Happy Halloween

VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE

I am so proud of Katie, yesterday she read one of the petitions at Mass. I was a bit worried she would back out at the last minute. She and her classmates walked up to the alter, bowed, went to the podium and took their turns reading, Katie went first. I had tears in my eyes for the rest of Mass, and every time I told someone. I almost brought her preschool and kindergarten teachers to tears. When I shared the experience with them, I told them what was going through my mind while I watched and listened to her. All the frustration, the trips to Children's Hospital to meet with her doctor, the struggles she had within herself and overcame. Katie took a huge step yesterday, I am very proud of her.

Our Fall Frolic was a huge success! Helen and Noah hung out with me in the kitchen while the other kids found their friends and hung out with them. Helen kept taking the top to her dress off, which wouldn't have been so bad but she had nothing on underneath! I learned my lesson, yesterday she wore her costume over her clothes, it didn't fit as well, but at least she wasn't flashing anyone. She is off from school until Monday, the teachers have a conference to attend. It will be just her and I tomorrow morning, I'm looking forward to it. We have grocery shopping to do, she loves to help. With it being just the two of us, I will be able to work one on one with her, no interruptions! She won't be able to wander, or run off. She won't have a sibling telling her, "No" whenever she tries to help. She has come a long way but can still get into those moods where all she does is laugh, very loud. They are still having issues with her coming off the playground at school, I have run out of suggestions for them. I talk to her everyday about listening to her teachers, and to line up when they say to. I remind her every morning while waiting for the bus to not stay on the playground when it is time to go in. It's that stubborn streak in her, poor thing, it runs in the family. She is still the top reader in her class, and is doing well in math. I can even have a small conversation with her now. How was school? What did you have for lunch? How many smiley faces today? She asks me everyday, What are we having?(for dinner) and, Who says the blessing tonight? She is taking small steps, but at least we are moving forward and not backward.

Don't forget to go out and VOTE on Tuesday, November 4th!!!!

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue






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Another Root Canal

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

I had another root canal done this morning, my last one was about 7 months ago. The numbness started wearing off about a half hour ago, I'm feeling the pain! This one wasn't as bad as the last one because it wasn't a molar, but it still hurts. After the appointment I went to the school and helped put up decorations for the Fall Frolic this Friday. Fall Frolic is a Halloween party put on by the Home and School Association, I am on the committee. This weekend is also a bake sale benefiting the Cub Scouts, so I'm going to be a busy beaver for the rest of the week. I forgot to mention, I'm having my family over on Saturday for a fall get together. My mom loved this time of year, and almost every year she would have a little get together. She would serve doughnuts, apple cider, chili, garlic bread, and pumpkin pie. We would carve pumpkins and sit around catching up with everyone. Everyone is pitching in so I don't have to do much. Sherry is doing the most by making the chili, I don't have a good chili recipe.

Last week flew by for me, I don't know where it went. I'm sorry for not posting a blog, time just got away from me. My roof is being replaced by family and friends, the professionals wanted way too much money. They have run into some difficulties with the roof, they need to replace a lot more wood than expected. It's going to cost double what we originally thought, that's still much better than what the professionals wanted. If I would have had them do it, I would be in the poor house now. Not only would they have charged me a higher price for the wood, but I would have also had to pay the labor. They may have only replaced the pieces that were in the worse condition too, so the job wouldn't have been as good. I thought about it, I think it would have cost me around $15,000.00 if I would have had the professionals do it. That makes my stomach upset! Thank you to all of the people working on my roof, especially my brother-in-law.

The other day we went to the pumpkin farm with Grace and Noah's preschool class. It started to rain as soon as we got there. While we were on the hayride it started to down pour, nothing like a soggy hayride. Regardless of the weather, we had a good time. When we got home I made us hot chocolate, and the kids colored in the coloring books they got from the pumpkin farm. Later that day I was helping Noah use the bathroom. I was horrified when I saw all this red in his big boy underwear, and even more when it was on his bits and pieces. I really had to control my shock when I was talking to him, I thought we would be heading to the ER. As I was examining it, Noah was telling me about the markers...DING, DING, DING!!! Come to find out, he had broken off a piece of the red marker, and put it in his pants (I guess for safe keeping). He wasn't injured after all, he will still be able to give me grandchildren.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue







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Hot Lunch Lady

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Last Friday at the kid's school they had a service in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, along with a pet blessing. I picked Helen up from school early, otherwise we couldn't have gone, and went with Toby. It got very chaotic once the kids joined us, I had little hands coming at us from every direction. I had to hold Toby at one point so no one would step on him. During all of this, and not to my knowledge, Helen was holding a little boy captive under the slide. We were in the courtyard where the preschoolers usually play, so it was the plastic playground equipment. It was the 2 year old son of the seventh grade teacher, who happens to be 9 months pregnant. Ted's teacher from last year intervened and then tracked me down to tell me what had happened. I held Helen's hand for the rest of the time we were there, I think it just got a bit overwhelming for her and Toby.

Saturday would have been my 11 year anniversary, I had a Mass said for Peter, I completely forgot about it. I was working in the yard, getting it cleaned up for the winter. I cut the grass, pulled up the rest of my garden, straightened out the garage so I could fit the patio furniture in there, and I used the weed whacker to get by the fence. I was on a roll! Before I started I had talked to Sherry, she said she would be coming up in the morning, so if I wanted to go to church with the older kids, she would stay with the younger ones. We usually go to Saturday Mass, had it been a normal day, we would have been there. I took Ted, Robbie, Katie, and Grace to Mass Sunday morning. I went to say good morning to Father John, he informed me about the Mass for Peter, I was very embarrassed. I think from now on I will only have a Mass said on his birthday and on the anniversary of his death.

For the past couple of weeks I have been a "hot lunch lady", I love it! The kids really enjoy having me there for lunch, and I enjoy getting out and having adult conversation with other women. The kids have hot lunch every Wednesday, every other day they brown bag it. It is run by volunteer mom's so the kids get home cooked meals. On Wednesday's the kids have Mass, so after I drop them off I also go to church. Every week two grades participate in Mass. The younger kids take up the gifts and also read the petitions. The older kids do the readings and are the alter servers. I enjoy seeing my kids take part, last week Katie took up the book of intentions, she felt special. After Mass I go down to the cafeteria and start helping with preparation of the lunch. After the kids are done with lunch, we clean up and then eat ourselves. During this time, Grace and Noah are hanging out with the preschoolers until it is time for them to nap, then they join me. Noah most times hangs out in the cafeteria walking around waving to anyone he knows. It's mostly the friends of Ted, Robbie, and Katie. The other day someone said to me he was going to be a politician because of the way he was working the crowd. It wouldn't surprise me, Peter absolutely loved politics. Maybe he has a hand in that somehow!!

Until next time-
Take care,
Sue






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Health Scare

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

I didn't write a blog last week because I had a health scare and wasn't in the right frame of mind. I went to the doctor last Wednesday for my yearly check up, I was doing fine, just a little tired(that's a given!). When I heard the word CANCER come from her mouth, I stopped listening, my brain couldn't process anything else. It was like the teacher on the Charlie Brown specials, "Wawawawa wawa wa..." I started thinking back to when Peter was diagnosed and all he went through. I was thinking of my kids and how this would devastate them. They have all come such a long way, especially Katie. Even though the doctor told me it was a very rare cancer and she wanted to run the test just to rule it out, I freaked out. My luck hasn't been that good lately, so I just knew I would have it, bone marrow cancer. I walked out of that office in a daze, how could this be happening? Didn't God know I had a free pass to life? He already took Peter, how could he take me too and leave our kids with no parents. Reality smacked me in the face, no, I don't have a free pass to life, no one does. We never know what's going to happen to each and every one of us day to day. Peter was a perfect example of that, he was the healthiest person I ever knew, and now he's gone...CANCER. I didn't tell anyone the news, I didn't want them to worry. I know a lot of people worry about me everyday and I didn't want to make it worse. They too would think of the kids, those wonderful kids who have been through so much already. It was exhausting to go through the day with this on my mind and not be able to react for fear of someone asking, "What's wrong?", especially the kids. I finally called Sherry after the kids were in bed and confided in her. I could feel some of the weight of this information fall from my shoulders and onto hers (sorry Sherry), I needed that. It was a very long week-end, since the results didn't come back on Friday, I would have to wait until Monday. We went to church, I didn't feel like it, I was a bit angry. I'm glad we did. We sit in the family room, otherwise known as the "cry room", the vestibule is right next door. Father John always has people in there with him, talking to him before Mass. On this day, he did not, I was a bit surprised. I went in and spoke to him briefly about what was going on and asked him to say an extra prayer for me. He told me to take good care of myself, to have faith that it would all work out, and that it was okay to be angry. I felt much better after talking with him, probably because in my mind, prayers from priests are heard above the average person's prayers. My faith got me through the toughest time in my life, it had to get me through this. I wasn't very motivated this past week-end, we had beautiful weather, that helped lift my spirits a bit.

On Monday I waited patiently for my phone to ring, the morning was very quiet. I couldn't wait any longer, I called the doctor's office. I was told the office was out to lunch so I left a message. I finally heard from them after the kids came home from school(it was a long day!). No sign of Cancer, everything was fine...WHEW, a huge sigh of relief, I cried. I shared my news with the two people I confided in, they too were very relieved. Once my head was cleared and it sunk in that I would be okay, I started thinking of all the people who aren't as lucky to hear the words, "No Cancer". My thoughts and prayers are with every person who is somehow touched by cancer. Whether you are a cancer survivor, or battling it now, taking care of someone who is going through treatment, or have lost a loved one to it, I am thinking of you. My heart goes out to you all, and I am hoping there is a good ending to your stories too. I learned a valuable lesson in all of this, I am not exempt from becoming ill, even though I am a single parent, it can still happen to me.

Until next time-
Take care,
Sue

PS- in case your wondering, my alternator is finally fixed and the car is running fine!(I just jinxed myself, quick...knock on wood!!)











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