A time to break down, and a time to build up

On the night Donald Trump was elected president, Forest became ill and was up vomiting until morning. I dozed on the couch in front of the TV as election coverage kept showing a map of our country turn Republican red.

The next day I quarantined Forest to the bedroom, canceled all my lessons, and took Paula and Wylie to the park while the older kids were at school. It was a gorgeous, blue-sky day.

A couple of weeks later, it was my turn to take on the stomach bug--and my turn to be quarantined to the bedroom. Except I got to have the baby with me, so it was a lot less solitary. He is such a sweet little companion (and the antibodies in my breastmilk kept him from getting whatever I had. Hooray for supermilk!)

Although I don't see myself inviting a virus into our home again anytime soon, there really is nothing like illness to slow down time for me and help me better appreciate moments spent with family and our most-of-the-time good health. Also, it is a fantastic excuse to lie in bed most of the day!

Sometimes the unexpected happens, and things break down. But as long as we get back on our feet with a renewed perspective, I believe things generally come back together again.

Victories

A couple of days after Halloween, the Cubs won the World Series. Although we are not typically huge baseball fans, Forest has a special place in his heart for the Chicago Cubs so we enjoyed cheering them to victory.

Wylie put on some Cubs attire from Grandma to support the team:

The following Friday was my Fall cello recital. Twelve students participated, and I got a picture with eleven of them.

Because I played along with almost all of them on either cello or piano--some of them with challenging music--this recital required significant concentration on my part. Getting through all of it without crashing and burning was a personal victory for me! Recitals are so demanding and yet and so rewarding. I love showcasing all the progress made by my students, and feel so grateful for a family that supports me and cheers me on as the music unfolds.

A WONDER-FULL Halloween

It all started when Forest and I got an invitation to a costume un-birthday party. We decided to go as the Ace of Hearts and the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. 

Wylie came along as the White Rabbit.

I even got an award!

When we asked the kids if they wanted to join the Alice in Wonderland theme for their costumes or come up with their own independent costume, Ramona immediately voiced her desire to be Alice and Mika wanted to be the Cheshire Cat. I was able to borrow an Alice costume from a friend, so with that checked off the list, I focused on turning Mika into a little Wonderland feline.

Ramona and Mika both wore their costumes to a little party at Ramona's dance class a week before Halloween.

A few days later, they got to wear their costumes again--to school!

After a costume parade around the school (which I missed), the girls had their class parties. I did make it to this part of the school celebration, Paula and Wylie in tow. We had fun going back and forth between the kindergarten and second grade classrooms, and the big sisters did a great job taking Paula under their wings.

Ramona wore this jack-o-lantern onesie once upon a time:

Ramona's second grade teacher, Mrs. Berg, was expecting a baby boy any day and came dressed as a magic eight ball.

 

Later that afternoon, there was more Halloween celebration to be had. Forest's work (now renamed "Broadcom") invited the kids once again to visit an elaborate haunted house and come trick-or-treat the cubicles. I threw together a Red Rose costume for Paula immediately before. Originally she had declared she would dress up as Cinderella, then said she wanted to be a Cheshire Cat like Mika. Not wanting to make yet another cat costume, I coaxed Paula into being a rose, remembering a few accessories that would make it relatively simple. She almost didn't go through with it for me, initially disapproving the little felt leaves, but finally agreed. It ended up being an adorable addition to our family theme.

Family photo taken by the haunted house: 

Believe it or not, we had yet another Halloween party to attend that same evening--the annual Fall Festival and trunk-or-treat at our church. Miraculously, we got a family photo of all of us in our costumes before we left. It was like a Halloween wish come true!

We arrived at the church just in time for the carnival. Forest, Wylie, and I took a leisurely stroll around the building, following our girls around as they participated at each station. 

At one point, in the hallway, the Bishop expressed concern to the coordinator about fire alarms being triggered by the haunted house fog machine. She assured him that since it produced vapor and not actual smoke, everything would be just fine. And it was. Until the fire alarms did go off. 

Everyone filed out of the building and began handing out candy from their trunks, slightly earlier than planned. The fire department arrived to investigate. Apparently fog machines can trigger fire alarms if they are left on for too long.

 Our girls had quite a lot of loot by the end of this exciting day--and it wasn't even Halloween, yet!

 Halloween was the following Monday. No costumes for school, this time . . .

 . . . but we put them on one last time after dinner. Mika's costume finally got a tail for this final exhibition . . .

 . . . and Paula requested face paint like her sister, so I tried a freehand rose.

We invited some friends--Annabel and Liam--to trick-or-treat the neighborhood with us.

 The haunted house, held at the Palmer's home around the corner, was even more elaborate than ever.

What a full Halloween! By the end of all of this candy-collecting and costume-wearing, I was definitely ready to be done with the wonder-filled holiday and come back to reality!