Awesome Fun Halloween

My Halloween weekend was a whirlwind of fun.  We started with running the Halloween party at Julia's first grade class as Room Mom.  We had a great time making spiders.  When I came in the room, I asked her teacher if it was okay I made a worksheet with directions.  We would be having a reading lesson as part of the craft.  She smiled and exclaimed, "Of course it is alright!"  The party was a big hit.  And, I thank all the other parents and Mary for organizing all the "behind the scenes" efforts.
   I love my costume this year too!  I was in Kansas for my grandmother's funeral.  My family went down to Ft. Scott and hit a few antique stores downtown.  And there, in a backroom, was this great 1960's hand sewn dress just my size!  And, it was only $6.50 plus tax!  I primed and prepped for about an hour curling and applying make-up.  But, it was cool.  I can't even imagine how women used to do all this prepping daily, and think I might prefer the all natural look, even if everyone is forced to enjoy the heavy bags under my eyes.  But, the costume lasted all the way through a school party, cooking dinner, cleaning up, getting kids of to bed, reading books, and a quick kiss goodnight.  A real 1960s momma.  Jack said, "You don't look like my mom, but I like it."  The costume only needed a little freshening as I headed out the door for party number one, MOMS Club Moms' Night Out Costume Party.
   Saturday was a whirl wind of events starting with cleaning the house.  Then it was off to soccer for Jack and Nutcracker practice for Julia.I remembered the snacks for the soccer game but forgot the costume for the ballet practice.  However, thinking fast, I wiped off the tears off my ballerina's cheeks and pulled together a pink tutu and gold tiara from the lost and found box.  Score!
  Then it was home for an early shrimp, guac, and sweet rice dinner before heading out to a party.  Fashionably late we show up on time to the party.  I haven't been to such a rockin' party since the kids were born (Well, Anna, I am not including your Christmas parties, of course.  I mean one were the kids were invited.)  We stayed out until 9:30.  I think it is slightly funny the dopey faces of kids staying up two and a half hours past bed time.  Well, until they come in my room at mid-night crying with nightmares.
   Sunday wasn't much more quiet.  I jammed around in my jammies until 3 pm getting ready for a dinner with neighbors, finishing house cleaning, and working on a painting I wanted to hang in the show I was to hang on Monday.  I sent the kids bed at 1:30.  They were crying and protested.  But, once I got them snuggled under their covers, they were out like a light until 3 pm.  And, thankfully they did rest.  At 3:50, ten minutes before our guests were to arrive, I pulled their hot bodies out of their beds and yanked on their costumes.  And let the treating begin!  I served bloody brains infested with worms (spaghetti) and our guests brought bread, broccoli, roasted chicken, and mellow balls.  Needless to say we totally licked the plates. and rushed out the door at 6 for our treating.  My kids were a little upset at the skeletons next door.  But, we finally made it around the block.  I tell you, this is the way to do trick-or-treating.  We looped around to the other family's home and stopped in for warm tea.  It was a good way to end the evening.  Of course, it was hard to get the girls to part ways so we could get them to bed.  After all, there was school on Monday!
   But, my evening wasn't over as the Midnight Housewife.  I had a painting to finish after all.  I climb into bed at a minute after 12 with a shaking swollen left arm.  I have been working hard on painting and getting back into my world as an artist.  The only problem is my body is changed.  I hold my palette in my left hand.  Though it is light, the holding causes my Lymphadema to activate.
   Yet, life keeps going, and I am NOT going to let cancer stop me until it stops me completely.  Monday, we make it to school only five minutes late.  And I run off to Cafe Luna to hang my show.  I am exhausted and my muscles are fatigued.  So I tiger-up (Brown family code word for grabbing all your inner courage and roaring loud at your challenges) and hang a pretty awesome show.  Well, sometimes you do have to compromise.  So instead of taking Jack back to the cafe to finish putting up labels, we head home for a nap.  AWESOME!  We pick up Julia at 3:35.  A friend offers to host a play date which works out great so I can rush over to finish hanging and then bop through the grocery store. 
  I am laying in bed soar after cleaning the house again from the festivities of the weekend.  (Thank you Scott, Mom and Dad for doing most of it while we were out trick-or-treating.)  Life comes at you sometimes like a turtle and other times it is a spinning fast ball.  The fact that I am a stage IV cancer patient slapped me in the face.  But, you know what, it was worth it all the way.  I had so much fun this weekend.