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HAPPY HALLOWEENY!!!!
So, what's new? Ummm, oh, yeah, my son's school had homecoming this past weekend - town parade, bonfire and pizza party on Friday night and then the football game Saturday (in the cold, pouring rain), and then, the homecoming dance. About the dance. My 10th grade son decides, at the last minute, to go to the dance with a group of friends - and his 7th grade brother. We told J (7th grade son) to call us from his cell phone to let us know what he was doing (if he couldn't get in the dance as he is a middle schooler we would come pick him up - we live walking distance from the school). Ends up one of the school's directors is chaperoning the dance, and he says sure J could go in - and he lets him in. So J is the only middle schooler at the homecoming dance, hanging out with his brother and all his brother's friends - and dancing. The dance is a super nice, well chaperoned event and all in all, the kids had a really nice evening.
I'm just going to say two really gross words, OK. FLAT WARTS. There. I said it. I went for my yearly dermatology check the other day, you know, skin/mole check since skin cancer runs in my family, and the doc says all is good except...looks like you have FLAT WARTS on your left hand...Huh? What the hell are flat warts and why are they on my left hand?! So, the nurse goes out and comes back with the LIQUID NITROGEN - ouch, just the name scares the hell out of me. I hold out my hand and zap, zap, zap, the doc burns the suckers. Now I have six lovely scabs just waiting to fall off. FLAT WARTS - ugh.
Happy Halloween to everyone! We had a fun night tonight. The boys handed out candy with Gage (one of Phillip's friends) while we took Anna Banana (aka - the white bunny) out for trick-or-treating and then J (Cartman) went out for candy with his friends while Gage (Grim Reaper) and Phillip(George Bush) continued handing out the goodies until we ran out (7 bags of candy). Here's the gang - and it's so weird to be trick-or-treating in daylight because of daylight savings time - it should be dark and scary for Halloween. The weather was terrific however, 59 degrees in Vermont. Perfect.
Phillip,Gage, Joseph and Anna
Phillip, Anna and Joseph
And here is my UMASS college son Tony - aka Captain Condom ;)
My other college son was a UCONN leaf blower - don't ask! No pictures available yet.
And here is a pic from Halloween of Tony, Joe and Driscoll, a couple of Tony's college pals ;)
Anyhoo, enjoy your week!
Paula
WHY?
This past Saturday morning I received the news from my visibly shaken 15 year old son of the death of a 16 yr old friend whose life was taken in a car accident. I was in shock. We were in shock. I couldn't breath. I went to my son and held him, comforted him and my heart broke for him.
Why do these things happen? Why? This was a 16 year old boy who was everyone's best friend. He loved his family and friends, he loved hugs, he loved basketball, he loved life. And everyone loved him.
This boy and his family lived right down our country road and we exchanged friendly chit chat on the side of that country road or at basketball games. This boy played AAU basketball with my son. It's so unfair. But then I am reminded of the saying, Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans...and that can be a scary thought.
We attended this boy's funeral yesterday in the cold rain along with hundreds of others to say goodbye. Afterwards, my 15 year old son said to me with teary eyes, "I feel so sad for his mom and dad, and his brother. God, I can't even imagine that happening to one of my brothers or sister. I'd be a wreck." And then he asked me, "I've been thinking. What happens when you die, you know, what happens to you?"
I didn't know what to say. What exactly does happen? No one really knows. And then my 12 year old son Joseph quietly answered. "Chris knows now."
I told my boys that Chris was Chris - he was smiling down on everyone - all his family and friends with his shorts hiked up, bouncing a basketball (he loved to make people laugh) - and that he knows he is loved.
This is one of my son's favorite AAU basketball pics from a couple years ago. My son, Phillip, is kneeling with a huge smile in the front, second from the right. Chris is standing directly behind Phillip (third from the right) with his big, contagious smile. This is one of my favorite pictures too.
My son has fond memories of Chris. He will always be in our hearts.
~ Paula
The weekend is here
and I have SO much to do when all I want to do is NOTHING! Do you ever have those kind of weekends? (Please say yes).
Well soccer season is finally coming to an end. The big end of season tournament is tomorrow (all day!) and that should do it for soccer. Basketball is right around the corner...
My brain is fried. I took a big exam just a few hours ago for one of my three college classes and I'm done for the day (and night). I did work on my magazine today as we are getting the winter issue ready - wait till you see our feature story - Rock Star Momma Skye Hoppus (Mark Hoppus from former band Blink 182, now +44 - his wife)! She is awesome and it was so cool to chat with her for MWLM. So be sure to check her (and us) out come December :)
Has anyone visited The Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts? I am so excited - that is where our family will be celebrating Turkey Day this year!! Gobble Gobble...The menu looked SO incredibly good and the village ( 3 hours away) has so much to do, so we are looking forward to that come November 21st and 22nd. What are your plans for Thanksgiving 2007?
This mom needs to run - time to pick up one of the kids.....
Toodles, Paula
Trick-or-Treat...
smell my feet, give me something good to eat. Yep, soon it will be Halloween. My gang loves trick-or-treating and this year I have quite the bunch. I'll be hanging with George Bush, Cartman and a fluffy white bunny rabbit come October 31st. Should be interesting. Should be fun!
More next week...
GO RED SOX!!!
Cheers, Paula
Hanging with the Governor
Governor Jim Douglas of Vermont that is. It was so cool. My 7th grade son Joseph and his friend Randy were chosen from their school to lead the fall festival parade in our town and hold the sign for Governor Douglas (with the Gov and his wife following them). Check it out - J is the one smiling at the camera behind the big green guy.
Anyhoo, that was fun. And Governor Douglas is a very nice gentleman - after the parade he had his security/bodyguard drive Joseph and Randy back to our house, and of course as a mother, my first question to J was, "Did you say thank you?"
So that was our excitement for the weekend.
Anybody reading a good book lately? Let me know. I love chatting about books and authors.
Time to scoot - I have a haircut today AND it is gorgeous today - 60 and so fall like.....FINALLY!
Cheers,
Paula
My other college son was a UCONN leaf blower - don't ask! No pictures available yet.
