HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2008

So GRANDMA was a HUGE contributor in our Halloween paraphernalia this year! It started out with Grace's statement in early September,

"Mom, I wanta be NACHO LIBRE for Halloween!"
"Sounds great!" threw muffled giggles.

Only Grace! Only My Fantastic Grace!
She set to work immediately, scanning the Internet for a 'just right' Nacho Libre image. Grace knew the recipe for a perfectly pulled together ensemble rested on the picture because her "Grandma can make anything!" And it's true! Grandma got busy and before I could return from Carol's hospital bedside to her fantastic estate on the river she had completed the perfect cape for Nacho! Turquoise colored "stretchy Pants" with bright red knee pads, red underpants and intricately engineered red boots to finish it off.
But that wasn't the end of the "List of Grandchildren's Costume Demands..."
Lexis decided on Wonder Woman and requested a red and blue cape AND a red and blue TUTU-- which made sense cause when did Linda Carter ever spin into Wonder Woman without her multi-colored tutu?
Our family's Halloween theme was decided... CAPES!
Noah needed a black cape for Batman (which fortunately for Grandma he agreed would be just fine store bought) and Michael needed a blue cape to go with the Spider man footed pj's we had found at the Pasco WalMart. Michael's completed cape was handed to me just before our heartfelt good-bye's ensued. The moral of this story?
Once again, GRANDMA SAVES THE DAY!

NACHO

Dedicated to my Grandma Nancy,

MY Timpview Volleyball Star

Lexis is doing really, really GREAT in Volleyball! She is playing for the Sophmore, JV AND Varisty teams at TimpView and I am extremely proud! She has been working very hard and really putting out a lot of effort into the game, her performance and as the member of a team.

What am I going to do?

Annual Halloween Party!

So every year we have a Fantastic Halloween Get-together at our House! The kids know this and look forward to it! After the Halloween Party of '05 we have, frankly, gone overboard with the number of invitations extended to classmates, neighbors and friendly looking passers-by. Our 2005 party ended up being more than disappointing when we hosted a total of 3 guests! 3! So this year, as I said, we handed out invitations freely and in a classic example of why this probably isn't the most fool proof laid plan we ended up with over 25 very active, fully costumed 10 year old boys and 8 year old girls! Que CHAOS!
Lexis, I mean..Wonder Woman helped run the games. We played a game called, "Witch's Stew," "Pass the Pumpkin" and the ever popular "Don't Eat PETE!" I was delighted when ALL of the kids cheered at the mention of our favorite game. Fun to know the kids remembered from these past parties and were looking forward to it. Only problem? With this many kids "Pete!" took f-o-r-e-v-e-r. At the end of the day I had a very happy GRACE and NOAH, we had handed out at least 10 plus lbs. of candy-- which I am assuming relinquishes the question as to whether or not we had happy guests as well and to top it all off Michael Ethan actually fell asleep WHILE the festivities we're going meaning I got to take part in more of the party, too. All in all, a Happy Halloween!

HE USE to eat! Promise!

Michael's lunch has been coming home untouched. Oh, how I wish I knew what was happening with my little guy! Obviously his stomach is bothering him. Thank Goodness for the Doctor's appointment scheduled next Thursday!

You've got to be kidding me?

This picture of Elayna was posted on Flynn & Krista's blog and has now been my screen saver for the past number of days! I mean, REALLY! She is so PRECIOUS!

Negligent, negligent ME

I have about an hour before the kids get back from church and rather than cleaning the house or working on Carol's Auction or starting dinner (which I really should be doing) I must update our blog! So many fun happenings and impactful moments to record. So in my now fashion I will add pictures and stories After the fact. (This post may have to be deleted from the cool Memory Book I have every intention of creating from this blog.) So here goes...

Michael's 10/24 Progress Report

Michael has been "miserable" at school! He came home all beat up and then was worked up all night long. It seems he is demanding that the teacher takes him outside for a walk or to swing and if he is not doing that he is throwing HUGE fits. I am obviously concerned about his manipulations and control issues.

Michael's 10/23 Progress Report

Grace's Soccer League

A group shot of Grace's Club Team.

After 10 days in Washington, Michael Ethan and I returned home exhausted and with a car twice as full as when we came! Thanks, Grandma!
Michael seemed to do well with his Dad. I was able to spend some really wonderful moments with both Carol and Mom. All in all and despite the circumstances for the trip we were glad to have went.

I'm writing and illustrating a book for Chloe and Carol. When I stayed with Carol at the hospital we attended an Amputee meeting together. One of the women there gave Carol a teddy bear she had made for her to take home to Chloe. The teddy bear was this wonderfully fuzzy bear who's left arm was shorter than the other and who's legs were short underneath the removable long legs. A teddy bear with a body just like Chloe's Mamas. I thought this was such a brilliant gift. Carol and I have talked about her struggles with Chloe. She told me about the strain in their relationship after being at the hospital for so long and her heartache in not feeling the same connection they once shared as Mother and Daughter. I drove home from WA making notes about this 'book' I would make for them based on the gifted bear and all about about Chloe and Carol. Something they could sit and read together. I am pretty proud of what I have come up with so far although I can only imagine what my drawings could look like if I didn't have to sketch seated on my bed next to Michael each night.

Shawn

Lisa and I, once again, drove to Washington together.
Lisa called just days before our drive and her first words to me were, "Are you sitting down?" My thoughts immediately went to Carol. With everything she has had to go thru in these past months my mind pleaded as my thoughts raced faster than I was even able to speak the affirmation that 'yes, I am sitting down.'
Please don't let anything more have happened to Carol! Please!
Lisa continued by telling me that Shawn was dead.
Please! No! Please!
She explained to me that he had been with a so-called friend the night before, that they had been drinking and that Shawn had overdosed. This friend left him, most likely out of fear and once an ambulance had gotten to him and took him to the hospital he was now basically being sustained only by life support.
This is second hand information and while I have since talked with Carol, it is important for me to note that much of the events of that night are unknown. Additionally, I feel it is only appropriate that the family have their privacy in such a case like this.
Regardless I was heart broken. Shawn is an amazing man! He has been by Carol's side as she has gone through this recent tragedy. I watched as Carol's heartbeat would literally increase at the moment Shawn would bend down to kiss his sister's forehead in her hospital room. I was witness to his free flowing tears as he expressed his disbelief at all that Carol was having to go through. I knew of his love for her, it was undeniable, now and as his younger sister so many years ago.
Shawn had been struggling with his own challenges. I knew of his problems with alcohol and the strains in his marriage, not to mention the pain he expressed to me first hand regarding all that Carol was having to go through.
Carol shares an unmistakable bond with her older brothers and I knew immediately the devastation that this would cause her. I cried.
Really I wept and I allowed Lisa to make the plans for us. I knew that we needed to be there for Carol when she attended her brother's funeral and I knew that I wanted to pay my own respects as well.

What more could this dear family be expected to endure...

r


Michael doesn't mind being in the car at all. He just sits back in his carseat and enjoys the the ride. Sure, he likes to be handed a toy to play with and he signs for his bottle by grabbing hold of my hand when he is thirsty but for the most part he is a trooper-cruiser. Meaning a small child who does well in the car. So I had a brilliant idea ( I thought) and that was to bring his car seat inside with him. Heaven knows he doesn't sit happily by himself inside of the house so maybe the car seat was the missing element. I carried him into the house still seated in the seat not to disrupt the natural order of things, set him on the living room floor and watched. He felt the seat, he listened to the sounds around him, he squirmed around just a little and then He started hitting and screaming!
Too bad! Not the trick but worth a try!

I LOVE...

GO BiG ReD!

Grace also played for a special academy soccer league this year. She really loved it! They practiced twice a week for 1 1/2 hours and had a game every Saturday. It was quite the commitment and added to our crazy schedule with Lexis and volleyball and Noah and his soccer team doing the same schedule only on opposite days. My favorite was to watch at Defense. She is quite aggressive and can really kick that ball!

What do Mama and Lexis do when everyone else is in bed and the giggles have started? Hmmm..good question! (Can anyone guess what Lexis' look of sudden panic is all about?)

WE are so excited for the new HSM3! Check out the fantastic Trailer here!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

My girls

These two can be the best of friends and the best of enemies! I haven't any idea what that is like. My sisters and I ALWAYS loved each other!

Michael's 10/2 Progress Report

"I Support Carol"

A wonderfully gracious web-designer contacted me regarding Carol's Auction. She offered to donate a complete blog make-over to be auctioned off and I was bold enough to ask her help in creating a 'Blog button.' I had made attempts myself but I am just not that blogger savy. She willingly agreed and came up with this lovely design that I added immediately to Carol's Auction site. The fun part? Seeing many, many other blogs touting this button as well.