I had a birthday dinner at Boca Bay. Susan, Stacey and Marshall and several other friends and my Mom were all there. For a gift, Stacey had brought me this glass fish bowl full of assorted candy. In the middle was a candle and it was topped with a garland wreath. It became a joke at dinner that I was going to regift the very large bowl of candy to Susan who's birthday was a month after mine. Well the joke quickly became a reality. The plan was to empty it out and refill it with candy to Susan's liking and a different decoration.

A few weeks before Susan's birthday, Marshall walked by the bowl and bumped it with his elbow. He didn't hit it very hard. In fact, it barely moved on the counter but it got a crack in it. Upon further inspection we realized the crack didn't even go all the way thru the glass and was only partially down one side. Instead of buying a different bowl, we went to Target and bought some tie dyed duck tape to fix it. So we carefully crafted a design on the bowl with duct tape and patched up the crack. We filled the bowl with candy and hung a Bengals sock monkey around the bowl for Susan's birthday. When we told them the story of the crack and the duct tape, a new tradition was born. Not only was the jar to be passed around, but each person was to add something to the outside. The next time I received the bowl, I was pregnant with Nolan who Marshall fondly called "Carlos." So on the outside of the bowl Stacey had written with stickers, "Baby Carlos on Board." In addition to candy, I found a small monkey and a monkey onsie inside.

This year was the first year that the girls decided to induct Marshall into the bowl giving. Not only did he received his favorite type of candy but he also received a gift card to Fuzzy Peach, his favorite frozen yogurt place. I'm surprised Marshall ate any of his dinner as I'm sure his sweet tooth was going nuts to dive into that bowl. No sooner were we in the parking lot then he was already rummaging through his candy to find some "dessert."