Costumes

Halloween is a lot of work under any circumstances. Getting costumes together for 4 kids is difficult -- expensive, exasperating, time consuming, etc.

Brooke is a cheerleader. I bought her a cute little typical cheerleader costume. It is straight across the top with 3/4 inch straps over her shoulders. So, the obvious questions is...what are you going to wear under it. Despite the fact that the weather forecast is beautiful with a high expected to be in the low 60's, her plan is to trick-or-treat after 6:00, so the temperature will be dropping. Of course, she had no really good ideas. Her plan was to leave her legs bare (BRRR!) and wear her jacket. I can deal with the bare legs, but the bare chest and neck was going to have to be a "No." So, I spent an hour and a half last night looking for my silk, long-sleeve long underwear top. Do you think I could find it? I dumped almost every box of clothes in the basement, looked in every drawer in my dresser (and Brooke's and Eric's for whatever reason), in my closet, in the upstairs bathroom closet, in the office closet (I know, getting desperate here). It is no where to be found. I'm sure it will turn up sometime in July! I finally ended up borrowing a white under armour top from a friend.

Kevin never told me what he wanted to be. I didn't think I should have to beg, so last weekend I told him that if he didn't tell me what he wanted to be or take some kind of initiative to come up with a costume he could either wear last year's costume or put on his karate uniform for trick-or-treating -- or skip it all together. I still don't know what his plan is.

Mark was easy. He is a Yankee baseball player. He is wearing his A-Rod jersey and I bought him a pair of white baseball pants. He already has a Yankee hat, so we are good to go.

And Daniel is a Blue Power Ranger. Or will he decide to wear Mark's old Spiderman costume? Or will he wear the Buzz Lightyear costume that he wore to the Faith Weaver Friends party on Tuesday? Actually, since I went out and bought the Power Ranger costume brand new for him for 35 bucks he will wear that if he knows what is good for him!

We'll see...

Pictures tomorrow.

The Phillies ROCK!

Last night the Philadelphia Phillies FINALLY won another World Series! Woo hoo! I grew up a Phillies fan and Eric is a big Phillies fan, and while our boys have somewhat brought us over to the "dark side" of the New York Yankees, we still love those Phils. (I am glad the Yankees are in the AL and the Phillies in the NL so I can somewhat justify my dual allegiance).

Let me just tell you that when they suspended that game AFTER the Rays tied it in the top of the 6th -- I was more than a little annoyed. I felt that they waited for the score to be tied up to suspend. The conditions were no worse in the middle of the 6th than they were at the end of the 5th when the Phillies were leading by a run.

Oh well, all's well that ends well!

The one perk is that last night's game was only a 3 1/2 inning game and we could let the kids stay up and watch. I was pleased that, despite their love for the Yankees, Kevin and Mark rallied around their dad and the Phillies and cheered them on. Of course, they all want Philadelphia Phillies 2008 World Series Champions SHIRTS! And I think they just might get them!!!!

God works in mysterious ways

Dear Mr. Lopez,

Thank you for the catcher's mitt. I wanted one for a long time and I have been begging my parents. I have already used it alot. it is Awesome. Almost every night I use it with my brother and dad. I have always wanted to be the greatest catcher in the MLB.

Thanks. Mark

Mark really has been asking for a catcher's mitt for months. We kept telling him to put it on his Christmas list, but that didn't stop the constant nagging. Then one night my dad called and said that a friend of theirs, Bob, had been having lunch with a friend and mentioned the boys and their visual impairment, etc., etc. Well this friend was moved by the story and happens to work at a golf course where he had recently found a catcher's mitt that had not been claimed! He went and got it, gave it to Bob, and asked that he pass it along to the boys. Kind of freaky, isn't it?

Well, as fate (and God) would have it, Mark is now the thrilled, proud new owner of a completely broken in catcher's mitt. Above is the sweet thank you note that he wrote to the gentleman. I hope he will know how happy he has made this 8-year old boy who wants more than anything to be a Major League Baseball player, but can't see well enough to hit or catch a baseball in the sunlight.

High hopes and big dreams

Daniel takes a swimming class (reluctantly) every Monday morning. The class is called "Toddler Splash" and it is an "all by himself, without Mommy" class.

He refuses to go under water, will only swim with one particular teacher who promises she will not put him under water, won't jump in to an instructor, etc. (you get the idea -- he's not a very strong swimmer). Which is why I found it so hysterical when he told me this morning on the way to class that he doesn't want to do Toddler Splash anymore -- he just wants to be on the swim team!!! Ha!

Algebra update

I think I posted earlier this week that Brooke is having a tough time in Algebra so far this year. Well, strangely enough, I am thrilled to report that she currently has a 70.9 average!!! Woo hoo! This is a strange reaction for me to a C- average (she has never gotten a C on her report card and has 90+ averages in every other subject), but since this time last week she had a 69.4 average (a D) and had lost her text messaging priviliges I am thrilled at her progress. She had 3 quizzes this week -- she got 11 out of 12 on the first one, 13 out of 14 on the second one, and 1 out of 3 (OK, this is not so hot) on the third one. I am seeing some real effort on her part (still a little attitude), but some real sweat (and alot of eye rolling and exasperated sighs) went into those three grades this week. (Brooke especially loves when she sits down to do her homework and I say "Wait, let me just run and get my Algebra notebook")

Now, if we could only get this Algebra teacher to lay off the quizzes and let us just get this marking period behind us! She is hanging on to that C- by her finger nails! No such luck, though... another quiz on Monday... Stay tuned...

Blockbuster

The phone rang yesterday and as I sprinted to find a cordless phone, Brooke yelled, "It's Blockbuster." (We really love caller ID)

Me: Blockbuster? I returned those movies three days ago. Why are they calling?

Mark: Maybe you returned the wrong movie.

Me: How could I do that?

Mark: I told you the Star Wars movie is in the DVD player.

So, it seems I returned only one disk of a two disk movie. I guess I need to put "Return movie to Blockbuster" back on my "To Do" list. So much for progress!

Oops!

Well, I blew it! I signed up to attend "Books Over Breakfast" at Mark's school (sponsored by the PTO, for which I am the Treasurer) and forgot! The event was this morning from 7:45-8:30 -- the PTO provides breakfast and the kids and their parents (who remembered to come) sit and read books together.

I wrote it on the calendar -- both calendars. I was reminded yesterday while speaking with my friend, Jessica. But, I got up this morning and was enjoying the peace and quiet that happens briefly after Kevin and then Eric and Brooke leave for school/work and before Mark and Daniel get up and then it hit me. Oh crap! Today is Books Over Breakfast! So, I tip-toed into Mark's room and said, in my sweetest Mom whisper: "Mark, how badly did you want to go to Books Over Breakfast?". And he said, groggily: "Not that bad." Phew! Dodged that bullet!

It takes a village

I am eternally grateful for the many people that help me get everyone where they have to be, safely and on time. I am equally grateful for the opportunity to return the favor and help when I can. I just picked up my friend's daughter at school. She isn't feeling well and Lana is stuck at work with her husband away on a family emergency.

I have 4 children, so I sometimes feel like I rely on other people more than they rely on me.

Let's take the end of the school day carpool.

Before last school year our town redistricted our middle schools. Our neighborhood was switched from one school to another. The kicker was that Brooke had just finished her first year of middle school and had adjusted nicely and had a great group of friends who we loved. Thank God for "grandfathering". Unfortunately, keeping her at Conackamack meant losing her bus priviledge. We would have to transport her.

Well, it took me about one day to realize that I was in trouble. It was near impossible to pick Brooke up at school and get home in time for Mark, my then 2nd grader. So, Lana arranged for Brooke to join her carpool. Brooke would be driven by whoever was picking up Megan to Megan's house and I could pick her up there once the boys got home -- no rush.

Things got funny when, later in the year, Megan joined the chorus and had rehearsal on Thursday afternoons. So, the plan became: Brooke would go with Debbie, the Thursday carpool driver, and be dropped off at Megan's house, let herself in using the garage code and wait for Brandon, Megan's brother, so that he wouldn't be alone. Then, at 3:30 I would go to school, pick up Megan from chorus rehearsal and bring her home and pick up Brooke. It sounded crazy at the time. But, it worked.

Thank God for the village!

Algebra

Here is a recent conversation between me and my 8th grade daughter, Brooke:

Me: Have you finished your Algebra homework yet?

Brooke: Pretty much

Me: What does "pretty much" mean? Let me see it.

Me (upon learning that "pretty much" means "I did the easy ones and skipped the more challenging problems"): Do you want to get a "C" in Algebra?

Brooke (with attitude): Well, no. But I don't want to work any harder than I have to.

Now, how does one respond to that? I don't know. Maybe I should look into some really good beauty schools. Actually, no. That wouldn't work. That would require her to get her butt off of the couch. Is there a job that can be done from the far right end of my family room sofa? If so, she has a pretty solid resume!

Are those eggs or rocks?

OK, I need to preface this story with a little background on my two middle children. Kevin and Mark, who are 11 and 8 years old, have a visual condition called nystagmus. Basically, they don't have all of the cone function in their retinas. Their vision is poor, about 20/180, and they are extrememly light sensitive, so they wear sunglasses all the time outside and when they are in an unfamiliar or flurescent lighted place.

Lest you think that I am making light of this situation in my next story, I need to tell you that they are amazing kids and they cope amazingly well. We are so proud of their lack of self-pity and their ability to successfully navigate this world with their visual challenges.

Anyway, we all went pumpkin picking at a local farm yesterday. We go every year -- there is a hayride, animals, corn maze, Burger King nearby, beautiful foliage -- all of the trappings of a great fall family day. It was a beautiful, sunny day -- great for us, a little challenging for Kevin and Mark. We decided to go see the farm animals first. As we approached the pen with the pigs, Kevin said "Are those eggs or rocks?" I looked to see to what he was referring and what did I see? A group of sleeping piglets! I cracked up! (Then I looked around to see if anyone else heard him!)

More pictures from the pumpkin picking excursion:

Kevin, Mark, Brooke & Daniel

Mark & Daniel on the tractor

Daniel & Kevin on a straw horse

Kevin, Mark, Brooke & Daniel on the hayride

Kevin, Mark, Brooke & Daniel after a successful "harvest"