IN THE MAIL

On our way home every day we stop at the mailbox and grab the mail.
About a week ago a small box came addressed to Dawson.
The return address showed the package was from the Make-A-Wish foundation.
He immediately opened it.
In the car.
Inside the box was a small cardboard castle.
Inside the castle was a key.
Alongside the key was a fancy smancy invitation.
It reads:
"It is our deepest honor to invite you and your family
to come visit A WISHING PLACE for the special occasion
of making your wish.
Please bring this key with you when you come,
for it alone will open the WISHING ROOM
at the top of the WISHING TOWER.
We eagerly await your presence."
He took it straight to his room and put it on his special shelf.
I had to beg for it just to write this post accurately.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

...for me anyway.

Color me morbid, but I've always been fascinated with death,
the afterlife, ghosts, and such.
I love cemeteries.
I love reading tombstones.
I want my own to say something witty.
Still working on that.

I get a total rush out of being scared.
No. That is NOT an invitation.
But if you insist, please just make sure you know CPR.

Not so long ago, I worked with this kid named Jeff
who would jump out from behind something and scare me
almost daily at work. I miss that guy!

I get some sort of perverse enjoyment out of scaring people.
These days however, most of the people I know are of the age
where scaring them could be dangerous to their health.
So I refrain. I don't know CPR that well.

My kids however are not off limits.

I enjoy most scary movies.
Every year for the month of October,
we watch scary movies with the kids.
What's sad is the ones like Nightmare on Elm Street that
scared the bejesus out of us when we were young
don't seem to phase them much.
And I've gotten wimpy with age.
"The Ring" and "The Grudge" type movies scare me a bit too much.

I especially love dressing up.
I think at times that I missed my calling in life.
I should have been a stylist to the horror film stars.
There is good reason I'm not.
I didn't say I was good at dressing up.
I just said I enjoyed doing it.

For as long as I can remember, I've always made my own costumes.
My mom was a self-employed seamstress which meant I had
fairly unlimited access to fabric.
Unfortunately I didn't learn to sew. She did that part.
Usually last minute. THANKS MOM!
But I'm freakin' Martha Stewart with a hot glue gun.

I'm one of those stupid people who like to do
couples costumes. Or family/group outfits.
Unfortunately, my kids have outgrown my desire for this,
and I'm pretty sure my husband just went along so he
stayed out of the doghouse.

This year my son is going as a girl.
Sad thing is, he looks really good.
No one will know the difference.
My daughter is dressing in 80's garb.
Which is not too different from how she dresses normally.
My husband just groans when I even mention us dressing up.
So this year I'm struggling to come up with something
original and creative.
Last minute as usual.

As I write this thinking scary thoughts,
my dog just went into a barking fit as the
Fedex guy rang the doorbell.

I need to go change my pants now.

Happy Halloween to all..and to all a ghoul night!

Dawson makes a wish

So I was contacted recently by the Make-A-Wish foundation.
They have chosen Dawson to receive a wish.
We don't know the details yet.
Now you may all think like I did that the M.A.W.F. grants
only to kids as a "last dying wish" sort of thing.
Not so.
The M.A.W. representative explained it to me like this:
"It's a chance for the child and their families to enjoy something
together and make a lasting memory.
To not have to worry about money or the disease.
Even if it's just for a day."
How cool is that?
Dawson doesn't really know what he wants to wish for,
but they said they would have some experts meet with him
and help him figure it out.
When I asked him what he would wish for, he said to me;
"Can't we just donate the money to help them find a cure?"
He doesn't want to do this anymore.
He doesn't want anyone to have to do this anymore.
I know that whatever wish is granted to him that he deserves it.
More details to come...

Monthly update

I turned 41 this year. Getting old officially sucks.
I feel like I'm at some sort of turning point in my life.
I'm just floating by, and it's not fun anymore.
There has to be more to it than this, right?
Sleep. Work. Dinner. Homework. Bed.
That's pretty much it.
Oh sure, I have a lot of other stuff I squeeze into my day, but this is pretty much it.
I need to get back to the gym.
I need to take better care of myself.
I need a housekeeper.
I think that is the true meaning of life.
A housekeeper.
That should make things a lot easier.

RANDOM STUFF

As you can see, my daughter took the liberty to "bling" my blog.
That's great and all, but somehow she lost my pictures.
*sigh*
As many of you know, Dawson was diagnosed in June with Cystic Fibrosis.
He is doing well with the treatments so far.
We go Monday to Primary Childrens for his monthly check up.
It's always nerve-racking, as I don't do well in medical type situations.
Let alone hospitals.
I try so hard to be strong for him, and pray I don't faint in the process.
He on the other hand is such a trooper.
The company I work for makes machines that test for this disease.
Ironic I know.
They have asked to use him as a positive guinea pig for a new product they are perfecting.
He's not too hip on the idea, so I have informed them he will need to be compensated/bribed.
Luckily for them it doesn't take much.
School started.
That in itself has been a challenge.
Just getting them out of bed.
Trying to figure out bus schedules.
Taxiing kids everywhere.
I'm sure many of you can relate.
Dawson started middle school and loves it.
Except gym.
He says his gym teacher is a "DB".
From what I've heard so far about the guy, I kinda agree.
Is that a prerequisite for gym teachers?
'Cause I don't remember ever meeting one that wasn't.
Oh wait. There was my ex brother in-law...
nope. GIANT DB.
On the positive, he isn't the smallest kid in his class.
And he has made a lot of friends so far.
One of his smaller friends got shoved into a locker by a 7th grader.
I didn't really believe this sort of thing actually happened until he told me this.
Ariana started high school.
Ah freshman year.
I'm having anxiety attacks (for her) all over again.
Can you believe they charge $5 a tardy after the initial complimentary 3???
They scheduled her gym class (at the rec center) right before her last class
which is the furthest possible room on the 3rd floor with only 5 minutes to get to it.
It's extortion I tell you!
She has also discovered that "football players are hot".
and "Soccer players are even hotter".
I can't wait until she sees the baseball players and wrestlers.
It's going to be a long year.
I'm sure we will manage through it like all parents before us have.
I'm off to get my Valium prescription filled now.