7 Quick Takes: Birthday, Halloween, and When The Saints Go Marching In

 

Linking up with Kelly for my sporadic blogging of 7 quick takes.

 

1).  Tommy's birthday was a busy day, but we managed to have cake and sing to him about 7:45 at night.  Great time for extra dose of sugar.  We love our Daddy so much!  

 

 

2). Halloween at school gives the kids a Penny Bazaar.  It's an hour of games, cupcakes, prizes (win or lose the game) and fun.  James went around with his 4th grade "buddy" to help him navigate the games, and I had only Lucy, and helped run the game for James' class, being one of the room liaisons.

 



 

3). Halloween was an extra special event this year.  Emma invited a new girl from school to come out with us along with her cousin.  One of them had never been Trick or Treating before, so it was a treat for us to be part of the excitement that the girls had.

 

 

 

We had Captain America, a sweet Bumble Bee, Linus and Charlie Brown and 3 cowgirls. We got a little bit of a late start since I always insist on taking pictures.  I decided to go around the neighborhood until the little guys got tired (and I got too cold).

 

 

Lucy was fully aware of the joys of candy in the bucket, and held on tightly to the pink bucket she got from her favorite Miss Marjorie.  She is still holding the bucket.  And, when she took a break in the stroller her sweet William kept putting candy in her pumpkin to be sure she had some as well.

 

 

4).  The next day was one of my favorite traditions at All Saints: the Parade of Saints by the 3rd grade at Mass.  Though all through the school are presentations on saints. 

 

William was Saint Stephen, the first martyr.  He chose the Deacon garb, and my talented mother made the costume.  Really, the whole group had some amazing costumes, and it was so impressive to see the details that each child focused on for their saint.  Most were immediately identifiable!

  

 

 

5).  As we have begun the month of the poor souls ("Pray for the dead, and the dead will pray for you" sung to the tune of the funeral march) we have taken time to go visit our big cemetery nearby.  This is the Confederate Cemetery, though I have been visiting it for 30 years and never realized that it had this in the back.  I love the peace of a graveyard, and I love sharing the traditions of the All Saints, All Souls feasts. 

 

My sister Jenn has a great post to help us remember why and what to do, because I forget every year.

 

 

6). We try very hard to say a daily rosary.  Some days are easier than others, but I love the phase that we have begun.  We have 5 children and I couldn't wait until all the kids could lead a decade on their own.  I was one of 7, but one of the younger ones, so I was always more willing to lead and did quite often as I was young.  It's a silly milestone, but one I was eager to reach.

 

All the kids can pray a decade alone.  Lucy volunteers (Me! ME! Me!!!) each time I announce a new mystery and she can say all the prayers.  It's adorable, and just makes my heart melt. 

 

7). I am going to admit something, of which you probably could already figure out because I am not a patient person.  I don't like museums.  They are not fun to go to with a gaggle of kids.  All of the kids are at different stages, all enjoy different things, and all seem to go in all different directions when we get there.  It's the stress of stopping, hurrying, counting, and when we leave, I often feel like I haven't seen anything except the backs of my kid's heads, so when Tommy suggests a museum, I usually put up a bit of a fight.

 

But I think this one changed my views.

 

We stopped at the Marine Corps Museum the other day, all dressed up after going to Mass.  I wasn't sure how it would go, but I just want to say that this place is AWESOME.  Each kid had fun, and each section had something that would capture each child's attention. 

 

I don't often say this, but I would like to go back to that museum.