Trick or Treat (no smelly feet please!)

All right, it was crazy last night. Getting 4 kids ready for Halloween...whew. Before the fun started, we had Mummy Dogs for dinner. I got the recipe from Jenny at "Picky Palate." The kids loved them and they were gone in a wink!

Before and after dinner, the kids were very busy carrying things outside to the garage to sell at our garage sale the next day. (Note to self...never have a garage sale again the day after Halloween. David and I were up until midnight getting things organized, neither one of us could sleep for some reason--probably too much sugar! And we were up at 6AM to get everything out onto the driveway by 7AM). The kids did a great job though...I'd told them we wouldn't go trick-or-treating until the dining room was cleared out. Ha, ha, parental bribery at it's finest!

So this year, Joshua was Batman.

Rebecca was Supergirl.

Christina was Uniqua from The Backyardigans.

And Gabriel was a little baby dragon!

I'd made the dragon costume for Joshua when he was a baby. It was great to pull it out again. Gabriel didn't like the hood at first, but David kept the cup holder on the wagon full of Smarties for him to eat, and that kid was as happy as a clam.

Here's a group shot...aren't they the CUTEST kids ever?

I walked ahead with the older two, and David brought up the rear with Christina and Gabriel in the wagon. Those kids were so fast, we were through all of our neighborhood in 1 hour flat. There is more to our subdivision on the other side of the lake, but our side consists of 3, nearly 4 streets if you include the cul-du-sacs. So it's just enough, because the kids get one very full bag of candy, and it lasts until Easter (if we stick to our one-piece-a-day rule).

After we got back home, the kids enjoyed their spoils and watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. It's a must at our house every Halloween.

Then it was time for bed. They actually feel asleep pretty quickly, considering they'd had plenty of sugar. I am pooped...it might take me a whole year to gear up for Halloween again (either that, or I am seriously out of shape)!

An Angel Among Us

I believe there are certain souls who never really leave us...they touch us in such a way, that they leave their impression on our hearts. Chloe was one of those souls. There have been a few entries in her online journal since she passed away, all from close family and friends, including 2 of the eulogies, one from the visitation service, and one from the funeral. I wanted to share this one with you. It was written by Linda, a close friend of the family, and a dear friend of mine.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Linda wasn't able to go to the funeral, she had to fly out that morning to Virginia. Chloe's family asked her to speak a few words at the visitation. Linda asked me to pray for her...she was anxious because she wasn't sure she could get through it without breaking down. I told her I would... but I knew she would speak with tremendous grace and love. Her eulogy was posted on Chloe's site this afternoon, and when I read it...I cried and cried. Not because it was hard to read, but because it was so beautiful. There is nothing else I can say...just read it for youself.

Chloe Anne Schmidt

A dragon named Cancer began to ravish little Chloe before our eyes over 15 months ago. Deb stood in this very Church when she found the lump in Chloe’s arm. She instinctively knew it was serious, not just a swollen gland. I believed her. Some how, she knew. God had revealed this to her during Holy Mass. Now what?
After Mass I called the Carmelite Nuns in New Caney, TX. I called the Franciscan Nuns in Mishawaka, IN and anyone else that I could reach through internet. Deb was calling people too: Continental NOT ONLY flies aircraft all over the world, they SOAR STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW with prayers to God. Within a few short weeks, Chloe Anne Schmidt no longer belonged to Sammie and her family, she belonged to the WORLD! Any news or any new development was past to the CaringBridge sight the family had set up for Chloe. From there, more people prayed in earnest for Chloe and a miracle.
Chloe IS the miracle! She taught us to hold onto Jesus. In Christ alone is our strength, even today. People rallied in prayer day and night for this precious Child of God. And, the fruit came…a woman away from belief in God for 22 years returned to the Church and spoke with a Priest about her hurts and need for healing. “It all started when I said a prayer (half heartedly, too) for this little girl named Chloe that I don’t even know!”
A man looking for employment for over a year, prayed daily for Chloe after his last unemployment check came and he was near despair, work walked through his door. He thanked God and knew that this somehow had to do with Chloe, the little girl God sent into his life so that he did not always think of himself first.
All present have prayed for Chloe and her family. What else could we do? Where could we go, but to God! Abandonment of self and sacrifices hemmed with prayers became the only answer on Chloe’s tapestry. Chloe brought us all together in one way or another. Clerks in grocery stores were asked to pray and on return trips they would ask, “How is she? My Church is praying for her.” No boundaries or walls of religious beliefs could be found.
Many of you never had a chance to say “Hello,” to Chloe and yet you are here to say “Good-bye.” She pulled your heart-strings; this was part of her mission: The Kingdom of God united for Chloe. Her trust in God gave us hope and strength and courage. If Jesus could ask this of her...we could sacrifice, pray and walk this journey. This was a sea of grief, yet she always smiled and accepted…“not my will, but YOURS be done.”
Families in Amsterdam met to pray. People in Stockbridge Maryland came together. Hawaii and South Africa joined the call. Her name was left in a stone at the Wailing Wall. It was left in St. Peters Basilica on Christmas Eve last year.
EWTN has her name in the Adoration Chapel. And the list goes on and on. Sammie, you gave her life; but Chloe gave us grace and unity and healing through her walk up the hill to Mount Calvary. Chloe is an Apostle! Chloe is our Apostle! Chloe served God built His Church community and brought us to Jesus.
Like all the saints, she suffered for us and for the reparation of the world. She drank from the cup of suffering. Her work is not finished, she has truly just begun! The prayers and unity must remain, it is so important. “We can’t stop now,” a Carmelite told me, “begin again and pray for her family and friends, this surely God’s desire! Sr. went on, “She has completed her mission here and she has not died in vain. She gathered souls for Christ!”
Now, as Prayer Warriors, we are in the desert without Chloe. But, she will walk with us in spirit to the edge and give us a Cup of Consolation and Refreshment: the Living Water from Christ’s side.
What this little gal did to impact not only St. James, but many people world-wide is enormous. Chloe is the favor of Christ’s delight and dancing hand in hand with Him in her long white dress and smiling because there is no more pain. NO PAIN.
Chloe is now on new sea shores, full of JOY; and she has left everything behind to walk with God, her Father, knowing that she ran the race and gave it her all.
We are asked daily to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Chloe LIVED this cross and taught anyone who prayed for her and her family that we are not in control. We MUST put our faith and hope in our Merciful God.
As the Army of Prayer Warriors grew, more miracles happened, not for Chloe, but for other souls. Chloe bridged the gap between us and Heaven. She became one with Christ in her suffering for the thousands world wide that prayed. We all learned hope in Christ, patience, love and how to endure from a 7 year old on her way to Heaven. Yes, it is finished here, but SHE LIVES for ever…Alleluia…AMEN!

Toothless Wonder

Rebecca's had a loose front tooth for a while. Actually, it's been loose forever. It had been dangling by a thread for the last 3 days. David had tried to put it out, but Rebecca would cry and say:

"Daddy, stop, it hurts...stop Daddy...OUUUCCH!"

I'll tell you, I didn't blame David for trying. We were getting tired of her saying she couldn't bit into anything because of that tooth. It was getting old at the dinner table.

Earlier tonight, David gave the tooth another pull. It came out! I love it when my kids lose a front tooth--they look so cute, especially when the permanent tooth comes in (which is always bigger that the baby tooth was), so they looked a little lopsided when they smile. I just love it.

Now we'll have to see how long it takes for the other front tooth to come out. Yes...it's loose too!

Hooray...I'm a Soccer Mom!

Up until now, we have not been involved in any team sports. I know...how in the world did we avoid it for so long? Simple...our firstborn hasn't been interested, and he's not athletically inclined...at all. It's fine with us, but that means we've been waiting years to see if any of our subsequent children would ever want to participate in team sports.

I'd signed Joshua and Rebecca up for a soccer camp this past summer, and they both enjoyed it; however, only Rebecca has been bugging us to play again-- Joshua retreated to his Leapster and his Pokemon cards (which we fully expected). So I registered Rebecca for soccer, her coach called last week, and the team roster arrived via email. We have the pink shin guards and pink soccer ball from last summer ready to go, plus soccer cleats from my awesome friend Karrie, who's daughter outgrew them. Free soccer cleats...always a bonus!

We got to the practice field a few minutes late because we were but a mile from home, and there was an accident. You should have seen me poke my mommy van across 2 lanes and cut behind a shopping strip trying to get around traffic. So we finally get there, and all the kids were already practicing. Rebecca jumped right in, and I met the other soccer moms-- everyone was very nice, and in 10 minutes we'd decided on a regular night for practices and a drink & snack schedule for the rest of the season.

Watching the kids run around brought back many memories of soccer growing up. I played for 3 years. The first year, we had a undefeated season (not because I was a great player, everyone else was), the second year we lost every single game, and the third year, we won 50% of our games. I even remembered how my sister and I would walk by ourselves to soccer practice, and walk home again--which you can do on a military base, because it's perfectly safe. Gabriel was so busy trying to watch everything and eventually wound up on my hip, and refused to be put down until the end of practice. I guess just watching the kids wore him out, poor baby.

Here are a few pics of Rebecca at her first practice. BTW, the name of her team is The Dragonflies. Now if I can just get David's banking group to sponsor her team...

And here's some pics at Rebecca's first game. I wish we could have all gone, but 1:30 is smack in the middle of Gabriel's nap. So David stayed home with everyone else while I went to see our girl play.

GO REBECCA!

Our first time playing goalie...

Oops, one got past us...that's okay! (She blocked the rest!)

FFPS doesn't keep score, so the "unofficial" score was Dragonflies 3, Agents 2. There was some discrepency over one of our goals, so for all I know, it was a tie. I was really proud of Rebecca. She was right there, running her heart out, and kicking the ball as hard as she could. We were pretty beat at the end of the game...but for her first time out, she did awesome. (I say this because I was the wimpiest soccer player you ever did see...I was scared of the ball!).

Oh, and here's my van proudly sporting its new FFPS bumper sticker.

I love being a soccer mom!

The Roller Coaster Ride

Oh Lordy mercy... this has not been my day. Or my week for that matter. Where should I start? I don't remember the beginning, the middle is fuzzy, and there's no end in sight!

Last week, Joshua had a rough week at school. The end result was increasing his ADHD medicine, having a phone conference with his teacher, and scheduling an ARD for November. I am hoping we'll have his stress and anxiety under control within another week. Third grade has been hard for Joshua...please pray for him. It's tough having ADHD, and even tougher for mom, who can't bear it when her child is crying over his homework and spelling words.

Rebecca has been having a real attitude lately. She thinks it's okay to pitch a fit anytime and anywhere. Lately, Mass has been her environment of choice--definitely not okay with Mom. Her last tantrum (yes...at Mass!) resulted in losing her watch for a week. She loves that watch...it's an old one of David's; it's big, black, and ugly, but she loves it. I have to get her where it hurts the most.

Christina has been fine...even though she had a stomach bug last week, but she only had a fever for 1/2 a day. Today though, she had 3 accidents in 2 hours, one of them while we were at the dentist! Seriously...it was not fun at all. I had to take all the kids with me, because we've already maxed out our babysitter allowance for this month, and David was so swamped at work, he couldn't come home to watch anyone. Rebecca was the only one in the chair today, she went back all by herself, even though it was her first time to see this particular dentist. She was a trooper, and was all smiles when she came out. I spend at least 1/3 of the time in the bathroom with Christina (Gabriel joined the potty vigil too), begging her to please poop in the potty, and not in her pants. Alas...her last accident was at home. At least I could start the washer...again.

Gabriel, thank God, has been the ever constant angel in our house. He finally finished cutting his last eye tooth over the weekend, but you'd hardly notice because he's been mostly cheerful (low on appetite, but otherwise fine), and has slept through the night no matter what. I am thankful for that!

I think the fan finally hit the ceiling yesterday. I came down with the stomach bug Sunday, fought the nausea all the way home from San Antonio, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with a cup of tea. But...that was not to be! David had so much work to do from the office, he had to hole up in his study and I had to take care of the unpacking, dinner, the kids, etc. until bedtime. David did take a break to help out, graciously making a run to the store because were out of bread, milk, and orange juice. I went to bed right after the kids, and prayed I'd feel better in the morning, because I already knew staying at home was not an option for David.

I woke up at midnight, and heard the washing machine going. That could only mean one thing...someone was sick. Joshua had thrown up all over his bed...twice. But David took care of everything; he cleaned Joshua up, changed his bed, and made sure he was okay before getting back to work. He stayed up until 2AM, poor guy. When he called me this afternoon to say he had a fever...I felt terrible for him. He's still up right now, working on a loan that has to get done this week. Talk about major stress! I can't understand why his workload at the bank has been so heavy the past few weeks, apparently the failing economy has only increased his hours. I should be happy he's so busy...but we've barely seen him, and the kids and I really miss him.

I was better today, and after breakfast, I felt like my digestive system was back to normal. I finally started tackling the boxes of kids clothes in the attic because we plan to have a major garage sale in 2 weeks. I saved a few outfits (both pink and blue), and tried to ignore the lump in my throat while I sorted and folded, and remembered...sigh. I can't help it...I just cried. I know they're just clothes...the memories will still be there...it just seems so final...and I don't want it to be...

I can only have faith God has a bigger plan in store.

Someone told me today having kids was like being on a roller coaster; there are peaks and valleys, and it's the high points you have to enjoy. (Did I mention I get motion sickness very easily, and it's only getting worse the older I get?) I think our roller coaster has stalled out, in a valley, and upside down!

Please tell me Lord it's going to get better...tomorrow would be great. I am determined to get to the church tomorrow night for some alone time with Jesus, because Lord knows I need it! In the meantime...I'll be imploring all the saints to pray for us. I am sure there are families going through worse times than us right now...but it's been a rough and scary ride...we need divine intervention!

Great Grandpa and Great Grandma "in the big city."

When Joshua was younger and we visited my grandparents in San Antonio, he'd say:

"Are we going to visit the grandparents in the big city?"

My grandparents live in a very nice retirement community exclusively reserved for retired military personnel. They are comfortably established in a high rise condo, and have amenities well suited for the "gracefully aging." (Did I mention they've been married 68 years? I know...incredible!) In addition to the high rise, there are small patio homes, but the kids always look for the "big city," as we come over a certain rise on I-10 west, because the ARC (Army Retirement Community) does resemble a "city," albeit a small one from a distance.

We got to San Antonio about lunchtime on Saturday. We spend a few minutes in the great grandparents' apartment before going downstairs to the dining room for lunch. It's always a bit nerve wracking in their apartment because it is small and full of pretty nick-knacks they've collected over the years. The kids were pretty good though, and didn't knock over or break anything-- even Gabriel was content to play with the bag of toys we brought for him instead of his great-grandparents' pretty baubles.

The dining room is another place that is a bit stressful because we usually have to wait a bit for our food to come, and the kids don't want to sit still for too long. There is a nice balcony with a view of the pond, so we'd periodically take the kids for a short walk in between courses. Yes, we have courses at the ARC. Lunch and dinner consist of a soup, salad, dinner, and dessert course. We just aren't used to eating like that...but the kids look forward to dessert; and always order vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

David took the oldest kids to the Children's Museum that afternoon while Gabriel took a nap and I had some time with my grandparents. It's much better to have good conversation with two senior citizens (one with hearing aids) without 4 kids competing for your attention. My grandma is 89, and my grandpa is 88. I think I even had to admit to myself that they really are slowing down. About 2 months ago, my grandma fell, (which has happened before), and she didn't break any bones, but when I saw her this weekend, she was stooped over much more than ever before, and seemed to have aged more than I've ever noticed before. It made me sober, and realize she really was very frail now. Except for a few distance uncles, I haven't lost any of my close relatives. But that time period may not last much longer.

When the crew came back from the museum (no pics b/c David didn't take any...sorry!), we went to mass in the chapel right off the main lobby of the high-rise. Everyone is always happy to see little kids at the ARC, and even more delighted to see children at mass. Rebecca pitched a temper tantrum (that thankfully went unnoticed by the senior crowd-- not by mom!), but other than that, mass went smoothly.

While my grandparents are easy going in many ways, they aren't used to having kids around, and I'm sure their nerves were frazzled more than once. We went swimming at the ARC's indoor pool, and Gabriel fell coming down the steps into the water...I caught him, but I think my grandpa had a minor heart attack.

Here are some pics--believe it or not, Joshua refused to go swimming. He'd forgotten his swim suit (he'd hung it up to dry after his swim lesson on Friday, and it didn't make it into his suitcase). Boy, was he upset. David threw him in the water anyway with regular shorts on to try and get him in, and he just ended up getting madder! Everyone else stayed in the water for over an hour-- and BTW, it's as warm as a bathtub (b/c of all the old folk :-).

Christina tipped over in her chair at breakfast on Sunday...she was fine, but as the chair went down, it clipped the bottom brace of the chair behind her, and it broke off completely! I didn't even know what to say...and when I finally found my voice, I apologized profusely to my grandparents and the dining staff who came rushing over. I think we were all just glad Christina was all right. I am pretty sure 24 hours of our family is all my grandparents can handle!

After breakfast on Sunday, and the dip in the pool, we showered, packed up, and had one last visit with my grandparents in their apartment. I'd told Rebecca to be sure to hold my grandma's arm whenever we were walking anywhere, and she cheerfully was her support the whole visit...I was really proud of her. I'd started to feel the symptoms of the stomach bug (that had already hit Gabriel and the girls), so I really wasn't paying attention as we pulled away from the ARC. Later, David asked:

"Did you see your grandpa's face as we drove away?"

I said, "No, what was the matter?"

David said, "Your grandpa looked a little emotional, I saw his chin trembling just a bit."

"Oh..."

I didn't know what to say after that. I know my grandpa has become frustrated with his memory and other age related problems over the last few years. I think he's starting to see the "light at the end of the tunnel," (his words, not mine) and it must be worrisome for him to see my grandma the way she is.

Still, the kids had a great, time, and my grandparents kept saying how happy they were to see us, and they appreciated the effort we put out to visit them (even though it's really not difficult for us). The kids definitely didn't want to go home...Christina was especially sad to go. We probably shouldn't take too long to visit them again. I am so thankful they are still "alive and kicking."

More Funny Faces...

Obviously I don't have anything to blog about this week...lol.

My brother came into town for a quick visit, since is shipping off for basic training for the Texas Army National Guard. We won't have any contact with him until Christmas when he's allowed one week's leave. We're going to miss him, especially since he entertained my kids so well this afternoon. Here's what he and Rebecca did while I made dinner (pics from his Blackberry).

Who knew my brother was so much fun? Seriously...he's just a big kid. We love you Uncle Chris! (and we'll be praying for you!)